Strengths
Right-handed… Over the summer, Harper shot jump shot after jump shot, developing the consistency to serve as a threat for Richmond next to the slashing point guard play of Kevin Anderson and the results have shown. Harper has developed into one of the best face-up forwards and most improved players in the entire country- he shot an effective 45 percent from 3-point range this season, knocking down an even better number of his jumpers inside the arc. He has developed the range and touch to play at the next level… H's a long, fluid athlete with a European-type of face-up 4 game. He's a decent athlete, with pretty good explosiveness. If he can add some weight to his frame, he could develop into a very good pick-and-pop threat and spot-up option for a penetrating point guard. His release is quick, getting shots off in split seconds…
Weaknesses
The biggest thing holding back Harper is his toughness- without it, he is a 3-man, but with it, Harper could be a first-rounder with his ability to stretch the floor. He is simply not willing to mix in with most bigs in the paint and fight for tough rebounds. He needs to develop a mean streak, although like fellow A-10 forward Lavoy Allen, it might not be in his mental make-up. He shies away from contact on the offensive end and prefers to let rebounds bounce his way instead of chasing them down. He doesn't have the strength to fight in the paint on either end of the floor, so he will need to add more muscle to his frame… Harper needs to work on his ball-handling, which would make him much more than a perimeter threat. As things stand now, he rarely puts the ball on the floor, which is a shame given his lengthy first step. This skills would help him get to the foul line a bit more often than his measly 4 attempts per 40 minutes now.
Note: Harper's father, Ollie, was a prolific scorer for Niagara University.
