Covenant News

Michael Harper

CHICAGO, IL (June 13, 2003) - Michael Harper was the top scorer and rebounder for three national title teams at North Park, but when he began discussing his college career in a recent interview, he started by talking about the one title he thinks got away.

During Harper's freshman year, he grew about six inches and the rapid growth caused strange bouts of dizziness that kept him from fully contributing to the varsity team. While the varsity finished 18-8 and won its final five games, Harper's best work came as a standout junior varsity player.

"My freshman year we should've won a championship," he said of the 1976-77 squad. "I thought that team was better than anyone we played that year. We had three freshmen, myself, (Modzel) Bud Greer and Glenn Turner, that were extremely good players and coach (Dan) McCarrell was instrumental in blending that team. That group was unselfish and we had just started to mesh at the end of the year with Ernie Flores, Tony Reibel, big Al May, and big Rog (Roger Wood).

"I was just blooming at the time," Harper continued. "I was just beginning to grow and that's when I got sick (including a fainting spell during one conference game). But I knew the next year we were going to be real good after watching Tom Florentine, Bud and Michael Thomas shooting together."

Harper had only contributed 12 points and 22 rebounds in 11 varsity games during his freshman year, but he starred as a sophomore, averaging 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds per game during the 1977-78 season. While two sophomores and a freshman began to take over much of the scoring load, Harper said that North Park's initial title run got a lot of momentum from its senior captain, May, and fellow classmates Flores and Florentine. "Al May was just tough. He gave us power and rebounding strength and he kept a lot of people off my back. May, Flores, Florentine - they fought for me. They did the dirty work and boy, could Florentine shoot."

While the first title run may have surprised some, there was little doubt as to the talent of the second and third title teams, said Harper. McCarrell's lineup included returnees Harper, Thomas, Greer, Jim Clausen and Gregg Gierke along with transfers Keith French and Grant Grastorf and multi-sport athlete Scott Groot.

"We had eight guys who all played an incredible role," said Harper, who scored 1,880 points and grabbed a school-record 1,184 rebounds as a three-time All-America player. "Bud Greer was an incredible leaper - he was Scottie Pippen before there was a Scottie Pippen - a 6-foot-6 guard that handled the ball exceptionally well and was a great shooter. Thomas was a great penetrator and an incredible leader. He was a Division I type guard, an excellent playmaker, one of the national leaders in assists. On the first team, he had a role and he knew whom to please (offensively). But at the same time he was able to step up when anybody was off.

Harper continued, "Clausen had an incredibly soft touch from 8 to 12 feet out, and he was a good dribbler, an exceptional passer, a tough player and an excellent role player. He was a guy who kept us all calm. Grant Grastorf could get his chain ruffled a little, but he was always ready to play. He was like those guys from 1978, but with a shooting touch. He really worked on his craft. Keith French was a role player that stepped up to the plate especially during the championship series. His game elevated the closer we got to the championship. People knew about Bud and me. What surprised people were guys like Grant and Keith."

With a professional basketball career to look back upon, it would be easy for Harper to forget his North Park days, but that's not the case. He considers his continued ties to North Park as a special bonus from a college experience he wouldn't trade for anything.

"I knew our team was special by the number of fans we took every year of our championships," said Harper. "Now that I'm away from it (college), it's nice to see people that made my college experience so nice, not only the reach of the Covenant faith, but also the reach of North Park.

Harper continued, "The surprising thing was, I didn't think it would last. I still have friends, including NBA ballplayers, that don't have the college longevity (of memories) I have. But it is instrumental in the success of my State Farm Insurance business and it's instrumental in the success of my children and instrumental in my current family. The family aspect of North Park is never ending."

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