Cowboy basketball signs another Ohio product

by Richard Anderson
Wyoming sports.org

Daylen Harrison evidently liked what he saw, after a weekend in Laramie prompted him to sign a national letter of intent to play basketball for the Cowboys on Sunday. Harrison will enroll at Wyoming for the fall semester of 2009, following his senior year of high school.

“Daylen is a great young man who really fits a need that this program will have over the next four years,” UW head coach Heath Schroyer said in a release. “He is not only a very good basketball player, he is a great student and a terrific young man who will fit nicely in our locker room. He can really shoot the basketball and will be as good of a shooter as we have next season. He can also slide down and play the post. He is only 17 years old, but will grow into a prominent figure in the Cowboy basketball program."

Harrison will come to Wyoming from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio, where he enjoyed a standout career at the same high school that produced NBA superstar LeBron James. Harrison was a three-year starter for the Irish, where he played for head coach Dru Joyce.

As a senior, Harrison averaged 17.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while leading St. Vincent-St. Mary’s to the Ohio Division II State Championship. He was selected as the MVP of the state tournament after scoring 21 points in the championship game. On the season, the Irish finished with a 24-4 record.

Following his senior season, Harrison was selected as the Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year, was named Second Team All-State in Division II and was his district’s Player of the Year. He was also selected as a Regional Top-5 All-Star by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. On the season, Harrison shot 49.8 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from the three-point line.

“Coach Anthony Stewart was the lead on recruiting Daylen and did a tremendous job attracting such an accomplished young man," Schroyer said.

Harrison is also an outstanding student, carrying a 4.2 grade point average over his high school career. In addition to being a member of the National Honor Society, he has received numerous other academic honors.

He was also offered by Butler and Air Force. He played AAU basketball for the King James Shooting Stars, along with fellow Cowboy signee Desmar Jackson.

With the signing of Harrison, the Cowboys have concluded the 2009-10 recruiting class. Harrison joins the Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year from Natrona High School Michael Dietz, a Warren, Ohio prep star in Desmar Jackson, Garden City Community College transfer Thomas Manzano and Stoneridge Prep’s Amath M’Baye.

“Daylen solidifies our recruiting class for next season,” said Schroyer. “He is the final piece of a puzzle that we are very excited about finishing. By adding the five players we signed this year to our young team, we are in a great position for the future. These guys will be able to play together for three to four years and continue to build the Cowboy basketball program.”