Myers selects Harvard

Douglas High senior Hunter Myers spent the bulk of his Tuesday placing phone calls to college coaches around the country.The message was the same to each recipient: After more than a year of being recruited by at times close to 20 major college programs, the reigning Northern Nevada Basketball Player of the Year verbally committed to Harvard University.“I took two official visits — Harvard and Stanford,” Myers said. “Those were my final choices. I liked the way I felt at Harvard. I felt more comfortable, more at home.“The coaches I talked to were very understanding and everyone was very professional about it,” Myers said. “They respected my decision, and wished me luck. I haven’t had a negative conversation about it yet.”Myers, a 6-7 small forward who is the top-rated senior in the state of Nevada heading into this season, initially received a scholarship offer from Nevada heading into last year. The list of interested schools, including Harvard, rapidly expanded for Myers during a stellar junior season and an even more impressive spring club season.Last month, Myers narrowed the list down to Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Cal, UC Santa Barbara and Lehigh, saying at the time academics were a top priority. “Harvard’s pursuit was definitely noted,” he said. “It’s a mutual thing, I’m going to like going there and hopefully they'll like coaching me.“For me, through the whole process, location wasn’t a humongous issue for me. I wanted the best fit regardless of where it was. I really think I found it in Harvard.”During his visit to Cambridge, Mass., two weeks ago, Myers said he got to spend a lot with the Crimson basketball team, which qualified for the NCAA tournament last year and lost to fifth-seeded Vanderbilt 79-70 in the second round.“I got to hang out with the team the majority of my time there,” Myers said. “It’s a great group of guys. A few of them remind me of my teammates here. I’m just excited for the opportunity to play for a new team next year and the new experience. I'm looking forward to it.”The Crimson are coached by Tommy Amaker, who was the head coach at Michigan and Seton Hall prior to beginning his stint at Harvard.Myers said the prospect of balancing life between the court and the Ivy League classroom is a challenge he is looking forward to.“People were saying it’s a little rough when you start out, but you can get all the help you need,” he said. “Your teammates are there for you. All the sports teams support each other. It’s one big family.”Because Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships, Myers will not be signing a national letter of intent. Verbal commitments are non-binding, but Myers said he was set on attending Harvard. • Joey Crandall can be reached at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.