SALT LAKE CITY — Even though she decided not to take Utah's basketball scholarship offer four years ago, Michelle Harrison admired and felt a connection with Utes head coach Elaine Elliott.
So when Stanford coach Tara Vanderveer told several Stanford players they'd be short a scholarship, Harrison immediately thought of Elliott and the Utes. Harrison was in the unique position of graduating from Stanford with a year of athletic eligibility. She had already planned to pursue a master's degree in education while playing her final season.
"Tara called us and told us Michelle had graduated and intimated she'd be interested in playing at Utah," said interim head coach Anthony Levrets, who took over the program when Elliott decided she'd take a year off this spring. "We couldn't talk to Michelle until she was granted a release from the NCAA. … We were really, really excited."
The NCAA cleared Harrison, a former MVP and Deseret News Ms. Basketball from Mountain View High, to play for the Utes late last week.
"It feels so good," said Harrison, who participated in the Utah Fan Fest last Saturday along with her new teammates. "I talked to coach Elliott at the Utah volleyball game. She said, 'You're finally here. This is awesome.' I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Harrison said she feels as good about the decision to return to Utah as she did about deciding to go to Stanford four years ago. She said graduating from Stanford this spring was the fulfillment of a dream.
"Standing there, wearing the Stanford colors. You just know how much that means," she said. "It was amazing."
Despite being nearly a straight-A student, Harrison said Stanford's academics are "probably tougher than you think they are. They will definitely rock you for a little bit."
But playing for Stanford, despite three devastating knee injuries that limited her ability to play, and participating in NCAA tournaments, including a championship game, was everything she'd hoped for when she decided to go to the California school.
She said she began playing pick-up ball with the Utah players last summer and has gotten to know them even better this summer as they've worked out together. And while she said she would have enjoyed playing for Elliott, she has come to respect and admire Levrets as well.
"I like his system," she said. "I like his expectations."
She started her graduate school classes last week and said she feels "very prepared for it."
She is also prepared to contribute in whatever way she can this season. Levrets said with such a young squad, having an experienced senior like Michelle on the squad will only add to their ability to succeed this season.
"She knows how hard you need to work," he said. "She's been great. She's done everything she can to improve. She works incredibly hard."
Harrison sees a lot of potential in this season, as do her youthful teammates.
"I think we're really young and really talented," said Levrets. "The ceiling is very high. They have big, big expectations. I do like the fact that they have big dreams. That's a big part of winning."
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com