“Playing Division I basketball has been a childhood goal of mine,” Haar said. “I just want to thank my parents and all my coaches for helping me through this process. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
The 5-foot-5 guard was a key figure off the bench last season for West, which posted a 24-3 record and shared the Greater Miami Conference championship with Mason.
Haar averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals per game. The numbers are modest, but Firebirds coach Andy Fishman said she does a lot more than what shows up on the stat sheet.
“I have a lot of girls that want to get into the gym, but nobody calls me, texts me and asks me to open the gym more than Ally,” Fishman said. “What coaches have seen in Ally is that she doesn’t have very many peaks and valleys. She’s consistent in fulfilling her role and making big plays when it matters the most.
“It’s not so much who starts but who finishes, and Ally finished games very well for us last year. There’s something about crunch time … that scenario brings the best out of Ally.”
Haar will sign with Niagara on Nov. 8. She participated in an elite camp there earlier this month and was impressed with all aspects of life as a Purple Eagle.
Niagara, which finished 8-22 last season, has been recruiting Haar for a while. Recruiting coordinator Liberty Del Rosario became acquainted with West and Fishman when she was at Winthrop and recruited Arianne Whitaker.
“It started the summer of my junior year when went to Best of Maryland and they saw me play, and they’ve stayed in contact with me ever since,” Haar said. “I just really fell in love with them. I really like what Coach (Jada) Pierce is building with their program.”
She said other schools showed interest, “but with Niagara, I was one of their priorities. With the other colleges, it was kind of like if other players didn’t work out, they would go to me. I felt like I was wanted at Niagara. It was nice to have that.”
Fishman said Haar didn’t just wait to keep hearing from coaches during the recruiting process. He praised her for making consistent contact “without being too pushy.”
“We do that as coaches, but we have to do it for multiple players,” Fishman said. “Ally really distinguished herself by also doing it on her own. She and her family really handled it the right way.”
Haar said the lengthy distance from home — NU is located about four miles from Niagara Falls — isn’t a problem for her.
“That’s fine,” she said. “I’ll be with my teammates, and they’re going to be like sisters to me. Then I’ll have a great coaching staff, and they’re going to be able to take care of me.”
Haar said her strengths are “my hustle ability and loose-ball type plays, making defensive stops and helping with the momentum of the offense by pushing the ball up the floor.”
“I can always work on my shooting and ball handling and assists and things like that,” she said. “But I think it’s my heart and passion that will help me when I get to college.”
Haar is the daughter of Doug and Linda Haar, and she plans to major in accounting and finance at Niagara. Her sister Emily, now a student at Ohio State, was a member of the Firebirds’ Division I state championship team in 2015.
West continues to be a destination for college basketball recruiters. Fishman said schools will always be interested in different kinds of players from highly successful programs.
“During the course of a typical year, there will be 150 to 200 college-coach eyes on our program,” Fishman said. “They want kids who win.
“Ally brings that winning element. Niagara is trying to redefine their culture with a head coach who’s in her baby steps of turning it around. They want a kid like Ally who’s a gym rat and you don’t have to worry about her grades and you don’t have to worry about her character.”
The Niagara program does have a recent Butler County connection. Talawanda graduate Jennifer McNamee scored 1,035 points as a Purple Eagle from 2006-07 to 2009-10.
About the Author