Post by jhb on Jan 20, 2021 13:24:29 GMT -5
Derek Harper
PG
6'4"
185
21
Illinois
Harper had a very unique two-act college career that leaves scouts wondering what kind of guard he'll be at the next level.
In his first two seasons at Illinois, he was very much a floor general of a point guard. He deferred to his teammates and was a good caretaker of the basketball. Then, shockingly, in his junior and final season of collegiate ball, he began pushing for his shot more and ran the offense by being a lead scorer. Scouts suggest this means he can be expected to be a floor general at the next level who has the potential to flourish into an above average scorer as well. He showed the ability to score at all three levels in his junior season, and even took advantage of the Big Ten's adoption of the three point line in his last season, sinking 13 of 27 attempts from deep. His mechanics on his shot appeared to be pretty solid, but he had a bit of a setback at the free throw line as a junior, dropping from 75.6% as a sophomore to 67.5%.
As it remains to be seen what kind of offensive player Harper will develop into in TMBSL, scouts have a much clearer picture of how he'll fare on the defensive end. He is a tall, long defender at the point guard position and should defend his position well. His length should lend well to the accumulation of counting stats at the next level and he has the requisite athleticism to potentially be an All-League type defender with some development.
