Rutgers Forward Ron Harper Jr. Warming Up Ahead of Matchup With No. 5 Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Rutgers forward Ron Harper Jr. was seen on the floor warming up at Mackey Arena after uncertainty surrounded his availability heading into a matchup with No. 5 Purdue on Sunday.
He suffered an injury to his non-shooting hand during a 70-59 victory over No. 12 Illinois on Wednesday and was forced to leave the game early. He had black tape on his left pointer and middle fingers during warmups.
Harper is the leading scorer for Rutgers, averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game while adding 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. He played in all 25 of the team's prior matchups.
The 6-foot-6 senior scored a team-high 16 points in the win over the Fighting Illini. Harper was 6-13 from the field and hit two 3-pointers to go along with eight rebounds, one assist and one block.
Harper tied a career-high with 30 points in the first meeting between the Boilermakers and the Scarlet Knights on Dec. 9 at Jersey Mike's Arena. He hit five 3-pointers in the contest, his last being a buzzer-beater from near half court for a 70-68 win.
Purdue will look to snap a four-game losing skid to Rutgers that dates back to Jan. 28, 2020, with Harper on the floor.
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- DAY OFF HELPS PURDUE REFUEL: Purdue basketball earned a much-needed day off Thursday ahead of a matchup with Rutgers on Sunday at Mackey Arena. It was the first break for the players after a 23-day stretch that included eight games. 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.