Rutgers Announces Ron Harper Jr. 'Day-to-Day' With Hand Injury Ahead of Matchup With Purdue
When Purdue tips off against Rutgers on Sunday at Mackey Arena, the Scarlet Knights may be without star forward Ron Harper Jr.
Harper, who scored a team-high 16 points in a 70-59 win over No. 12 Illinois on Wednesday, also left the contest with less than three minutes to play due to injury. The seriousness of the injury has not been revealed, but it will not be season-ending.
"Senior forward suffered an injury to his non-shooting hand in Wednesday night's win over No. 12 Illinois," the program said in a Thursday release. "He will continue to be evaluated for his return to the court and his status is day-to-day."
This season, Harper is averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game while adding 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. He's played in all 25 matchups for Rutgers.
During the Boilermakers' first meeting with the Scarlet Knights this season on Dec. 9, Harper posted 30 points on 10-15 shooting. He hit five 3-pointers while adding 10 rebounds and a steal.
Harper's final shot was a half-court buzzer-beater to win the game at the end of the second half. His shot found the bottom of the net and stunned then No. 1-Purdue, giving the team its first loss of the season.
The Boilermakers, now 23-4 and 12-4 in the Big Ten entering Sunday's game, sit atop the conference standings ahead of Illinois and Wisconsin. But the Scarlet Knights are victors of four straight contests against ranked opponents, putting them in position to battle for a league title.
Sunday's matchup now has major implications in the race for a Big Ten Championship, one that could either help solidify Purdue's top ranking or turn the tide for Rutgers ahead of March Madness.
The Boilermakers have four games left to play in the regular season, including two in West Lafayette. The team will also travel to play against ranked Michigan State and Wisconsin before hosting Indiana.
Tipoff for Sunday's game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET, and the matchup with be aired live on FOX Sports 1.
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- PURDUE DOWN NORTHWESTERN FOR BIG TEN LEAD: Purdue basketball took the top spot in the Big Ten standings following a win over Northwestern on Wednesday. The Boilermakers held the Wildcats to 35% shooting from the floor and had three players score in double figures. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE, NORTHWESTERN LIVE BLOG: No. 5 Purdue basketball earned a season sweep of Northwestern and continued to make a strong push toward a Big Ten title. The Boilermakers are now 23-4 and 12-4 in the conference. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.