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Linnaea Harper (’14) commits to McMaster University
“Well I have mixed emotions. I’m really relieved first of all to have made the decision because there was a lot of pressure. At the same time I’m really, really excited to be a part of the McMaster family,” said Harper.
Harper is a Top-30 player ranked player in Canada that was sought after by several NCAA schools. After weighing her options, and truly considering what was right for her, two P’s stood out as her major deciding factors: Proximity and Patriotism.
“The CIS was my first choice because it allowed me to stay close to my family and friends, and that is really important to me. And also, I’m a proud Canadian so I wanted to support that.”
Having made the decision to stay north of the border would have undoubtedly enabled Harper with a whole lot of options. There would have been many schools that would be able to benefit from all of the tools she has as a player. So what was it about the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) school that made it the one for her?
“Academically, Mac is a Top-100 international University. That was something that was really important to me.”
She also went on to say that the connection that she was able to make with the team, starting from the experience 20 year Marauder Head Coach, Theresa Burns, through to the way that the players are well prepared to do battle, were also reasons that impacted her final verdict.
“Mac basketball has a true family feel. There’s just such great support with academics and athletics there.”
What the McMaster Marauders acquire is a team player with leadership qualities. She’s a Guard that defenses will have challenges to matchup. Harper brings very good height to her position that comes along with a ton of versatility on both sides of the ball. She has the outside game of Guards far smaller than her, and the speed to move quicker than many bigs. On defense, she is also able to guard several positions.
She demonstrated throughout a successful stint with her Blues JUEL rep team last season, that she is just an outlet pass away from running the floor. It’s a style she feels will be most advantageous in preparing her for the track meet know as the McMaster style of play among the things that she will be bringing to the team.
“My favorite type of basketball play is a fast high paced one, and Mac for sure was one of the more higher paced teams that I’ve seen. Also, they have great outside shooters. I like to drive and kick so I’m sure I’ll get loads of assists.”
Harper gave a lot of credit to the Toronto, ON based Blues organization for laying a foundation that would see her make significant strides in the evolution of her game. There she credits the dedication of coaches Andrew Bergant and Cameron Hall with wanting her to do well and really helping to taking her game to the next level.
“I was not much of a shooter or a ball handler. I was just a defender. So my coaches really prepared me well in terms of getting my shot to have better form and building my confidence.”
“Not only do they push the team and [basketball] skill development, they also push the developing of our skills outside of the court. Leadership and cooperation with others and teamwork, so not only have they helped me on the court, but also in my everyday life”
With hard word and determination, Harper has aspirations of being a starter with the Marauders. With even more hard work, she has visions of even being a CIS All-Star.
But from her time at McMaster, she maturely sets her hopes on being able to secure the tools that she will take with her as a foundation for the rest of her life.
“What I want to get out of this basketball/university experience, is to learn what it is to be better person all around. A leader, a great person, [good] team work…skills that I can get from basketball, that I can apply to my everyday life.”