AUBURN, Ala. – Coming off his first season with the New York Knicks, Jared Harper got his first taste of the NBA Playoffs in May. Though the 4th-seeded Knicks lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden was electric.
"Being able to experience the playoffs first-hand, it was definitely a different and a special experience," Harper said. "I played at MSG once my freshman year, so being able to play in there with all the fans was a great experience. It kind of reminded me of being in Auburn Arena. The floor was shaking while the game was going on."
Harper split time this season between the NBA squad and the G-League where he earned All-NBA G-League First Team honors playing for the Westchester Knicks. In 12 games, he averaged 21.3 points per game and was second in the league with 6.9 assists per game.
It wasn't that long ago that Harper was an undersized high school point guard who had no major scholarship offers. But Auburn and Bruce Pearl changed that.
"BP was a great coach for me," Harper said. "He believed in me from day one. I remember the day he offered me a scholarship. He said, 'I don't think you're a good player, I think you're a great player.' Ever since then his confidence in me has been so high, and I have high confidence in myself. Once I knew I could have a coach with that confidence in me – with me being undersized – I knew this was the place for me."
Harper was one of Pearl's first Auburn players to make the NBA, but he won't be the last. The Tigers have had a player taken in the first round in each of the last two NBA drafts, and both players, Chuma Okeke and Isaac Okoro, enjoyed breakthrough seasons this past year. Okoro led all NBA rookies in minutes played (32.4).
The streak of first-rounders is expected to continue later this month, and Auburn could have two this year with Sharife Cooper and JT Thor both trending up after the NBA combine.
Harper's advice to the current Auburn players looking to make it to the next level?
"The biggest thing is just enjoy the process," he said. "Just being able to understand there's a process to getting where you want to be. I'm still going through a process to get where I want to be. But just enjoy everything in it because life moves fast. I feel like just yesterday it was my first time on Auburn's campus getting ready for a practice, and now I'm two years removed."
Harper, an Atlanta native, still calls Auburn home. He returned to campus last month, and everywhere he looks – from the Final Four banner to the new locker room – there are reminders of what he accomplished and the history that was made in his time on the Plains.
"If I could go back and do it all over again, I would do it 100 times," Harper said. "This was very special to me, and I think it played a big part in where I am today. I don't know if I could be where I am today if I went anywhere else. It's definitely been real special."
"If I could go back and do it all over again, I would do it 100 times. I don't know if I could be where I am today if I went anywhere else."@Therealvinoo found his home at Auburn.#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/WNPp43RQ0e
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) July 14, 2021
THREE QUESTIONS WITH JARED HARPER
Q: What is it like to be back at Auburn?
A: Every time I'm able to come back to Auburn, it's special. It's just as special as my first time being here and coming to my first football game, coming and seeing this is my home. Coming back now, this is still my home so it's always special.
Q: What does it mean seeing the Final Four banner hanging outside Auburn Arena?
A: It's great knowing that what I came here to do, my mission was to make history. To be a part of that history-making – where the Auburn basketball program was, where it was going to and where it's going to continue to go – it's been great.
Q: What stands out from your time at Auburn that helped prepare you for the NBA?
A: Everything. The environment, the family feeling, just being able to come to Auburn and work and continue to get better every day. That was my biggest thing. Those things that I've brought with me my whole life going into high school, going into college – that same work ethic and focus – I've been able to take with me to the next level and continue to do great things.