Jared Harper
Jared Lamar Harper (born September 14, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers.
![]() Harper with Auburn in 2019 | |
No. 0 – New York Knicks | |
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Position | Point guard |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | Atlanta, Georgia | September 14, 1997
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Pebblebrook (Mableton, Georgia) |
College | Auburn (2016–2019) |
NBA draft | 2019 / Undrafted |
Playing career | 2019–present |
Career history | |
2019–2020 | Phoenix Suns |
2019–2020 | →Northern Arizona Suns |
2020–present | New York Knicks |
2020–present | →Westchester Knicks |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats ![]() | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com |
Early life
Harper began playing basketball with a Nerf hoop in his dining room. He also played baseball and the saxophone during his childhood. In basketball, Harper usually faced older opponents despite being undersized.[1] He often trained with his younger brother Jalen under the guidance of his father Patrick Harper, former point guard for Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.[1][2]
High school career
Harper played basketball for Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia. As a junior in 2014–15, Harper averaged 21 points and seven assists per game and led Pebblebrook to a school-best 27–6 record.[3] Pebblebrook finished the season as Georgia Class 6A runners-up after losing to Joseph Wheeler High School, a team featuring top recruit Jaylen Brown, in the state title game.[4] In July 2015, Harper was named co-most valuable player (MVP) of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Peach Jam, scoring a 33 points and eight assists to help the Georgia Stars win the championship.[5] In his senior season with Pebblebrook, he averaged 27 points, 10.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals, guiding his team to a 23–10 record and another Class 6A state championship appearance. Harper left high school as a two-time first-team All-State selection.[6] He was a consensus four-star recruit in the 2016 class and committed to Auburn on March 19, 2015. His other NCAA Division I offers included Kansas State and Ole Miss.[7][8][9]
College career
Harper averaged 11.4 points, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, starting 30 games for Auburn in his freshman season.[10] On January 7, 2017, he scored a season-high 24 points, including 16 of Auburn's final 19 points, in an 88–85 loss to Ole Miss.[11] Harper was named SEC Freshman of the Week twice during the season.[6] In 2017–18, through 34 games as a sophomore, he averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.[10] On February 3, 2018, Harper posted a double-double of 14 points and 14 assists in a 93–81 win over Vanderbilt. He was one assist away from matching the school record for assists in a game, set by Eddie Johnson in 1976.[6] One week later, Harper tied his scoring career-high, contributing 24 points and seven assists in a 78–61 victory over Georgia.[12] He was a second-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press and conference coaches.[6]
Harper made his junior season debut on November 6, 2018 by recording his second career double-double, with 20 points and 13 assists, in a 101–58 win over South Alabama.[13] On December 15, 2018, he scored a career-best 31 points in a 75–71 overtime win over UAB.[14] At the end of the regular season, Harper earned second-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press and conference coaches.[15][16]
Professional career
Phoenix Suns/Northern Arizona Suns (2019–2020)
After his junior season concluded, Harper declared his entry into the 2019 NBA draft, forgoing his senior year at Auburn.[17] However, he went undrafted by the end of the event. Harper later played for the Phoenix Suns during the 2019 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.[18] Following his performance in the Summer League, he signed a two-way contract with Phoenix.[19] On October 23, 2019, Harper made his NBA debut coming off the bench in a 124–95 victory over the Sacramento Kings.[20] On December 20, Harper recorded 25 points and dished out a career-high 13 assists in a 94–99 loss to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.[21] On January 18, 2020, Harper scored 31 points to go with seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in the G League for the Northern Arizona Suns in a 120–109 loss to the Sioux Falls Skyforce.[22] On March 14, Harper was waived by Phoenix.[23]
New York Knicks/Westchester Knicks (2020–present)
On June 25, 2020, the New York Knicks announced that they had claimed Harper off waivers.[24] On November 25, Harper re-signed with the Knicks to a two-way contract with the Westchester Knicks.[25]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
References
- Scarborough, Alex (March 12, 2019). "For Auburn's 5-foot-11 Jared Harper, there are no vertical limits". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- Black, Ryan (May 24, 2016). "'Permanent chip on his shoulder' drives Auburn basketball signee". 247Sports. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Four star Jared Harper signs with Auburn Basketball". Auburn University Athletics. November 13, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- Purdum, David (March 7, 2015). "Class AAAAAA boys: Wheeler 59, Pebblebrook 58". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Smith, Cam (July 12, 2015). "Wendell Carter's Georgia Stars rout Jayson Tatum's St. Louis Eagles to claim tourney EYBL title". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Jared Harper". Auburn University Athletics. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Jared Harper". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Jared Harper, Pebblebrook, Point Guard". 247Sports. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Jared Harper, 2016 Point guard". Rivals. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Jared Harper Stats". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- Goldberg, Charles (January 7, 2017). "Mustapha Heron sets Auburn record in tough loss". Auburn University Athletics. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- Green, Tom (February 10, 2018). "Jared Harper leads shorthanded Auburn basketball past Georgia on road". The Birmingham News. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- Shearer, Jeff (November 6, 2018). "Auburn routs South Alabama 101-58 in opener". Auburn University Athletics. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- "Harper drops 31 points in overtime win vs. UAB". Auburn University Athletics. December 15, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- King, Nathan (March 12, 2019). "Auburn point guard Jared Harper named AP second team All-SEC". The Auburn Plainsman. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- Lee, Justin (March 12, 2019). "Brown, Harper both named to coaches' All-SEC team". Opelika-Auburn News. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- Blum, Sam (April 9, 2019). "Jared Harper declares for NBA Draft, will hire agent and forego senior season". AL.com. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- "Phoenix Suns Announce 2019 Summer League Roster". NBA.com. July 3, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- "Two-Way Tracker: Meet New Suns Guard Jared Harper". NBA G League. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- "Suns start slow, then blow past Kings 124-95". ESPN.com. October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- "Northern Arizona Suns 94 - Fort Wayne Mad Ants 99". G-League Stats. December 20, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Suns' Jared Harper: Game-high scoring tally in G League". CBS Sports. January 19, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- "Phoenix Suns waive rookie point guard Jared Harper". AZ Central. March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "New York Knicks Claim Two-Way Player Jared Harper Off Waivers". NBA.com. June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- "Knicks Sign Jared Harper to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com
- Auburn Tigers bio