Jared Harper is not going anywhere.
Harper announced his return for his junior season via Twitter.
"It was a great opportunity to showcase my talents in front of NBA personnel," Harper said. "I received great feedback and feel as though my game has gone up another level. With that said, after talking to my family and coaches, I have decided to return for my junior season at Auburn."
Harper was named Second Team All-SEC last season, averaging 13.2 points per game and a team-high 5.4 assists. Harper's quick and explosive play was a key contributor in Auburn's SEC title run.
Harper racked up 27 games in double figures, including 17 of 18 contests in SEC play, as he increased his points per game from 11.4 in 2016-17 to 13.2 this past campaign.
“There was tremendous debate last year who our most outstanding player was,” head coach Bruce Pearl said. “Jared Harper, Bryce Brown and Mustapha Heron were all recognized as recipients of the Paul Lambert/Tommy Joe Eagles Award at our season-ending banquet. But, Jared was the player we could least do without. The transformation he made from his freshman to his sophomore year as a playmaker, leader and floor general enabled us to separate ourselves from the rest of the league.”
Harper had entered the draft to gain the attention from NBA teams, and it seems that he has done just that going into his junior year.
With Harper's return, Auburn's prized backcourt will be in action once again next season, but this time with Austin Wiley, who announced his return earlier Tuesday morning.
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