Auburn, ME - Head Women's Basketball Coach, Andrew Morong, has announced the commitment of Ellie Harrington of Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom. A 5'6" combo guard of Itchen Sixth Form College (High School) and the Reading Rockets (Club), Harrington will study Physical Fitness Specialist at CM. Harrington led Itchen Sixth Form College during their stretch of winning the league and cup final in each of the last 3 years, finishing 3rd at Nationals during the last 2 seasons. For the Reading Rockets, Harrington helped the team secure the South West Division title, while reaching the NBL final. She also toured with AASE England to Denmark, where they played teams from China, Sweden, and the host country.
According to Coach Morong, "Ellie has a high level of international experience, playing against athletes older and more experienced than her on a consistent basis. This allowed her game to mature very rapidly, and she has developed a tremendous understanding for the game. Her basketball IQ is off the charts, and she brings a versatile skill set to the table as well. She is extremely unselfish because she sees the floor so well, but she can also shoot from outside, and attack the basket. Ellie is not scared to be physical and she is really aggressive on the defensive end. Although there will be an adjustment period for her, I expect her to adapt quickly, and make a huge impact from day one."
Harrington on her commitment, "The reason I chose CM was because of the family atmosphere and the support around the college. I think this provides me the best chance to develop my basketball skills, and I am confident that Coach Morong and the CM program can push me to the next level. I love the size of the campus, and fact that it's right on the lake. Having the dorms so close to the gym and weight room is great as well. I am really looking forward to meeting new people, making new friends, and the entire overall experience."
She continued, "Playing in the US is going to be very different. I will actually be playing against girls that are similar in age and in the same stage of their basketball career as I am. At the club level in the UK it can differ drastically. I think college will be far more challenging and consistent than basketball in the UK. Next year I will bring lots of dedication, hard work, and positivity, and I think my experience of European basketball will also help."
