Harper makes a decision
Justin Harper took official visits to Richmond, Providence, Temple and East Carolina before making a decision about his future. In the end, the 6-foot-8, 195-pound combo forward from Meadowbrook High School in Richmond, Va., decided to remain close to home, as he gave a verbal commitment to the Spiders.
"Justin has given a commitment to the Richmond Spiders," said Meadowbrook head coach John Gordon. "He actually made the decision on Friday after taking official visits to Richmond, Providence, Temple and East Carolina. All four schools offered scholarships.
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"In all, I believe about 10 schools offered Justin," he added. "The main thing for him was that Chris Mooney is going to be around for a long time. Justin and Coach Mooney have a close relationship, so that played a role in his decision to attend Richmond."
Harper's decision to remain close to home was much more difficult that it might appear. While the 6-foot-8, 195-pound combo guard was interested in a number of Division I programs, Richmond and Providence were the teams to beat in his recruitment.
It was an extremely difficult decision for Harper, but one that had to be made.
"This was a very, very difficult decision for Justin," said Gordon. "Richmond and Providence were his top choices, but Justin just felt real good about Richmond and Coach Mooney. He feels that he can come in and be an immediate impact player for Richmond.
"Richmond is just 20 or 25 minutes away from Meadowbrook High School, so Justin's family can watch him play," he added. "I don't think that was a major factor in his decision. His relationship with Coach Mooney and the opportunity to step-in and play right away were two pretty big factors."