Jared Lamar Harper (born September 14, 1997) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Premier League and the EuroCup. He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers where he was the starting point guard on the Tigers first ever Final Four team.

Jared Harper
No. 1 – Hapoel Jerusalem
PositionPoint guard
LeagueIsraeli Premier League
EuroCup
Personal information
Born (1997-09-14) September 14, 1997 (age 27)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolPebblebrook (Mableton, Georgia)
CollegeAuburn (2016–2019)
NBA draft2019: undrafted
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2020Phoenix Suns
2019–2020Northern Arizona Suns
20202021New York Knicks
2021Westchester Knicks
2021Birmingham Squadron
2021–2022New Orleans Pelicans
2021–2022→Birmingham Squadron
2022–2024Valencia
2024–presentHapoel Jerusalem
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Early life

edit

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

edit

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

edit

Harper averaged 11.4 points, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, starting 30 games for Auburn in his freshman season in 2016–17.[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 (3rd in the conference), and 1.2 steals per game while shooting .822 (5th) from the free throw line.[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] For the 2018–19 season he averaged 15.3 points (7th in the conference) and 5.8 assists (3rd) per game while shooting .828 (4th) from the free throw line. At the end of the regular season, Harper earned second-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press and conference coaches.[15][16] In the NCAA tournament, Harper helped to lead the Tigers to their first ever Final Four with a team high 26 points in the Tigers Elite Eight win against Kentucky.[17]

Professional career

edit

Phoenix Suns (2019–2020)

edit

After his junior season concluded, Harper declared his entry into the 2019 NBA draft, forgoing his senior year at Auburn.[18] 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.[19] Following his performance in the Summer League, he signed a two-way contract with Phoenix.[20] On October 23, 2019, Harper made his NBA debut coming off the bench in a 124–95 victory over the Sacramento Kings.[21] 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.[22] 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.[23] On March 14, Harper was waived by Phoenix.[24]

New York Knicks (2020–2021)

edit

On June 25, 2020, the New York Knicks announced that they had claimed Harper off waivers.[25] On November 25, Harper re-signed with the Knicks to a two-way contract with the Westchester Knicks.[26] He appeared in four games with New York and 12 games with Westchester, averaging 21.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and a team-high 6.9 assists with the latter.[27] On April 23, New York converted his two-way contract into a 10-day contract.[27] However, ten days later, the Knicks signed him to another two-way contract.[28]

New Orleans Pelicans / Birmingham Squadron (2021–2022)

edit

On September 24, 2021, Harper signed with the New Orleans Pelicans.[29] However, he was waived on October 9.[30] On October 25, he signed with the Birmingham Squadron as an affiliate player.[31] In 14 games, he averaged 21.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 32.7 minutes per game.[32]

On December 21, 2021, Harper signed a two-way deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.[32] However, he was waived on January 9, 2022[33] and was re-acquired by Birmingham three days later.[34] On March 29, he signed a new two-way deal with the Pelicans.[35] On April 9, Harper scored a career-high 12 points, alongside a career-high three steals, in a 114–141 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.[36] The next day, he logged a career-high nine assists, alongside ten points, in a 107–128 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[37]

Valencia (2022–2024)

edit

On September 7, 2022, Harper signed with Valencia Basket of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.[38] In 2022-23 he averaged 10.3 points and 2.80 assists per game, while shooting .849 from the free throw line. On August 1, 2023, Harper renewed his contract for another year. On June 13, 2024, Harper parted ways with the Spanish club after two seasons. In 2023-24 he averaged 7.8 points and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting .844 from the free throw line.[39]

Hapoel Jerusalem (2024-present)

edit

In July 2024, Harper signed a two-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, and was happy to return to playing alongside his close friend Austin Wiley who had also played at Auburn.[40]

In October 2024, Harper was named MVP of Round 2 in the 2024-2025 BKT EuroCup after leading Hapoel to the first win of the season. He had 23 points, 5 assists, a block and a rebound. He also drew 10 fouls.[41]

Career statistics

edit
Legend
  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  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

Regular season

edit
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Phoenix 3 0 2.7 .250 .000 .0 .0 .0 .0 .7
2020–21 New York 8 0 2.0 .000 .000 .750 .3 .1 .0 .0 .4
2021–22 New Orleans 5 0 8.6 .538 .417 1.000 .4 2.8 .8 .3 7.4
Career 16 0 4.2 .441 .333 .875 .3 .9 .3 .1 2.6

EuroLeague

edit
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2022–23 Valencia 31 5 17.8 .384 .331 .823 .8 3.3 .5 .0 10.4 8.9
2023–24 22 2 16.5 .367 .253 .853 .8 2.2 .6 8.5 6.5
Career 53 7 17.3 .377 .300 .833 .8 2.8 .5 .0 9.6 7.9

College

edit
* Led NCAA Division I
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016–17 Auburn 32 30 24.2 .385 .344 .705 1.9 3.0 1.2 .1 11.4
2017–18 Auburn 34 34 30.5 .360 .355 .822 2.4 5.4 1.2 .0 13.2
2018–19 Auburn 40* 40* 33.0 .399 .370 .828 2.5 5.8 1.1 .1 15.3
Career 106 104 29.5 .384 .359 .792 2.3 4.8 1.2 .0 13.5

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Scarborough, Alex (March 12, 2019). "For Auburn's 5-foot-11 Jared Harper, there are no vertical limits". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  2. ^ Black, Ryan (May 24, 2016). "'Permanent chip on his shoulder' drives Auburn basketball signee". 247Sports. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  3. ^ "Four star Jared Harper signs with Auburn Basketball". Auburn University Athletics. November 13, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  4. ^ Purdum, David (March 7, 2015). "Class AAAAAA boys: Wheeler 59, Pebblebrook 58". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c d "Jared Harper". Auburn University Athletics. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  7. ^ "Jared Harper". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  8. ^ "Jared Harper, Pebblebrook, Point Guard". 247Sports. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  9. ^ "Jared Harper, 2016 Point guard". Rivals. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Jared Harper Stats". ESPN. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  11. ^ Goldberg, Charles (January 7, 2017). "Mustapha Heron sets Auburn record in tough loss". Auburn University Athletics. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  12. ^ Green, Tom (February 10, 2018). "Jared Harper leads shorthanded Auburn basketball past Georgia on road". The Birmingham News. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  13. ^ Shearer, Jeff (November 6, 2018). "Auburn routs South Alabama 101-58 in opener". Auburn University Athletics. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  14. ^ "Harper drops 31 points in overtime win vs. UAB". Auburn University Athletics. December 15, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  15. ^ King, Nathan (March 12, 2019). "Auburn point guard Jared Harper named AP second team All-SEC". The Auburn Plainsman. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  16. ^ Lee, Justin (March 12, 2019). "Brown, Harper both named to coaches' All-SEC team". Opelika-Auburn News. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  17. ^ ge-basketball/game/_/gameId/401123390
  18. ^ Blum, Sam (April 9, 2019). "Jared Harper declares for NBA Draft, will hire agent and forego senior season". AL.com. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "Phoenix Suns Announce 2019 Summer League Roster". NBA.com. July 3, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  20. ^ "Two-Way Tracker: Meet New Suns Guard Jared Harper". NBA.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  21. ^ "Suns start slow, then blow past Kings 124-95". ESPN.com. October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  22. ^ "Northern Arizona Suns 94 - Fort Wayne Mad Ants 99". NBA.com. December 20, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  23. ^ "Suns' Jared Harper: Game-high scoring tally in G League". CBS Sports. January 19, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  24. ^ "Phoenix Suns waive rookie point guard Jared Harper". AZ Central. March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  25. ^ "New York Knicks Claim Two-Way Player Jared Harper Off Waivers". NBA.com. June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  26. ^ "Knicks Sign Jared Harper to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  27. ^ a b @NY_KnicksPR (April 23, 2021). ".@nyknicks Convert Jared Harper to 10-Day Contract and Sign Myles Powell to a Two-Way" (Tweet). Retrieved April 24, 2021 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ Adams, Luke (May 6, 2021). "Knicks Sign Luca Vildoza To Four-Year Deal". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  29. ^ "Pelicans announce 2021 Training Camp information". NBA.com. September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  30. ^ "Pelicans waive Cheatham and Harper, sign Banks and Hill". NBA.com. October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  31. ^ "Birmingham Squadron finalize roster for team's first training camp in Birmingham". NBA.com. October 25, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  32. ^ a b "Pelicans sign Jared Harper to two-way contract". NBA.com. December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  33. ^ "Pelicans sign Gary Clark to two-way contract". NBA.com. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  34. ^ "2021-22 NBA G League Transactions". gleague.nba.com. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  35. ^ "Pelicans sign Jared Harper to two-way contract". NBA.com. March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  36. ^ "JA MORANT RETURNS TO HELP GRIZZLIES ROUT PELICANS, 141-114". NBA.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  37. ^ "THOMPSON SCORES 41, WARRIORS TOP PELICANS TO CLINCH 3RD SEED". NBA.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  38. ^ "Jared Harper inks a one-season deal with Valencia Basket". Sportando. September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  39. ^ "Jared Harper," basketball.realgm.com.
  40. ^ "Jared Harper inks 2-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem," Sports Rabbi.
  41. ^ "Jared Harper named BKT EuroCup Round 2 MVP after beating Lietkabelis". Eurohoops. October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
edit