Howard University star Blake Harper is earning attention in and out of the HBCU world as his standout freshman season continues.
The 6’8 freshman has been stellar all season, and Tuesday afternoon he was named MEAC Player of the Year.
Blake Harper had an outstanding freshman season at Howard University, leading the team in scoring with an impressive 19.3 points per game. Starting all 31 games, he quickly became a key player, averaging 34.4 minutes per contest and showcasing his scoring efficiency with a 44.6 percent field goal percentage, 40.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 82 percent from the free-throw line.
His work as a freshman has brought him national attention — not just from the media or HBCU circles. Harper has drawn attention from across the basketball world from opposing coaches and agents looking to poach him. That’s the reality of the new world of college basketball where agents and NIL — along with a year-to-year-transfer portal — mean a player like Blake Harper will have plenty of suitors for his services.
“Agents try to say, ‘Oh yeah, take a call with me, I’m here for you,’” Blake Harper told Sports Illustrated last week. “Just hearing different people that had never met me talking to me like they were my big brother and like, I should trust them with my life and my financial records. It’s kind of funny to hear it coming from somebody I’ve never met before and not knowing [any] background. You don’t know what they could do with your life.”
Harper’s breakout performance came on February 1, 2025, against Hampton, where he dropped a season-high 35 points, fueled by an incredible 20-for-22 showing from the free-throw line. He also demonstrated his all-around game with a season-best 13 rebounds and 10 assists against Virginia-Lynchburg on December 11, 2024. His ability to contribute across multiple categories was evident, averaging 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Throughout the season, Harper delivered consistent scoring outputs, surpassing 30 points three times and recording double figures in all but one game. His most efficient performance came against Delaware State on January 4, 2025, where he shot 10-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, for 34 points.
As a freshman, Harper established himself as one of the top scorers in the conference, setting the stage for a promising collegiate career. The question on is, how much longer will he’ll be at the HBCU.
“Howard, what they’ve done for my son, I can’t put a dollar value on,” his father, Snupe Harper told SI. “All the things that they’re doing, it’s extra and above and beyond for him to be able to feel comparable to some of his friends that are going to these Power 5 schools. It’s a delicate, delicate juggle between wanting money and wanting to play. At Howard right now, we’re getting really good competition and we’re able to show all of our skills.”
Howard is set to take on Morgan State on Thursday in the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament.