Men's Basketball Reels in First Member of 2017 Recruiting Class

While Harvard fans are focused on seeing whether the 2016 recruiting class can live up to its ESPN top-10 ranking this year, the first member of the 2017 recruiting class has chosen to don Crimson.

Mario Haskett, a 6’3’’ guard from Chesterfield, VA, announced via Twitter on Thursday that he would join coach Tommy Amaker’s squad, writing “I’m proud to announce my intentions to commit to Harvard University. #WeSoCrimson.”

Haskett is listed as a three-star recruit on 247sports.com and received 11 collegiate offers, including Cincinnati, Virginia Tech and VCU.

“I picked Harvard because it’s a place where I believe my game can develop and have an opportunity to get to the next level,” Haskett told Scout.com following his commitment. “Also it’s an opportunity for me and my family and my brothers to be set for life...It’s more than a hoop move.”

Though he has not officially gone through the admissions process, Haskett has shown an interest in pursuing engineering as a concentration after participating in his high school’s engineering program. Incoming freshman Chris Lewis has also noted an interest in concentrating in engineering, noting Amaker’s pitch that Harvard is a “40 year decision”, not a four-year one.

Amaker consistently refers to defense as his team’s calling card, making Haskett a good fit for the Crimson as he points to his defensive work as his best asset, referring to it as his “moneymaker”. Though he puts the most weight on defense, Haskett has also been a strong scorer for his team, averaging just over 11 points per game in his junior season and expecting to take on an even greater load in his final season at L.C. Bird.

This past season, Amaker often had to choose between offense and defense at the shooting guard position. While freshman Corey Johnson got the majority of the minutes at the two position, Amaker flip-flopped between Johnson and sophomore Andre Chatfield when things were close, with Johnson entering the game for offensive possessions and Chatfield subbing in on defense.

Also according to Scout.com, Haskett will make his first official visit to Harvard on Sept. 17th, the same weekend that top-five, five-star recruit Wendell Carter is expected to make his way to Cambridge.

–Staff writer Theresa C. Hebert can be reached at theresa.hebert@thecrimson.com.