After making pact years ago, Rikki Harris, Jacy Sheldon ready for one more Ohio State run
It didn’t take long for game to recognize game when it came to Rikki Harris and Jacy Sheldon.
Now fifth-year Ohio State women’s basketball players, the two were once just young, highly prized recruits from bordering states. Harris, a five-star point guard from Indianapolis North Central, was No. 24 in espnW’s HoopGurlz recruiting rankings. It put her 18 spots ahead of Sheldon, a five-star guard from Dublin Coffman.
The future backcourt mates were both visiting Ohio State as recruits when a pledge was made that will have significant ramifications for the 2023-24 season.
“We made a little pact at the beginning that if we stay, the other one’s gonna stay,” Sheldon said. “We’re still chasing that championship, and we’re excited to do it together.”
After each of the last two seasons, Sheldon has had a decision to make about her future. Both times, she has opted to return to Ohio State rather than pursue a professional career.
The reason Sheldon came back for this go round was that she wanted to close her career with a fully healthy season after missing 23 games due to a knee injury last year. She also saw an opportunity to try and build on the program’s deepest NCAA Tournament run in three decades.
Ohio State finished with a 28-8 record, earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite 8 before falling, 84-74, to No. 1 seed Virginia Tech.
Sheldon's agreement with Harris also wasn’t an insignificant part of the equation, which meant a lot to Harris.
“It’s everything,” Harris said. “She didn’t have to stay this last year, and she did. That was a big deal to me. It made our friendship even stronger because she remembered our deal. That means a lot to me.”
Harris, who averaged a career-high 25.8 minutes per game last season while adding 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and a career-best 3.2 assists, was one of four Buckeyes to see action in all 36 games.
Sheldon played in 13 games, during which Ohio State went 10-3 and Sheldon averaged 13.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. She was named a preseason all-Big Ten player in a poll by the coaches and media.
With the two of them together on the court, coach Kevin McGuff said the Buckeyes play a more unselfish brand of basketball.
“They’ll pass to anybody, but they’re always looking for each other and trying to take care of each other,” he said. “They’re always making the extra pass and all that type of stuff. They have a great bond.”
That tracks with a relationship that has been forged through some significant highs and lows, from playing through the COVID-19 pandemic and a self-imposed 2020-21 postseason ban to the thrill of last year’s postseason run.
Duke transfer Celeste Taylor, who was the No. 40 national recruit also a five-star prospect in the 2019 rankings, said Harris and Sheldon have helped her acclimate to the university.
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“They’re definitely very hands on, and I love that about them,” she said. “They’ve helped me so much be able to fit right into the system. They’re great players, but I’m definitely more excited to build new relationships with them.”
There's little else that's new to Harris and Sheldon this year, which prompted Harris to make an observation while the two were sitting next to each other at the Buckeyes' season-opening press conference.
“We old,” she said as Sheldon laughed in agreement.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Long-ago pact helped keep Rikki Harris, Jacy Sheldon at Ohio State
