“[She] is a big, powerful center,” Delaney-Smith says. “We’re pretty deep in the forward spot, so she might not see as much game time as [Hallion] might, but she’s a power forward, and that’s an added dimension to our veterans.”

Budischak opted for Harvard over Bucknell and Ivy favorite Dartmouth—the Crimson’s biggest rival. “It’d be awesome if we won [Ivies],” she said.

A prospective biology or psychology concentrator, Budischak plans to indulge her passion for photography and volunteer work.

She also likes to travel.

“I’m excited for road trips,” she said.

JESSICA KNOX

Knox, a 5’9 guard from West Linn, Ore., is no stranger to second place, which is where the Ivy media thinks the Crimson will finish.

As a junior, her team finished second in the state.

“We lost to Oregon City in the championship game,” Knox says. “But Oregon City is one of the top five teams in the nation. Finishing second to them was sad, but in a way it was still kind of an accomplishment.”

Last year, Knox averaged nine points, five assists and three rebounds per game, earning an Oregon All-State honorable mention.

“Harvard was my dream school since I was 10 years old, so I always wanted to come here,” says Knox, who sought Harvard’s attention early in the recruiting period. “They offered the whole package,” she said.

Knox, a potential pre-med, expresses interest in concentrating in psychology and volunteering and tutoring outside the classroom.

But first things first.

“College basketball is a huge change from everything I’ve done so far,” she says. “It’s another level, and it requires a huge step up.”

Delaney-Smith says she thinks Knox is up to the challenge.

“Every team needs a defensive stopper,” she says. “That may be a role she might jump into. She’s smart, athletic and quick.”