Ron Harper to be Inducted into Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday
5/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
May 17, 2007
OXFORD, Ohio--Former Miami University men's basketball standout Ron Harper will be the third Miamian inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame at the second annual induction ceremony on Saturday, May 19. Last year, former Miami head coach and athletics director Dick Shrider and Miami's first men's basketball All-American and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Wayne Embry were inducted into the inaugural Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame Class.
Harper is in his second season as an assistant coach with the NBA's Detroit Pistons. He spent 16 years as a player in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers, Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers organizations. During his NBA playing tenure, Harper won a total of five NBA Championships, three with the Bulls and two with the Lakers.
At Miami, Harper was selected the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in both the 1985 and 1986 seasons and was tabbed a second-team All-American by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, Associated Press, United Press International, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1986. He also was named the 1986 District IV Player of the Year by the USBWA.
Harper finished his collegiate career as the MAC's all-time leading scorer and was the first player in conference history to record a triple-double when he registered 38 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists against Ball State in 1986. With 2,377 career points and 1,119 career rebounds, he also became the first player in league history to top 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. He currently is the second all-time leading scorer in MAC history.
In his final home game at Miami in 1986, Harper became the first player in program history to have his jersey (No. 34) retired. Harper still owns or is tied for 19 Miami records, including points in a game (45) and career (2,377); field goals in a game (19), season (312), and career (969); rebounds in a career (1,119); and steals in a game (7), season (101) and career (287).
Others being inducted into the Ohio Hoop Zone Hall of Fame on Saturday are Jimmy Hull, Don Donoher, John Paxon, Tom Blackburn, Scott May, Lisa Cline, Dixie Jeffers, Glen Hursey, Jim Burson, Howard Komives, Don May, Robin Freeman, Jim Paxon, Paul Hogue, Diane Plas, Gus Johnson, Austin Carr, Steve Mix, Fred Schaus, Dick Hempy and Jim Snyder along with the West Holms teams from 1984-86, the Columbus East teams from 1967-69, Dayton's 1962 and 1968 NIT teams and Xavier's 1958 NIT team. The banquet will be at the Columbus Convention Center. For more information, access the Ohio Hoop Zone Hall of Fame website at www.ohiohoopzone.com