‘Jared is built for this.’ All eyes are on this ‘legit’ Auburn guard in Final Four

When he’s done on the basketball court for the season, Auburn star guard Jared Harper can be found at the Pebblebrook High School gym in Mableton, Georgia.

For hours on end, he plays pick-up games against locals he invited to the gym, said George Washington, Harper’s high school coach.

“He usually don’t lose,” Washington said. “He reminds the guys that it’s his gym and is forever going to be his gym.”

Hard work defines the diminutive guard who checks in under 6 feet tall and 175 pounds. His heart is one of the things that Washington says sets him apart from other players and has given him the edge over opponents — in high school and in college.

“We always talk about heart over height. His heart is bigger than most guys,” Washington said. “We don’t even worry about the height issue.”

Harper’s size has always been something that has had opponents and critics counting him out his entire career, but he shines as an underdog.

“I feel like it’s another point for me to prove myself. I feel like I’ve been counted out my entire life,” Harper said. “So I’m able to come out here and showcase and show I’m legit.”

Harper, a junior guard, has proven throughout the tournament run that he is the real deal. He has averaged 17.5 points and 6.5 assists over the four tournament games, up from his season average of 15.4 points and 5.8 assists.

“You don’t want to be boastful or anything like that but we are so proud. We are tweeting every minute about him,” Washington said “We are very excited as a school, and the whole Mableton community is really excited because everybody loved Jared. Jared is just a kid you just love.”

Harper chose Auburn when the program was in desperate need of a leader on the court.

In the season before he arrived, Auburn’s record was 11-20. Bruce Pearl had endured back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in his career.

“I go back to (Harper’s) freshman year to walk into that program and start as a freshman,” Washington said. “For us, that was the moment that we were like ‘ok Jared is ready for this. Jared is built for this.’”

That year, he earned a pair of SEC Freshman of the Week awards and averaged 11 points and three assists per game. Harper says that he came to Auburn to help change the direction of the program, which historically hasn’t been relevant on the national stage.

“I want to be able to make history and do the things I’m doing,” Harper said.

Harper said the Tigers set their sights on a national championship and made history when they made it to the Final Four.

“I think this goes to a whole team effort. Coming into the season, our goals were to go to the Final Four and be able to compete for a national championship,” he said. “I know I can’t do it without any of my teammates, and I know we are all going to be prepared and ready to go, compete for a national championship.”

When Harper takes the court against Virginia on Saturday, he knows he got there because of a culmination of hard work from the entire team for a chance to compete for a national title.

“I think our whole work this whole summer and the preseason and during the whole season was for this exact moment right here,” Harper said. “For what we want to do as a team and how we want to build on our legacy as a team.”

Mableton will be fully behind their hometown hero come game time and locals are excited to see him continue to showcase his talents on the national stage, Washington says.

“For us this is not a surprise. This is what is expected for our kids,” Washington said. “He has been hoping for this his whole time at Auburn and now they are getting their chance...I predict they are going to be in the national championship come Monday night.”

This story was originally published April 5, 2019 at 3:59 PM.