For those who have seen Harper play, does he project to play the wing exclusively? Or could he also get minutes at guard?
Harper
- Thread starter needmorecowbell
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Doubtful a guard at the college level. Some said they heard Pike mention him as a possible stretch 4.
He has the ability to grab a defensive rebound and dribble the ball past half court. His ball-handling is pretty good.
I think he is a 3 or 4, because I don’t think he can defend against most B1G guards (2 position). You are who you can defend effectively.
The intriguing thing about Harper Jr, is offensively he has some guard skills, like a good handle for his size, and he can shoot the 3. Not sure how well he can pass. Anyone?
Haven't seen him live, but from all the videos I have seen, he does appear to have good court awareness and vision. Again this is just from highlights, but my impressions is that he is a plus passer. Now will that translate to the next level where the speed of the game is faster? I don't know, but the instincts and IQ to be a good passer are there.
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
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I think he looks like a proto-type traditional "3." Big enough to play inside some, but with perimeter skills. He only got better as his senior year went on, and personally I don't think the kid needs to redshirt. it could happen though, given Thiam/Kiss/Mathis getting a lot of minutes at 3rd guard/wing, assuming we find a point guard that's taking some of Corey and Geo's minutes.
You have said this 4,000 times in many different threads. Then i say, “He won’t redshirt.”
Can you just let a Harper thread go without repeating yourself? It’s obsessive.
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
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He reminds me a lot of Tom Savage...a little taller...same body type...Savage, when right, tore up the Atlantic-10 back in the day, his shot opened up the lane. Could be a great stretch four or small stretch 4 or even a 2 guard. You can always play zone to hide a defensive liability...
Savage isn't a bad comparison IMHO. Harper might already be taller than Savage. Savage was more polish than jumpy athleticism but was very strong and could tomahawk. Carter (good handle and passer) and Dadika (good handle and shooter) played the guard spots and Savage was exclusively a SF I believe.
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Harper isn't playing the 2. Just bc someone can dribble doesn't mean they are going to play the 2. Really a 3 or stretch 4 maybe depending on matchups if we go small. He might still grow I believe his dad said so we'll see if he ends up at maybe 6'7 or 8
Except it’s exactly how Pikiell said he can envision him...at the 4.
That also sets him up nicely to leave as a grad transfer when he is at his most valuable. Plus we need bodies, not empty roster spots this year. Forget it.
The 4 as we know it is gradually going away. 30 second shot clock has a small part of it.
The 4th guy on the court these days is facing the basket and is more apt to take a 3 than a shot from the low post.
The 4th guy on the court these days is facing the basket and is more apt to take a 3 than a shot from the low post.
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anon_0k9zlfz6lz9oy
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some people act like every 5th year guy in the country transfers haha. Unless a top 10 program in the country comes calling, then and only then would we even have to worry about it.
Have you seen harper? He still has his baby fat on him, he needs to shed about 20-25 pounds and work on his quickness and agility. Show me where his minutes are next year. He should redshirt, hes not going to provide much value in games next year
25 pounds?? That's crazy. He doesn't need to lose any weight. A few months of serious training and he'll be ready. Most kids are too skinny to handle college ball as a frosh, he already has the size he needs.
Whether he plays or not freshman year will depend on a lot of other factors, not his weight.
Whether he plays or not freshman year will depend on a lot of other factors, not his weight.
It seems like it’s more like 10-15. Put Harper in the post until the weight comes off. Then he can transition to a wing. He will provide a matchup issue on some nights.
Just looking at him on video, it appears most of his weight is in the lower half, something that will help him in the post (positioning and rebounding). If he just gets weight training to strengthen his upper body he will be fine.
20-25lbs is a bit of an exaggeration. That would put him at Issa’s weight. No doubt that he will need the weightlifting program but most kids do. The dude can shoot and is 6’6” right now. He’s not a thin kid and will never be but he can use that weight to his advantage at the 3 or 4. We desperately need shooters especially in the front court and he can help right away.
I saw him in person against SPP at RU.
He scored a ton in that game.
No way he plays the 2 at the B10 level. I don't see him chasing and fighting through screens to play the 2. He's sort of plodding to me. He has good bounce off the floor, but doesn't have quick feet at this level of his development.
I thing he is a legit wing player who can hit the transition 3, finish around the rim, play some with his back to the basket. If he develops a decent mid-range game, he'll score a lot here. He's also a very good FT shooter, even though he missed a bunch in the SPP game.
20-25 pounds is a stretch, but the kid definitely is not in great shape.
He scored a ton in that game.
No way he plays the 2 at the B10 level. I don't see him chasing and fighting through screens to play the 2. He's sort of plodding to me. He has good bounce off the floor, but doesn't have quick feet at this level of his development.
I thing he is a legit wing player who can hit the transition 3, finish around the rim, play some with his back to the basket. If he develops a decent mid-range game, he'll score a lot here. He's also a very good FT shooter, even though he missed a bunch in the SPP game.
20-25 pounds is a stretch, but the kid definitely is not in great shape.
The change Harper will make from June to October, will be noticeable....I saw Baker in HS and he looks nothing like he did starting this season....the strength and conditioning, did wonders there. Same for Mathis, I think we are in for a surprise on how much better kids will look vs senior year in HS to start of sophomore season.