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On the basketball court, Michelle Harrison defines versatility.
Utah's senior small forward is the second-leading rebounder on the team. She hands out assists, she scores and her defense is a major reason that the Utes were able to start playing small ball midway through the season.
But for as many things that Harrison brings to her team, her accomplishments off the court make her truly unique.
As a senior transfer from Stanford University, Harrison is a wonderful artist. She's already received a bachelor's degree, and is working on a master's in culture in society. She's one of the few around the country to take advantage of an NCAA rule allowing a graduate with a year of eligibility remaining to transfer to another school without penalty.
It's been a whirlwind career for Harrison, once the best player in the state when she was playing at Mountain View High School in Orem.
"It meant a lot for me to have the opportunity to come home and play in front of my family because I had been gone so long," Harrison said. "I wanted to come in, work hard and blend in with my teammates. The chance was there, I started working out with the team and things just clicked from there."
Harrison's love for art is well-known. She started drawing as a child, and things just grew for her from there. She's thought about pursuing a career as an artist, but plans on possibly becoming a teacher, which would allow her to mentor as an artist.
"I want to keep at it," Harrison said.
Of her work, Harrison is most proud of a drawing she made for Tara VanDerveer, her coach at Stanford. She took a picture of VanDerveer's dog, drew it and presented it to her last season at the team banquet.
VanDerveer, one of the legendary coaches of women's basketball, hung the drawing in her office.
"My love for drawing didn't just happen," Harrison said. "It didn't come from anywhere. I just felt like drawing one day and I really liked it."
As Utah prepares for the Mountain West Conference tournament this week, Harrison's experience will make her invaluable. That's part of the reason the Utes were willing to take her in the first place. As Division I programs go, most are reluctant to take senior transfers, because they have just one year to play.
Harrison proved to be an exception because of what she could offer on the court, and because the Utah senior class this season shaped up to be thin.
"We didn't know if we were going to have a senior class," Utes coach Anthony Levrets said. "In that sense, the idea of having a senior was an appealing one. We went through the process, we brought her in on a visit, and she's done everything we've asked of her."
At 6-foot-3, Harrison offered size at the small forward position. She's done all of the little things that don't show up in the stat sheet, and she quickly became a favorite among her teammates, even playing in a system completely different from the one she played in at Stanford.
"It's difficult for anyone to transfer to a new system," sophomore forward Diana Rolniak said.
"She's worked hard on and off the court to adjust, and she's been great defensively. She's a really, really good defender."
Twitter: @tonyaggieville —
Who is Michelle Harrison?
Played at Mountain View High School in Orem.
After four years at Stanford, the graduate transferred to Utah with a year ofeligibility left.
Is a dedicated artist.
Is one of the most versatile players in the Mountain West Conference.