The Rutgers Scarlet Knights beat out Duke, Kansas Indiana and Auburn for the nationally ranked No. 2 recruit in the class of 2024.
Dylan Harper, the younger son of five-time NBA champion and 15-year pro Ron Harper, is taking his talents to Piscataway, New Jersey, to play for head coach Steve Pikiell and the Scarlet Knights. In committing to Rutgers, the Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) product follows in the footsteps of his older brother, Ron Jr., who helped lead the renaissance of the Scarlet Knights program with their first NCAA Tournament trip in 30 years back in 2021, followed by a second consecutive trip in 2022. Ron Harper Jr. is now a member of the Toronto Raptors organization, playing on a two-way contract.
Harper is the highest-ranked commit in Rutgers history, joining the previously highest-ranked recruit in Ace Bailey, a 6-foot-8 forward from Powder Springs, Georgia, who is ranked No. 3 in the 247 Sports Composite rankings system.
The 6-6 combo guard, who averaged 21.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game at Peach Jam for his New York Renaissance AAU team this past summer en route to a semifinals trip, has grown over an inch in the last year and has a wingspan over 6-10. In addition to shining in AAU, Harper was one of only two 17-year-olds selected to the 12-player USA Basketball FIBA U-19 World Cup team that played in Hungary and finished in fourth place. Leading the United States with 3.0 assists per game to just 0.4 turnovers per contest, Harper was very efficient and showed his instincts and IQ with the role he served in the backcourt, finishing fifth on the team in scoring with 9.3 points per game.
Harper, who is a lefty, is a versatile playmaking guard who has a terrific understanding of the game and possesses the poise to make the right decision time and again in key situations. His feel for ball screens on the offensive end and ability to use his length to defend are major positives, with a jump shot that will continue to need to evolve, but has potential.
Playing for his mother, Maria, who is an assistant at his high school, Don Bosco, and coached Harper in youth leagues growing up, the Rutgers commit has a rich family circle rooted in basketball with his father having played the game at the highest of levels and his brother being the man he spent countless hours with growing up playing against in the backyard.
What did Harper want to show at the Nike EYBL this past summer?
“Really showing people how much of a leader I am, regardless of age,” Harper told SLAM Magazine this past summer. “I think me going out there, controlling a team, being the loudest person on the floor was really one of the main things. But also just showing people that I can defend one through three. I can guard guards, but I can also guard the post.”
Harper, who attended Bailey’s national letter of intent signing on Nov. 11, has struck a close relationship with the forward, as the duo spent time at USA Basketball Camp this past summer.
What does Harper’s commitment mean?
It’s an absolute game-changer for Rutgers Basketball from a publicity standpoint for starters. The Scarlet Knights automatically shoot up to the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class behind only blue bloods Duke and Kentucky, as forwards Lathan Sommerville, Bryce Dortch and Dylan Grant are also in the mix. Again, we’re talking about Rutgers here! Not Kansas or Duke or Carolina…but the state university of New Jersey.
The Scarlet Knights were incredibly persistent, recruiting Harper for who he is and not his brother who they already had, and going four-deep as a staff to watch him at Peach Jam, his high school games and more. Associate head coach and former Pitt All-American Brandin Knight played a massive role in the recruitment, even flying with Pikiell out to Hungary for USA Basketball action to see Harper.
This news is also a testament to the family and winning culture Pikiell has built over the course of his eight years on the job in Piscataway, and with intriguing underclassmen Derek Simpson, Gavin Griffiths and Jamichael Davis in the fold, among others, the Scarlet Knights have a high-level core developing.
This program had not reached the NCAA Tournament since 1991 before accomplishing the feat in 2021, and they were just on the outside looking in last season.
The fact of the matter is that the Rutgers brand will really matter next season. They will be a media darling with two of the top-three prospects in the 2024 recruiting rankings, and for those who have not seen the outstanding atmosphere that is Jersey Mike’s Arena (it will always be the RAC), you will get more opportunities to see Rutgers’ home venue in all its glory, which is one of the vintage and best hoop houses for college hoops.
Dylan Harper is taking a unique pathway, that is for certain, and it’s one that is refreshing for the Big Ten and college basketball in general.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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