Her given name is Jazzlyn Harrison, but her high school basketball coach shortened it to just Jazz. In time, Harrison, who finished up her high school career at Howe, Okla., grew to like her abbreviated first name.
“My actual name is Jazzlyn, but like for every sports thing, Coach (Chris) Brown always put Jazz,” Harrison said. “So everyone thinks my name is Jazz, so I usually just say Jazz.”
That was the case again when Brown nominated Harrison to play in the recent Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Game in the small school division. The name on the Small East roster read Jazz Harrison.
As for the game itself, which was played in Tulsa, Harrison ended up scoring just two points and her team didn’t win. But she enjoyed being part of the All-State experience nevertheless.
“I was expecting to be, like, a lot more nervous than I was, but as soon as I got up there with all the girls, started talking to them, it wasn’t as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be,” Harrison said. “So I’m super grateful that I wasn’t extremely nervous going into the game, because it was a lot of fun. It’s definitely a memory I’m always going to have, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Harrison was familiar with several of her teammates, including Pocola’s Allyssa Parker (now getting set to play softball at the University of Oklahoma), Hartshorne’s Tori Kilburn, Whitesboro’s River Cogburn and both Teague Muncy and Ava Bell of Dale, which beat Harrison’s Howe team in the state title game her sophomore year. And there were other teammates Harrison bonded with, mentioning Perry’s Sarah Davison as one.
It was the second all-star game Harrison played in over the summer. She also competed in the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association’s all-star game in June.
Harrison primarily played forward at Howe, and averaged 7.4 points a game her senior year for the Lady Lions. She also played in the state tournament in all four years at Howe. She equally enjoyed the privilege of playing for Brown, one of the state’s legendary coaches who has won four state titles as Howe’s coach.
“It was a lot of fun,” Harrison said. “He definitely pushes you to be your best, and I’m forever grateful for that, because, you know, he’s getting on to your because it’s out of him wanting to better you and not pushing you down. And I’m definitely very, very grateful for him and Shawn (Womack, assistant coach).”
Harrison, who also participated in softball and track at Howe, will get to continue her basketball career at the next level. She will be going on to play at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton.
“They’re just going to expect me to obviously do my best and get better and stronger and faster and just improve in every way possible, and to give my 110% to them,” she said. “I definitely want to grow and become more flexible on the court, and I know that that’s going to happen after this year.”
Being there for her team is something Harrison learned playing under Brown that she hopes to continue to utilize when she prepares to play at EOSC.
“Just being the best teammate, I feel like, is the most important,” Harrison said. “If you’re a good teammate, then you’re going to help everybody else as well.
“So definitely being a good teammate, or being a great teammate, is something I’m going to take definitely to college with me.”