Eleanor Haring’s massive poster on the side of McArthur Court looms over students walking underneath on this cool February morning. Few students look up, many in their own little worlds, more focused on school and their own personal lives.
Haring emerges from a side door and leans over the railing. She looks over the ledge as a photographer underneath captures her picture. After he’s done, Haring asks if he can e-mail her copies, too self-conscious to take photos of her larger scale self.
Meet Eleanor Haring, the unassuming face of the women’s basketball team. The unquestioned go-to scorer is a smooth operator on the court with an adept ability to score points.
“I do know that I have to score, but I’m happy to play in the context of the game,” Haring said.
Quiet and calm, Haring has matured in her senior year.
Normally happy away from the media spotlight, Haring’s answered the tough questions after heartbreaking losses. She abandoned the trademark knee brace she’s worn in seasons past, and in a season marked by players leaving and injuries, Haring’s never missed a game.
“El has that Down Under, Aussie toughness,” Coach Bev Smith said. “You don’t whine and whimper. You just get out and you do it until you can’t do it anymore. She’s always come through for us, and that kind of loyalty and that kind of perseverance for someone who has, behind the scenes, suffered quite a bit in terms of her legs – you don’t see that very often.”
Haring filled a complementary role in her first three years in Eugene, whether it was with Catherine Kraayeveld, Andrea Bills or Gabrielle Richards. When Richards surprised Haring and the program by leaving the team before school started, Haring emerged as the team’s leader.
As part of the role, she was elected to be displayed in a poster on the side of McArthur Court.
“I thought it was funny that they chose her because … she doesn’t like the attention, but the picture turned out great,” teammate Kaela Chapdelaine said. “I think she looks beautiful on it. She doesn’t look too boyish and too athletic.”
Offensive weapon
Haring uses an array of post moves on offense that is best illustrated by a turnaround jumper, usually potent in one-on-one situations. She takes the ball on the wing, backs down her defender and as she turns and jumps into the air, finds an opening and lets her shot fly over the outstretched fingertips of her defender.
“It’s not what girls normally do, so it’s tough, because if you don’t close that gap on the fadeaway, it’s not going to do anything. When we play one-on-one, I just try and cover her eyes and she hates that, (but) it doesn’t really work either,” said a laughing Chapdelaine, Oregon’s best on-ball defender.
Haring’s quickness allows her to blow by defenders when they play too close and try to take that shot away. The combination allows her to be Oregon’s most effective in clutch situations, though sometimes her teammates have to remind the unselfish Haring.
“I’ll say to her and most of us will say to her, ‘Well, we’re passing it to you for a reason. We believe you can put it in and she’s like, ‘Oh, OK,’” Chapdelaine said.
Haring took control Thursday night in Oregon’s 62-42 win over No. 22 California with eight of Oregon’s first 12 points to start the second half. The offensive push extended Oregon’s three-point halftime lead to eight, 35-27.
Haring, who only had six points at the half on 2-of-7 shooting, scored 11 of her points in the second half to finish with 17. On one move, Haring faked toward the perimeter and cut inside for an open layup.
“I think she was getting better looks, but I think she was working a little bit harder and playing a little bit more instinctively,” Smith said. “I thought she really hesitated in the first half.”
Haring humbly deflects talk of WNBA and professional basketball after the season ends. WNBA.com, the official site of the professional women’s basketball league, listed Haring as a top prospect in a Jan. 24 release.
“She can do it. She doesn’t think so,” Chapdelaine said. “She’s got a great style of play for the WNBA. She’s very entertaining to watch and she can score and that’s what’s important. If she doesn’t get drafted, I think she should try and go to at least some free agent camps.”
Assistant coach Phil Brown, who reunited with Haring last season, sees the potential in his former pupil from the Australian Institute of Sport. In his opinion, Haring’s going to need to move to small forward and rediscover the long-range shot she had at the AIS.
Brown has an extensive list of former students in the WNBA including Lauren Jackson, Kristi Harrower and Belinda Snell.
“I think the talent’s there,” Brown said. “I think there’s certain things that she’d need to really work on in a concentrated period of time – three, four months to really get herself into a position where she could be effective at that level.”
Finding a home in Eugene
Few might have expected this from the lightly recruited forward from the AIS. Brown, who had a connection with Smith, told Haring of Oregon’s positives: the college town atmosphere, Division I basketball, Pacific-10 Conference and strong academics.
“He sent a tape and we saw a couple moves and we’re like, ‘Wow,’” Smith said. “She just had great hops and great athleticism. We saw her turnaround jumper and we saw some things offensively that it was like, ‘OK, this lady needs to be a Duck.’”
Her hometown of Mullaloo is a suburb of Perth. Located 30 minutes from the city center, Mullaloo is sunny and near the beach. If Haring had wanted to, she could have stayed near home and played in the Women’s National Basketball League.
“I felt the trust with Bev (Smith),” Haring said. “For me, it was either I was going to come to Oregon or I was going to stay home. I didn’t really feel that kind of connection with any of the other schools that I was talking to.”
Haring was part of a group of five new players for the 2003-04 season with Jessie Shetters, Ashley Allen, Cicely Oaks and Chapdelaine. Haring and Chapdelaine arrived right before school started as Shetters, Allen and Oaks arrived in Eugene early for summer school.
Haring and Chapdelaine bonded instantly.
Chapdelaine, Haring and Carolyn Ganes are roommates. With Haring’s parents so far away, Haring often spends the holidays with Chapdelaine and her family. Haring’s relaxed personality often contrasts with Chapdelaine’s fiery demeanor.
“When we first met each other, we were polar opposites, but I think we’ve influenced each other to the point that we compromise a lot,” Haring said.
The two still share different interests on music, often leading to battles for the radio on trips to Canada.
“I’ve brought her up to Canada for Christmases and my parents just love her to death, more so than me now,” kidded Chapdelaine, who describes the pair as sisters. “She’s just like that. She just takes over.”
With Haring’s time nearing a close in Eugene, she is trying to enjoy the little things she’s learned to treasure: visits to restaurants Red Robin, Olive Garden, Quiznos and Studio One.
Even a little thing like spending free time with teammates will be missed.
“I will just be different because it’s not like I can just come on over and be like ‘Oh, let’s hang out or something,’” Haring said. “It’s kind of like you’re cut off – that’s it.”
[email protected]