Valpo women’s basketball head coach Mary Evans announced today the addition of Jill Harris to the program’s 2023-24 roster as a graduate transfer. A talented ballhandler and playmaker, Harris most recently suited up for Johnson C. Smith University and was an SoCon All-Freshman Team selection in 2019-20 while playing at Mercer.

“We are really excited to have Jill joining our family!” Evans said. “She is an extremely experienced and intelligent point guard, as well as a very competitive person. She has had the opportunity to win a championship and play in the NCAA Tournament. As good of a player as Jill is, she is an even better person and I am excited to have her join our Valpo community.”

Harris started in 15 of her 17 appearances for Johnson C. Smith last season, averaging 31.2 minutes/game. She posted 8.7 points and 2.3 assists per game for the Golden Bulls, scoring in double figures on eight occasions.

“Incredible things can be done simply if we are committed to making them happen,” Harris said. “I am excited to be a part of a family atmosphere here at Valpo and I’m looking forward to winning a Missouri Valley Conference championship.”

Harris spent the 2021-22 season playing for Alabama A&M, starting in all 28 of her appearances and averaging 35.1 minutes/game as she helped the Bulldogs finish in second place in the SWAC — the program’s highest conference finish since 2004-05 — with 13 conference wins, the most since the program joined the SWAC. She averaged 5.4 points per game, scoring in double figures five times, and ranked second on the team with 55 assists.

Harris played her first two collegiate seasons at Mercer, highlighted by a SoCon All-Freshman Team selection in 2019-20 as a rookie. She started in 28 of her 31 appearances, playing 32 minutes per game while averaging 3.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Her 124 total assists not only led the Bears, but made her the first Mercer freshman since 2010-11 to crack 100+ assists. Harris boasted a 2.18 assist/turnover ratio, good for second in the SoCon. Nationally, Harris ranked third among freshmen in assist/turnover ratio and 10^th in assists.

Harris appeared in all 26 games for Mercer in 2020-21, starting seven times and averaging 27.4 minutes/game. She again showed her playmaking ability, ranking second on the team with 88 assists (3.4/game) and posting an assist/turnover ratio of 2.26. Harris helped the Bears claim the SoCon Tournament championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament, where she dished out four assists while not committing a turnover in 19 minutes of action against top-seeded South Carolina. Harris was named an Academic All-SoCon honoree and earned a spot on the SoCon Academic Honor Roll.

Harris played her senior year of prep basketball at Crestview [Fla.] H.S., where she was named the Fort Walton Beach Daily News co-Player of the Year after averaging 12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 3.2 steals per game. Prior to that, Harris played her junior season at Emerald Ridge [Wash.] H.S., where she averaged 16.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.6 steals.

Harris graduated from Johnson C. Smith with a bachelor’s degree in criminology, and will work towards an MBA at Valpo.