Two seniors with different stories lead CMU in their own ways
Jasmine Harris and Jewel Cotton took different paths to get to their final season with the Central Michigan women’s basketball team.
But for both of them, the game has been the only thing they've known since they were young.
For Cotton, basketball has been a never-ending learning experience resulting in limitless growth on the court.
“I feel like because I’ve accomplished so much, there is no ceiling that keeps me from getting better and better,” Cotton said. “You’re always going to be a student of the game regardless of what level of play you are at, and that is one of the things I have embraced.”
Cotton grew up in Harper Woods and attended Harper Woods High School where she was a three-year captain on the varsity basketball team. She was selected to the All-Metro First Team twice.
Cotton chose CMU over multiple schools, including two within the state (Eastern Michigan and Grand Valley State). The list also included Toledo and Akron, and Big Ten school Illinois.
The redshirt senior, who is majoring in family studies, said she decided to be a Chippewa for different reasons but put an emphasis on the coaching staff.
“I love the coaches,” she said. “By going here, I really felt like I was going to have the opportunities to get better, and I have. I’ve made so many strides, and ultimately the reason I chose CMU was because of the coaches.”
After being redshirting as a freshman in 2012, Cotton was named the most improved player on the team as a redshirt freshman the following season.
She was named Mid-American Conference Co-Sixth Player of the Year during her junior season where she played in 30 games, starting 12 of them and posting five double-doubles.
Cotton said adjusting from rarely coming off the court in high school to being redshirted as a freshman was a big task to overcome.
“Coming out of high school where I was the best player and then redshirting my first year, sitting on the sideline and practicing knowing I wasn't going to play, that was challenging,” she said. “Injuries and other things, it’s all just a part of the game. You sign up for more than just basketball. It’s a lifestyle. You have to accept the challenges and overcome them.”
Changing Her Path
As for Harris, her road to CMU was different from Cotton’s.
Harris’ father played at Louisiana Tech and from the age of four, she knew she would follow in his footsteps.
“The opportunities that basketball has provided me have been great,” Harris said. “I don’t think there is one accomplishment besides maybe one that I can really think of in my life that hasn't stemmed off of basketball.”
The Farmington Hills native began her collegiate career at Massachusetts where she averaged 10 points per game and shot 34 percent from the field in her sophomore season.
After two seasons on the East Coast, Harris made the difficult decision to come back to Michigan.
“My biggest challenge of my basketball career was making that decision to transfer,” she said. “Having to take a year off, and then last year was the most I’ve struggled in basketball in my career. The transfer period took me out of my rhythm, and it took me awhile to get it back.”
Harris said what made the transition easier for her was the program Head Coach Sue Guevara had already established at CMU.
“I would say that Central Michigan Women’s basketball is the second biggest program on this campus, second to only football, and Coach G. has built that,” Harris said.
Finishing On Top
Guevara said she is grateful for both Cotton and Harris.
“They are both tremendous young women. I think both of them lead in two completely different ways," she said. “I’ve watched both of them grow. They understand roles, accept their roles, help their teammates and they are both good students.”
Harris said the different personalities on the team are what have helped build the friendships.
“When you deal with any form of team, there can be trouble with so many different personalities, but we haven’t really run into that,” she said. “We all know each other’s families and back stories, so that makes it easier for us to relate.”
Guevara said she expects Cotton and Harris to do well even after their time at CMU has ended.
“I think they both understand it’s almost time for them to go make their mark on the world,” she said.
But before graduation, the goal for the team remains a MAC Championship.
“As a team, I would like to see us get better each game and grow into the MAC championship team we are capable of being,” Harris said.
