Auburn basketball player to test NBA Draft stock
Auburn guard Jared Harper will go through the NBA Draft evaluation process, the sophomore announced on Twitter Friday. Harper will not hire an agent, which means he has until 5 p.m. June 11 to withdraw and return to Auburn for his junior season.
“Playing in the NBA has always been a dream of mine,” Harper tweeted. “I am very thankful for how God has guided me through this journey along with the continuous support from my family. I have decided to enter my name in the 2018 NBA draft. I will not sign with an agent to keep my NCAA eligibility.
“I would like to thank Coach Pearl, the entire coaching staff, my teammates and the fans for the continued support. WDE!”
Blessed pic.twitter.com/xYUjx3MYV0
— JARED HARPER™ (@Therealvinoo) April 6, 2018
Harper was a key player for the Tigers in the 2017-2018 season, averaging 13.2 points per game and tallying a team-high 40 steals. He and Desean Murray were the only Tigers to start all 34 games this past season.
“Jared had a great sophomore season leading Auburn to a conference championship and being an all-conference player,” head coach Bruce Pearl said, according to The Opelika-Auburn News. “This is a great opportunity for him to go through the process, get evaluated and grow his game. We’re excited for Jared.”
Harper is the second Auburn player to announce his draft plans this week. Mustapha Heron said he will enter the draft and will hire an agent, meaning his time as an Auburn Tiger has come to a close.
This story was originally published April 6, 2018 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Auburn basketball player to test NBA Draft stock."