Demonte Harper
Demonte Harper | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 21, 1989 Whites Creek, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Basketball career with Morehead State University and professional teams including Élan Chalon |
Demonte Tyrone Harper (born June 21, 1989) is a professional American basketball athlete currently competing for Élan Chalon in the LNB Pro A. He developed his skills playing collegiate basketball at Morehead State University.
High school career
Harper was a student-athlete at Whites Creek High School located in Whites Creek, Tennessee, where he helped his team reach the AAA State Final Four during both his junior and senior seasons. In his final year, he posted averages of 15 points and 8 rebounds per game, earning recognition on the All-District and All-Region First Teams.
College career
During his time at Morehead State University, competing in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), Harper distinguished himself as a key player. In 2009, he was ranked tenth in the OVC for assists per game with 3.4 and was named to the OVC All-Tournament Team. The following year, he maintained a top-10 position with 3.2 assists per game (10th) and ranked seventh in steals with 1.4 per game.
The 2011 season saw Harper average 15.5 points (fifth in the OVC), along with 3.4 assists (sixth) and 1.5 steals per contest (eighth), while shooting .431 from the field (seventh). His performance earned him a spot on the All-OVC First Team, the title of OVC Tournament MVP, and inclusion on the OVC All-Tournament Team. Notably, he secured a critical three-pointer that led to a 62–61 upset victory over No. 4-ranked Louisville in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Additionally, he received an invitation to participate in the 2011 NCAA Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
Harper finished his collegiate tenure with a total of 1,436 points, placing him thirteenth on Morehead State’s all-time scoring list. His achievements also include selections to the Lou Henson All-America Team and the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 19 Team.
College statistics
|- | style="text-align:left;"|2007–08 | style="text-align:left;"|Morehead State | 30 || 2 || 19.2 || .359 || .351 || .600 || 2.2 || 1.6 || .7 || .1 || 3.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2008–09 | style="text-align:left;"|Morehead State | 36 || 35 || 32.5 || .375 || .336 || .767 || 4.1 || 3.5 || 1.2 || .7 || 10.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"|Morehead State | 34 || 30 || 29.9 || .419 || .363 || .719 || 2.9 || 3.2 || 1.4 || .2 || 11.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2010–11 | style="text-align:left;"|Morehead State | 35 || 35 || 33.7 || .431|| .373 || .669 || 5.0 || 3.4 || 1.5 || .3 || 15.5 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 135 || 102 || 29.2 || .406 || .358 || .704 || 3.6 || 3.0 || 1.2 || .3 || 10.6
NCAA Special Events statistics
| Year | Event | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Portsmouth Invitational Tournament | 3 | 27.3 | .314 | .214 | 1.000 | 3 | 3.7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 8.7 |
Professional career
After not being selected in the 2011 NBA draft, Harper entered the market as an unrestricted free agent.
In July 2012, he participated with the Denver Nuggets during the NBA Summer League, where he averaged 5 points per game and delivered a standout performance of 17 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, also contributing notable assists and rebounds.
Harper signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in September 2012 but was released the following month.
Following the 2012 NBA Development League Draft, where he was picked in the second round by the Reno Bighorns, Harper was soon traded to the Erie BayHawks.
In September 2013, Harper took his talents to Belarus by signing with BC Tsmoki-Minsk, where he scored 17 points in a preseason victory.
Harper returned to compete with the Denver Nuggets' Summer League squad in July 2014, providing both defensive and offensive contributions during limited playing time.
The following month, August 2014, he agreed to terms with Italian club Enel Brindisi (New Basket Brindisi).
On July 27, 2015, Harper secured a contract with Polish side Czarni Słupsk.
For the 2016–17 season, Harper joined Estonian team BC Kalev/Cramo, before transferring in March 2017 to Russian outfit B.C. Zenit Saint Petersburg, where he averaged 10.6 points per game.
Harper signed with Turkish club Tofaş on July 7, 2018.
In January 2019, he moved to Italy’s Serie A, joining Sidigas Avellino. Later that year, Harper inked a one-year deal with Spanish club CB Gran Canaria, re-signing for an additional season and posting an average of 12.9 points per game.
On July 29, 2021, Harper committed to French LNB Pro A team Limoges CSP, where he led the league with an average of 15.7 points per game (ranking eighth overall).
He returned to Italy in July 2022, signing with Derthona Basket competing in the LBA.
Most recently, on August 17, 2023, Harper joined Israeli Basketball Premier League team Ironi Ness Ziona.
NBA D-League
| Team | Year | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie Bayhawks | 2012–13 | 50 | 22.5 | .387 | .351 | .680 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 9.0 |
Belarusian Premier League
| Team | Year | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | EFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC Tsmoki-Minsk | 2013–14 | 13 | 24.5 | .514 | .431 | .692 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 1.6 | .0 | 12.8 | 12.4 |
EuroChallenge
| Team | Year | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | EFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC Tsmoki-Minsk | 2013–14 | 14 | 29.2 | .505 | .351 | .643 | 5.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 13.2 | 11.2 |
VTB United League
| Team | Year | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | EFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC Tsmoki-Minsk | 2013–14 | 17 | 29.2 | .421 | .346 | .636 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 10.1 | 7.1 |