12/18/2020 football Edit

Ron Harper Jr. gaining steam nationally with superb start to season

Chris Nalwasky • TheKnightReport

Beat Writer

Take a look at Rutgers men’s basketball junior forward Ron Harper Jr. 's offer list coming out of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J. and there’s not many big names.

In fact, his only major conference tenders were from in-state Rutgers and Nebraska despite taking the Ironmen to the Tournament of Champions final two times.

Harper Jr. has come a long way since being a three-star-turned-four-star recruit according to Rivals. The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. has improved a ton every single year since he committed on Aug. 11, 2017.

The 6-foot-6, 245-pound forward has gone from averaging 7.8 points per game as a freshman to 12.1 as a sophomore, to 23.2 points per game as a junior for the 5-0 (1-0 Big Ten) Scarlet Knights, who are now ranked No. 19 in the country.

“He's playing with really good confidence,” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said.

FREE PREMIUM ACCESS UNTIL LATE JANUARY — CLICK HERE FOR MORE!!

Prior to the season, Harper Jr. was named to the Julius Erving Award Watch List and Lindy’s Sports named him the best defensive player in the Big Ten. Recently, he was also named to the John Wooden Award Watch List, which is given annually to college basketball’s top player.

The Franklin Lakes, N.J. native has scored at least 15 points in every game and has netted 25 or more in three of the contests. Harper Jr., leads the Big Ten in with 3.2 made 3-pointers made per game. He’s shooting a career-high 60 percent from the field, and an astounding 50 percent from deep with 7.0 rebounds per game. He also has 14 assists already after having 32 a year ago in 31 games. His scoring average is second in the league and 11th nationally.

“My teammates keep me confident and keep my head up when I’m done. It shows,” Harper Jr., said. “I’m never afraid to take a shot. Those guys have my back.”

Rutgers was ranked as a team in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since the 1978-79 season and Harper Jr., has been putting on a show individually.

Harper Jr. is moving up draft boards and is ranked high in multiple Player of the Year lists including 4th by Bart Torvik and 9th by Ken Pom.

Torvik pegged Harper Jr. as a late first round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft back in May, and NBADraftRoom.com has Harper Jr., as a second round in 2021 or 2022.

Asked after Monday’s win at Maryland if he feels like he’s put his name on the nap with the more attention the Scarlet Knights have received, he downplayed that notion.

“I don’t really look at it like that. I just want to be the best teammate, player, and leader I can be,” Harper Jr., said. “I just want to win and if that means having 27 points for five points, I’m good either way as long as we walk out of there with a win. Nobody on the team has personal agendas or personal accolades.”

Harper Jr, has been deadly on catch and shoot 3-pointers (1.24 points per possession), at the rim (1.32 PPP) and on drives to the basketball (1.52 PPP) per Shot Quality. He is also in the 89th percentile in blocks as well. His current PPP on drives is the same as Isaac Okoro’s numbers, who was just selected to the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round last month.

‘He’s a tough matchup. ...I like his defense, I like that he's getting some assists too. I like his rebounds in traffic. There's a lot of things he gives us,” Pikiell said. “We continue to get him the ball in good spots that makes it difficult for guys to defend him."

Much of Harper Jr.’s improvements as well as the entire team’s has to do their development under Pikiell and his staff, though it goes ways. The players have to and want to put in the work and be coached and Harper Jr. and his teammates are willing to do whatever it takes.

“Really important and you're right, it's a two-way street. It's more on the player than anything, because they got to be willing to do the work. Our guys come in all the time in our facilities. We do try to do a good job in the recruiting process, trying to recruit kids that really like to be in the gym. ...They also spend a lot of time on film which is important too. They've seen the benefits of film. You try and recruit kids who are hungry that want to get better.

“My staff does a great job of seeing kids. You got to kind of predict the future a little bit like with their bodies and with their games and watch how coachable they are, ask the right questions to their coach. You see them enough to kind of understand what makes him tick. I think that all goes into it. but the players still have to do the work. During COVID this year they were awesome. They were home. You got to find guys that want to find a gym when you're not around them. I think this group has done that, and it shows in how they practice and how they have played better.”

Last season Rutgers was picked 12th in the conference. It finished in a tie for fifth. This season, Rutgers was tabbed fifth and is ranked, yet it still plays like it is the underdog.

“It’s always important to put the best product we can on the court. We don’t look at the rankings and the number next to our name. We know every opponent in the Big Ten is a challenge,” Harper Jr. said. “We go into every game with a chip on our shoulders. We’re a lot of underrecruited guys and we’re hard-nosed, hard-workers.”