Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919.

Wolverine to Rocket: Harris prepares to take the reigns on UT’s courts

Photo courtesy of UT Athletics

Senior guard Brenae Harris drives to the basket in a game against Eastern Michigan that the Rockets lost 75-61. Harris averaged 9.8 points last season and helped lead the Rockets to a 10-8 record.

Keith Boggs, Sports Reporter

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If there is one thing that constantly captivates Toledo’s senior point guard Brenae Harris, it’s basketball.

Expectations are high for the senior this season after she was named to the All-MAC honorable mention team last year.

But performance should be no problem; Harris has been shooting hoops with her father since age 5, when the two of them bonded over the sport.

“My dad played for Alabama State, and he didn’t have the boy he wanted,” Harris joked. “He bought me a Little Tykes hoop and it just took off from there.”

Basketball became Harris’ obsession. She played constantly, working her way up through various grade-school leagues until she started seeing results.

“I played at a rec league when I was 10 or 11 with my sister, and then in middle school,” Harris said. “I then realized it was something I wanted to do.”

Her focus and dedication on the court paid off. After Harris’s senior year of high school, she accepted a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Michigan, where she saw relative success.

She started the first six games of her sophomore year, but after a coaching change, Harris decided look for a new school.

“There was a change in coaching staff, and that wasn’t really what I signed up for,” she said. “I came here and found a better fit for myself at Toledo.”

Playing in the Big Ten taught me how to be a competitor. In the Big Ten there are a lot of competitive rivalries versus Ohio State and Michigan State, and you have to really bring it in those games.”

— Brenae Harris, Senior pointguard

Harris plans to take what she’s learned in the Big Ten and put it to use in the MAC.

“Playing in the Big Ten taught me how to be a competitor,” Harris said. “In the Big Ten there are a lot of competitive rivalries versus Ohio State and Michigan State, and you have to really bring it in those games.”

Many might regard UT competition as easier, but Harris stresses that it’s not that way at all. U of M is a high profile school, but Harris said teams in conferences like the MAC can be just as tough.

“Here it’s the same, if not more competitive,” Harris said. “We’re a mid-major school so people don’t think it’s as competitive. We actually have more to prove.”

Proving itself is exactly what Toledo has done by finishing 10-8 in the MAC last year and receiving an invite to the WNIT, where they fought hard but still lost to U of M in the end.

This year may look different because the Rockets look to replace some of the scoring void left by Inma Zanoguera.

While it will take a team effort, Harris is one of the battle-tested players that Toledo can count on.

Last year Harris averaged around ten points, four rebounds and three assists, which all ranked close or at the top of the team. She also performed well on the defensive end where she averaged nearly one steal per game.

This summer Harris showed signs of taking her game to even a higher level.

While playing overseas in Europe, Harris led the team with 15 points per game in their two exhibition contests. She’s certainly looking to keep that positive momentum going into the season.

While she performs as a standout on the court, she’s no slouch outside of games, either. Harris is a communication major and has been a member of the Dean’s List the past three semesters.

Harris said she hopes to play professionally in the states or overseas, following in the steps of her former teammate Zanoguera.

If she keeps up her performance, then Harris should have no trouble living up to expectations.

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Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919.
Wolverine to Rocket: Harris prepares to take the reigns on UT’s courts