University of Richmond Athletics
Justin Harper Lands Spot With Los Angeles D-Fenders
11/17/2015 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Former Richmond player Justin Harper has landed a spot on the roster of the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League.
Harper began the fall with the Brooklyn Nets where he averaged 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in six preseason games. Harper averaged 19.1 minutes per game in the preseason, and was the last player removed from the Nets permanent roster before the regular season began.
Harper was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2011 Draft, before being traded to Orlando where he played 14 games in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. He has participated in the NBA Summer League the past two seasons as well, while playing professionally in Italy.
Harper starred on Richmond's NCAA Tournament teams in 2010 and 2011, leading the Spiders to the 2011 Sweet 16. He ranks 12th all-time with 1,457 career points, and seventh all-time with 179 career three-pointers.
Harper is the 12th NBA Draft pick in Richmond history and the third Spider to play in the NBA after John Schweitz and Johnny Newman.
In other professional news, former Spider players Kevin Anderson and Tony Dobbins have signed with new teams for this season.
Anderson will be joining the Luxembourgian club, BBC Sparta Bertrange, which competes in the Diekirch League. He had previously played for Nea Kifisia in the Greek league and the Erie Bay Hawks of the NBA D-League. He has played in the Turkish, Greek and Italian leagues during his professional tenure in Europe.
Anderson graduated in 2011 from the University of Richmond as one of the school's all-time great players. He is still second all-time in points scored (2,165) and fourth all-time in assists (410). He was an AP All-America Honorable Mention and the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2010. He led the Spiders to consecutive NCAA Tournaments including the 2011 Sweet Sixteen.
Dobbins has signed on with Berme Reggio Calabria of the Italian Serie A2 for his 12th season of pro basketball. He formerly played for Strasbourg in the French Pro A league. He helped Strasbourg win the regular season title and championship cup. In 2013-14, Dobbins was named the All-French ProA Bosman Player of the Year.
Dobbins competed for the Spiders from 2002-04, scoring 1,026 career points. He was a three-time All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team selection and All-A-10 Second Team in 2004. He ranks second all-time in school history in career steals (223), and still holds the record for most steals in a game with eight.