Senior guard Ron Harper Jr., the highest scorer on this year’s Rutgers men’s basketball team, is profiled in the Daily Targum. 

Harper, the first player in program history to be named to the Associated Press All-Big Ten team, has progressed from a highly regarded recruit to a possible NBA possibility, exceeding expectations and showing an x-factor in the clutch.

In a phone interview with The Washington Post, the five-time NBA champion said, ‘I saw him before he saw himself. I didn’t pay attention to where he was… I took a peek at the man he was going to become. I’m familiar with the game. That’s not the first time I’ve seen it. I observed his work, and I had confidence in what he could become.’

His son did prove him right.

Ron Harper Jr. has slowly grown at Rutgers, improving each season after being overlooked and under-recruited as a sub-150 prospect out of New Jersey’s Don Bosco Prep. 

On Tuesday, the winger made history by becoming the 11th player in school history to be named an Associated Press All-American.

The path wasn’t always straightforward, and his surname came with a lot of unwelcome pressure and unrealistic expectations. 

He was warned he’d never measure up to his famous father. On the other, Ron aided his son by urging him to ignore the noise. 

Harper relieved the weight by informing Ron Jr. that he was cheering for him to be the best.

Both of them evolved late, which is a common thread connecting them. After being cut as a freshman, Ron didn’t play high school basketball until his junior year. 

His son was not regarded as a promising athlete in high school.

Ron was an exceptional athlete who could rise above the competition. 

Ron Jr. is a significantly superior shooter to his father. 

Rutgers guard Ron Harper Jr. reacts after hitting a game-winning 3-pointer with two seconds left in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Indiana on March 2, 2022, in Bloomington.

The shot saved Rutgers’ basketball season. With 10 seconds left, he took the pass and hit a 3-pointer to put the Scarlet Knights ahead of Indiana, 66-63, in a game they needed to win to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

It was a tremendous shot. The party was unforgettable because of what Harper accomplished on Wednesday night.

Rutgers is one win closer to the NCAA Tournament, but the impact of his hubris on this athletic department could last far beyond March Madness.

Ron has only gone to eleven games this year, primarily to keep the attention on his son. 

The father isn’t interested in becoming the center of attention, and he shows up when he feels his son needs him. 

He’ll be in attendance for Rutgers’ NCAA Tournament First Four game against Notre Dame on Wednesday night in Dayton, where he grew up, and the former NBA player can’t wait. 

Seeing his child succeed on the court ranks among his proudest achievements.