Ron Harper Sr. declared officially for the NBA draft, the Rutgers star signing with an agent and closing out the chapter on his collegiate career.
A career that will go down among the best in Rutgers basketball history.
Harper was not only the team’s leading scorer, but he was also a quintessential leader who kept his cool in big moments throughout the season.
As for his NBA outlook, it appears that Harper has the makings of a draft pick. Just where he lands in the NBA draft depends on his performance at this week’s NBA combine as well as his individual workouts.
He is a solid shooter and a very good defender. Last month, RutgersWire asked Michaek VandeGarde his thoughts on Harper.
[lawrence-related id=16045]
An NBA scout with the Philadelphia 76ers for nearly two decades, VandeGarde sees some potential for the former Rutgers basketball standout.
“He has some upside if he gets in better shape or proves he can be an above average shooter,” VandeGarde said. “His pedigree makes me think he will work hard and improve his game…he is a senior already so that limits his upside compared to most draft picks…Someone could draft him mid to late second round but I think that is 50/50.”
VandeGarde spent 18 years with the 76ers organization as a scout. Currently, he is involved with CoachTube, a digital platform that offers sports coaching courses including former NFL head coaches, college basketball coaches and a variety of other notable sports personalities.
— Ron Harper Jr. (@__RHJR) May 17, 2022
Now, as for VandeGarde’s assessment of Harper, it is certainly reflective of the overall thought process as reflected in many mock drafts.
Last season, Harper averaged 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in leading Rutgers to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances since 1976. In his final game for Rutgers, an NCAA Tournament loss to Notre Dame, he scored 22 points and shot 57.1 percent from 3-point range.
[lawrence-related id=15869]
VandeGarde also mentioned Harper’s ‘pedigree.’
That pedigree is, of course, from his father, Ron Harper Sr. The elder Harper was a very, very good NBA player who won five NBA titles during his career.
It appears that twice, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…Dylan Harper, the younger brother of the Rutgers standout forward, is a four-star prospect at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.).
The sophomore is emerging as one of the top players in the state and holds an early offer from Rutgers in addition to several other Big Ten programs.
[pickup_prop id=”22401″]