Tag: Dylan Harper

Pelicans select Dylan Harper in latest 2025 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report

This would change EVERYTHING for New Orleans.

While this draft was long considered one centered around Cooper Flagg, there is suddenly some competition at the top with Dylan Harper.

After a blazing start to the season for the Rutgers freshman, the 6-foot-6 guard is beginning to get some buzz to potentially enter the conversation at No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.

As of right now, Flagg is still the overwhelming favorite to hear his name called with the first overall pick. But whatever team lands the second pick should not feel disappointed, either, especially if Harper keeps playing this well.

The latest projections from Jonathan Wasserman has the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American Game MVP at No. 2 overall to the Pelicans (via Bleacher Report):

“Dylan Harper has begun to separate himself from the No. 3 prospect, whoever it may be come draft night.

He’s coming off a buzzer-beater pull-up three to beat Seton Hall and continuing to sell scouts on his potential star capabilities.

Despite receiving unreliable support from Rutgers role players, Harper is leading all freshmen in scoring on an impressive efficiency (59.5 percent 2PT, 61.9 percent true shooting) while also still assisting on 29.2 percent of teammates’ field goals and taking excellent care of the ball.

He’s in a tough spot to be a No. 1 option and shoot a high percentage or limit the forced plays/decisions, but he’s averaging 23.5 points, 4.4 assists and 2.3 turnovers on 52.0 percent from the floor.

Three-point shooting consistency will inevitably come up when scouting Harper and perimeter players in general. But what we’ve seen feels different from the conversations around highly drafted, weaker shotmaking guards such as Scoot Henderson, Stephon Castle, the Thompson twins, Anthony Black, Jaden Ivey or Killian Hayes.

He’s at least putting pressure on Cooper Flagg in the No. 1 overall discussion.”

This would be a fantastic return in the draft for the Pelicans, who have had a season otherwise decimated by health.

While they traded for Dejounte Murray, his immediate injury made it a tough pill to swallow.

DYLAN HARPER: Rutgers star is the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

New Orleans could add a potential franchise cornerstone in their backcourt with Harper as the future remains uncertain with both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Harper would have the highest offensive box plus-minus (9.8) among all freshmen in the NCAA since Williamson (12.8) in 2019.

Here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win, where Harper goes to the Washington Wizards.

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Duke basketball phenom Cooper Flagg remains atop The Athletic’s NBA draft rankings

Despite some strong contenders emerging in November, Cooper Flagg kept himself atop The Athletic’s NBA draft rankings.

Duke basketball forward [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] began his freshman season as a presumed shoo-in for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie thinks he’s done nothing to lose that spot as of Tuesday.

Vecenie released an updated ranking of his top prospects in the class, and Flagg maintained his grip atop the list thanks to his 26-point night against the Kentucky Wildcats and 24-point performance against the Arizona Wildcats. He turned the ball over twice in the closing seconds against Kentucky, but he’s averaging 15.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks through seven games.

Rutgers star Dylan Harper, who scored 36 points against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and 37 points against the Alabama Crimson Tide last week, earned the praise of ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony, but Vecenie thinks a different first-year star poses the biggest threat to Flagg.

Vecenie listed BYU star Egor Demin, a 6-foot-9 ball-handler, as his second overall player in the class. Demin has averaged just 14.3 points per game so far this season, but he’s dished 6.3 assists and made 44.1% of his 3-point looks through seven games.

Fellow Blue Devils Kon Knueppel (No. 9), Khaman Maluach (No. 11), and Tyrese Proctor (No. 33) made Vecenie’s top 50.

ESPN NBA draft analyst says this freshman is challenging Cooper Flagg for top spot

Despite Cooper Flagg’s strong start to the season, an ESPN draft analyst thinks another freshman is challenging his status atop the class.

Entering the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season, it felt like Duke freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] had a runaway head start as the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. However, despite a pair of 20-point performances against top-25 opponents, Flagg might have a challenger for the throne.

ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony praised Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper on Tuesday, saying the first-year Scarlet Knight has put together a compelling case in his own right.

“Dylan Harper has been the best freshman in college basketball one month into the season,” Givony wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Making a strong case to challenge Cooper Flagg as a No. 1 pick candidate.”

Harper has played eight games with Rutgers so far this season, and he’s scored at least 20 points in six of those contests. He put together his two best performances last week, hanging 36 on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before scoring 37 against the Alabama Crimson Tide on back-to-back days. He’s averaging 23.8 points per game, second only to Villanova’s Eric Dixon among power conference teams, and 4.6 assists while making 51.1% of his attempts.

Harper’s teammate Ace Bailey stole more of the headlines during the recruiting cycle, but Harper ended up as the No. 3 overall player in the Class of 2024 rankings from 247Sports.

Take Dylan Harper seriously as a threat to Cooper Flagg for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Cooper Flagg is the guy…until he isn’t.

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes

Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve had a wonderful Thanksgiving week.

There’s been a ton of good basketball this week on all levels, but I’ve been locked in specifically on college hoops. With mid-season tournaments going on and some of the best prospects in the country playing against tougher competition, it’s been a great week to revisit some of the top prospects in the draft and where they’re ranked (especially as a Wizards fan).

CAPTURE THE FLAGG: The Wizards are in first (or maybe last?) in the race for Cooper Flagg.

I say all of that to say I’ve been watching a lot of Rutgers basketball this week to get an eye on Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. And, after Harper’s explosion in the Player’s Era tournament, you shouldn’t overlook him as a potential threat to Cooper Flagg’s supremacy as the No. 1 prospect in this draft class.

Now, look. Flagg is still our No. 1 here. Even after a less-than-perfect start with Duke, he still should be.

The reasons why are simple. He’s 17 years old and still barely scratches the surface of his potential. Yet, still, he’s easily one of the most versatile defenders in the nation. It’d take a lot to supplant him, even if his offense hasn’t yet caught up to his defense and late-game turnovers have been a problem.

But here’s the thing: Dylan Harper has been doing a lot.

As a 6-foot-6 guard with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and an elite creator, he’s the exact sort of player NBA teams are looking to build through.

HE’S THE FULCRUM: Harper is the most exciting offensive prospect in college hoops this year

His game isn’t perfect. He’s still an inconsistent shooter at best and, defensively, while he can shake things up on the ball, the awareness away from it can be concerning. That’s what makes Flagg so special.

But should this trajectory for Harper continue, don’t be surprised if these conversations get louder and louder as the days go by.

The Timberwolves are broken

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Things ain’t so sweet in Minnesota these days. Anthony Edwards called his teammates out after the Wolves lost a fourth game in a row on Wednesday.

He called the team “frontrunners” and “soft” when it comes to talking to each other. And he did this publicly — not behind close doors. Here’s exactly what he said:

“I think it’s we soft as hell as a team, internally. Not to the other team, but internally, we soft. We can’t talk to each other. Just a bunch of little kids,” Edwards said.

Honestly, you’ve got to respect that he didn’t hide behind an anonymous quote to get this out there. He put his face and name to it. But you have to imagine that will ruffle some feathers in the locker room. That’s probably exactly what he wants, but man. This is not a good sign for a team with NBA championship hopes.

Hm. I guess Karl-Anthony Towns was the glue guy all along.

Shootaround

— Josh Green’s buzzer-beater actually hurt the Hornets’ last-second comeback attempt. I’ve never seen this before.

— Here’s Bryan Kalrbosky on Dylan Harper being the most tantalizing offensive prospect in the draft this year.

— Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies ain’t looking too great. Maybe the Lakers dodged a tough one here? Meg Hall has more.

— Speaking of the Maui Invitational, Bryan Kalbrosky made a list of the 10 best prospects who participated.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. Have a great weekend. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Dylan Harper is the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

Dylan Harper looks like a future STAR.

Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper may not go as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he has the most potential of any player on offense.

Harper is currently playing in the Players Era Festival tournament in Las Vegas. During a win against Notre Dame on November 26, he scored 36 points. That was the most by any freshman so far this season and it was a breakout performance for the future pro.

Long considered the top lead guard in this draft class, Harper was named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year. He was honored as the MVP of the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr., the 6-foot-6 freshman is playing very well during his first collegiate campaign.

Harper has struggled to finish in transition but has played with excellent efficiency in a set offense. He looks difficult to stop in pick and roll and isolation and can create his own shot with ease, including this vicious dunk that got his father hyped:

He is averaging 4.2 unassisted field goals per game at the rim, per CBB Analytics. Most impressive: No player in Division I men’s college basketball is recording more unassisted field goals made (6.2) per game.

Next up is Kam Jones, a senior from Marquette projected as a potential first-rounder in our latest NBA mock draft, at 5.5 unassisted field goals per game.

The freshman is unafraid to finish at the rim, which is encouraging from a young guard, and it is working. He is shooting an unprecedented 37-of-47 (78.7 percent) near the rim, and while that is hardly sustainable, it is also a huge part of what makes him so appealing.

He is also doing a fantastic job drawing contact at the basket, via CBB Analytics, drawing 2.7 shooting fouls (the most among freshmen) and converting 0.7 and-one attempts per game. Harper attempted 14 free throws versus Notre Dame, which is excellent.

Harper has displayed fantastic court vision and ball control and he has also maintained a very high assist percentage and a low turnover ratio, which are both encouraging traits as a floor general.

Overall, per Bart Torvik, his points over replacement per game is among the highest on record from a freshman in a high-major conference since 2008.

Even if Duke prospect Cooper Flagg hears his name called first in this class, defense is his primary trait that excites evaluators. But for Harper, any NBA team that is looking to improve their offense will rush to the podium if he is available when they are on the clock.

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Notre Dame can’t overcome loss of Burton, falls to Rutgers in overtime

This will sting in more ways than one.

The Notre Dame men’s basketball team will remember its first game of the Players Era Festival for a lot of reasons. Unfortunately, it won’t be for a victory it lost an 85-84 overtime thriller to Rutgers in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] was lost to a knee injury early in the game, and it’s unknown how serious it is right now. If he’s lost for a long period, it could derail the Irish’s season.

But even without him, the Irish (4-2) engaged in what became a back-and-forth affair with the Scarlet Knights (5-1), featuring 10 ties and 16 lead changes. It only was appropriate that [autotag]Matt Allocco[/autotag] hit a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.

The Knights appeared to have the game won when they went up six with 57.3 seconds left. Instead, Allocco made 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions to tie score at 84. The Irish suddenly had a shot at double overtime.

However, [autotag]Cole Certa[/autotag] lost track of the situation and immediately fouled future NBA first-round pick Dylan Harper, who split two free throws to put the Knights back up one. After a pair of Irish timeouts with 3.8 seconds on the clock, Allocco fired up a prayer from 3-point range for a last-second heroic, but he missed, and the Irish had suffered a tough defeat.

Harper set the freshman scoring high for college basketball so far this season with 36 points and also dished out a game-high six assists. Jordan Derkack scored 16 points off the bench. Jerem Williams scored 10, as did future NBA first-round pick Ace Bailey.

Allocco played the entire game and achieved a double-double of 24 points, which included six 3-pointers, and 10 rebounds. He also led the Irish with five assists.

[autotag]Braeden Shrewsberry[/autotag] scored 16 points but shot 6 of 20 from the field, including 3 of 13 from 3-point range. [autotag]Tae Davis[/autotag] had 15 points but committed a game-high seven turnovers.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Aggregate 2025 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: International prospects rise

HoopsHype has updated where the top prospects stand for the 2025 NBA Draft by compiling six mock drafts from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and USA TODAY. A couple of quick notes on our aggregate mock draft: * Some …

HoopsHype has updated where the top prospects stand for the 2025 NBA Draft by compiling six mock drafts from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and USA TODAY.

A couple of quick notes on our aggregate mock draft:

* Some freshmen are missing because they weren’t listed on all the mocks we compiled, meaning scouts don’t see them as one-and-done prospects yet.

* Additionally, the ages shown for international prospects reflect their draft-day age. These are preliminary scouting reports and are subject to change as we progress through the pre-draft process.

While some see future all-stars in Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, and VJ Edgecombe, others have doubts. We tend to agree with scouts who don’t see this group as generational. As the season unfolds, they’ll have a chance to prove themselves, but expectations should remain grounded.

NOTE: These rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for the overall consensus, not our own opinion. For example, if a player was the first pick on a publication’s mock draft, he received 60 points. If a player was second, he received 59 points, and so on. We then tabulated the total number of points for each player’s consensus ranking.

The New York Knicks forfeited their 2025 second-round pick due to tampering.

Rutgers basketball recruiting – Deron Rippey Jr. moves up in the national rankings

Deron Rippey Jr. has moved up the national rankings.

Deron Rippey Jr. is seeing his recruitment take off, with the New Jersey class of 2026 prospect shooting up the national rankings. He is one of the top recruitings targets for Rutgers in the 2026 class.

Rippey, who visited Rutgers in February for an 82-52 win over Michigan, is a 6-foot-2 guard from Blair Academy (Blairstown, New Jersey).  A strong summer has translated to a nice rise in the recruiting rankings for one of the top guards in the nation.

The move up the rankings sees Rippey jump from No. 39 in the nation to now being No. 21 in the 247Sports Rankings. He is the top-ranked player in New Jersey

He has an offer list that includes Georgia Tech, Illinois, LSU, Maryland, St. John’s, Providence, Syracuse, TCU, Villanova and West Virginia among others.

In March, Rippey talked with Rutgers Wire about his official visit to the Big Ten program.

“It’s been surprising to see how much coach Pike has been keeping up on my game and my development. I knew that he came to watch some of my games.

“But I didn’t know that he’s been recruiting me for a long time, been watching some of my games and film and that he knew about my development,” Rippey told Rutgers Wire in mid-March.

“And also just the way they play. Coming into the game, I thought it’d be a good rivalry between Rutgers and Michigan.

“Michigan has always been really good, but just seeing how Rutgers – like they took the game seriously and they’re very competitive. It really surprised me. It honestly makes me excited to see how much they’re growing. You know, like Michigan is a major school, just seeing Rutgers be able to overpower (them)…it was just interesting to see how much they’re growing. And even in the next few years like, Dylan (Harper) being committed – just to see the growth is pretty amazing.”

Rutgers currently has a top-10 recruiting class with the five-star duo of freshmen [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] already on campus.

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ESPN ranks Rippey as the No. 40 player in their ESPN 60 rankings.

What are the details for 4-star Jaylen Harrell and his commitment ceremony?

Jaylen Harrell is set to make his college announcement on Monday.

Jaylen Harrell announced the time and details for his commitment ceremony. With Rutgers basketball in the mix for the four-star forward, this is certainly a ceremony worth monitoring for the Big Ten program.

Harrell is one of the top recruits in the class of 2025. The 6-foot-8 forward from CATS Academy (Boston, Massachusetts) recently announced a top six of   Kansas, Alabama, Providence, Xavier, Rutgers and Virginia Tech.

If is from that top six which Harrell will commit on Monday, July 1.

He is a consensus four-star recruit and the No. 86 overall recruit in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Harrell will air his commitment via the On3 YouTube channel at 7:00 p.m. ET.

He is the top-ranked player in Massachusetts according to 247Sports. He took an official visit to Rutgers in late January.

 

In March, he took official visits to Providence and Xavier.

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Rutgers is coming off a strong class of 2024 that is top-10 in the nation. The incoming class features two recruits who are ranked as five-star players in forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].

Dorian Jones, a 4-star guard, has Rutgers basketball in his final four

Dorian Jones has a final four that includes Rutgers basketball.

Ahead of a commitment next week, Dorian Jones has a final four that includes Rutgers basketball.

Rutgers is one of three Big Ten programs to make the cutdown for Jones, who is one of the top players in the nation in the class of 2025. He is a 6-foot-1 guard from Richmond Heights (Cleveland, Ohio).

The final four from Jones included Michigan, Missouri and Ohio State in addition to Rutgers. He also has a commitment date of July 1.

Rivals ranks Jones as the No. 67 recruit in the nation and the No. 15 shooting guard in his class. He is an explosive athlete on the dribble with the ability to pull up and knock down from range.

Jones is a playmaker with the ball in his hands and can create his own shot, get to the rim or knock down an open three. He is a pest defensively with a high work rate.

His final four was broken by Joe Tipton of On3:

 

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The Rutgers 2024 recruiting class is top 10 nationally and includes five-star forward [autotag]Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey[/autotag] and five-star guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].