Jordan Harrison: Naismith Finalist, WVU's Defensive Legend

0:00On March 26, even after a tough second-round loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament at home, the West Virginia Mountaineers' Women's Basketball Team keeps raising the bar. On Wednesday, they announced Senior Guard Jordan Harrison as a finalist for the Naesmith defensive player of the year award. She joins a strong group that includes UCLA's Lauren Betts, Notre Dame's Hana Hadago, and Yukon's Sarah Strong. Harrison earned Big 12 defensive player of the year honors this season, averaging a career high three steals per game. Her pass to this point started as Stephen F. Austin, where she followed Coach Mark Kellogg to West Virginia after her freshman year, without even visiting the campus first. That trust paid off big time as they racked up at least 25 wins each of her three seasons there. Fans and coaches alike see her as a program legend already. She picked up all Big 12 honors every year, all defense nods twice, and was the conference tournament's most outstanding player after dropping.

1:0021 points and three steals in the title win over TCU, their first in nine years. With Harrison's impact clear, the Mountaineers' space of challenge replacing her defense next season, but her success highlights the bright future coach. Kellogg is building in Morgantown.