Harvard’s Katie Benzan commits to Texas for 2020-21 season

It appears that Katie Benzan will be trading in her crimson for burnt orange next season.

The three time first team All-Ivy guard, who announced she would forgo her senior season in late August, informed the Harvard Crimson newspaper that she verbally committed to the University of Texas at Austin for a graduate transfer year in 2020-21.  She will formally sign a National Letter of Intent in the upcoming early signing period that runs from November 13 through 20.

During her three years in Cambridge, Benzan made a name for herself as the Ivy League’s premier three point shooter.  In her rookie campaign, she led the league and set the Harvard record for made threes with 85.  Over the next two years, she added to that number by hitting 99 in 2017-18 and 103 last year.

For her shortened Ivy career, Benzan’s total of 287 triples eclipsed the previous conference record of 273 held by Dartmouth’s Courtney Banghart and Jeannie Cullen.

In addition to her long range prowess, which led to 1,223 total points (20th all time at Harvard) and a career average of 13.7 points (seventh) per game, Benzan was an indefatigable point guard who averaged 34 minutes (first) and 4.1 assists (sixth) per contest.

Benzan will be joining a Texas team that enters the 2019-2020 season as the #2 team in the Big XII and the #15 team in the nation.  According to the Austin American-Statesman, the 5′ 6″ guard from Wellesley (MA) will be expected to fill a void left by the graduation of seniors Sug Sutton and Lashann Higgs.

The Austin paper noted that Benzan will be a part of a five-person recruiting class, headlined by forward/guard Shay  Holle of Westlake (TX) High School, the #97 ranked recruit by ESPNW.  (In an interesting twist, the Crimson is expected to bring in point guard Harmoni Turner of Mansfield Legacy (TX) High School, the #39 recruit in that same poll).

When Benzan leaves for Austin, she will become the second member of Kathy Delaney-Smith’s program to go the graduate transfer route in the last three years.  Taylor Rooks graduated from Harvard in the spring of 2018 and played for Michigan last season.

Benzan will look to make as big a splash at the high major level as fellow Bay Stater and former Yale guard Makai Mason, who led Baylor in minutes, points, made three pointers, made free throws and assists on his way to a spot on the All-Big XII second team in 2018-19.

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