Tag: Dylan Harper

5-star Rutgers basketball signee Dylan Harper named MaxPrep National Player of the Year

Dylan Harper was nationally recognized by MaxPreps as their player of the year.

Dylan Harper was announced as the 2023-24 MaxPreps National Player of the Year on Wednesday. It is a statement award for Harper, A Rutgers basketball commit who was the most dominant player in New Jersey this year.

Harper committed to Rutgers basketball in December during a commitment ceremony at the Fanatics headquarters in New York City.

A five-star guard, Harper led Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) to a state championship this season.

He capped off his season last week by being named Co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game. In that game he partnered with future Rutgers basketball teammate Ace Bailey, a five-star forward.

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As for the MaxPreps honor, Harper is very much deserving even with a crowded field of candidates for the honor including Duke commit Cooper Flagg and the aforementioned Bailey.

“My goal is to win a national championship,” Harper told MaxPreps.
“The recruiting class we got in, the guys we have coming back and some guys we will probably get in the transfer portal. I think we are going to be really hard to beat.
“Staying home and having the people who watched me since I was a little kid grow up and go through stages of life, go through all the ups and downs. I think that is probably the biggest part of me going to Rutgers.”

 

Dylan Harper of New Jersey is the 2023-24 MaxPreps National Player of the Year 🏆🔥

Full story ⬇️https://t.co/qIoja7p5Wz pic.twitter.com/uQUjaDosa2

In the USA TODAY High School Sports rankings, Harper is the No. 6 overall player in the nation. Bailey, a 6-foot-9 forward, is the top overall player in the nation.

 

Rutgers basketball makes the USA TODAY ‘Way-too-early’ top 25

USA TODAY has Rutgers basketball in the top 25 of their ‘Way-Too-Early’ rankings.

The hype for Rutgers basketball is legitimate and real.

Rutgers basketball is projected to be nationally ranked this season, with head coach Steve Pikiell’s vaunted recruiting class the reason for much of the hype.

Expectations are high around Rutgers basketball, especially with a special recruiting class expected to arrive this summer. Highlighting the class are a pair of five-star recruits in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.

The duo gives Rutgers a top-10 national class with three ESPN 100 commits.

This combined with a strong start to the transfer portal (Eastern Michigan guard [autotag]Tyson Acuff[/autotag] and Princeton forward [autotag]Zach Martini[/autotag]) and there is legitimate top-25 buzz around the Scarlet Knights.

On Monday, ESPN’s preseason rankings have Rutgers at No. 21 in the nation. The rankings from USA TODAY have Rutgers at No. 25 according to Paul Myberg.

In part, Myberg wrote about the impact of Bailey and Harper on Rutgers:

Harper and Bailey are the stars of a recruiting class that ranks in the top five nationally and will give Rutgers a huge influx of talent and athleticism.

Also part of the 2024 recruiting class for Rurtgers is four-star center[autotag] Lathan Somerville.[/autotag] and four-star forward Dylant Grant.

Where did Rutgers basketball fall in the ESPN Way-Too-Early-Top 25?

Rutgers basketball is ranked in the ESPN way-too-early top 25.

The hype for Rutgers men’s basketball is real, with the Big Ten program making the ESPN top 25 for next season.

Rutgers checks in at No. 21 on ESPN writer Jeff Borzello’s list. They are one spot behind Maryland and one of five Big Ten programs ranked on the first top 25 of preseason.

With McDonald’s All-Americans [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] coming to campus in June, there are expectations that Rutgers can have a special season.

Duke is the top team in Borzello’s projections. UConn, winners of back-to-back national championships, check in at fourth in the nation.

In writing about Rutgers, Borzello offers a balance to the hype about the arrival of Bailey and Haper to the Scarlet Knights:

“Both should have a transformative impact on the team next season — but Steve Pikiell will have to surround the two with some veteran pieces. The return of Jeremiah Williams is a boost, and Pikiell has already landed Tyson Acuff (Eastern Michigan) and Zach Martini (Princeton) from the portal.”

To read Borzello’s full top 25 rankings, click here.

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As for the Big Ten, here is how the conference looks according to Borzello:

  • No. 6 Purdue
  • No. 19 UCLA
  • No. 20 Maryland
  • No. 21 Rutgers
  • No. 24 Wisconsin

Borzello has Ohio State and Michigan State as part of his ‘Next In Line’ grouping.

Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, future Rutgers basketball teammates, impress in McDonald’s All-American game

Rutgers basketball’s two future stars lived up to the hype at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

On Tuesday night, Rutgers fans got a preview of what the future will hold in the McDonald’s All-American game. Two highly regarded members of the 2024 class, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, took the floor and continued to leave scouts in awe.

While Team West lost a close battle 88-86 to Team East, Harper and Bailey made their presence felt. In 25 minutes of action, Bailey scored six points while dishing out two assists. He also made an impact on the boards, hauling in five rebounds.

congrats to our boys MVPs Dylan Harper and Derik Queen 🏆 pic.twitter.com/4cUVXoRkDz

— McDonald’s All American Games (@McDAAG) April 3, 2024

However, his teammate Harper shined against some of the best high school talent in the country. In 25 minutes of action, the talented 18-year-old scored a team-high 22 points and recorded one steal. He was the only member of Team West to score more than 20 points. Tre Johnson who is committed to Texas also had an impressive night with 17 points.

Due to his play, Harper took home some hardware. He was named the game’s co-MVP, along with Derik Queen, who scored 23 points for Team East in 24 minutes of action. In the first half, Harper led all scorers with 14 points, showing why the future at Rutgers is bright.

While fans in Piscataway still have to wait a few months for Bailey’s and Harper’s collegiate debut, on Tuesday night, the talented duo showed why scouts across the country hold them in high regard.

Watch as future Rutgers basketball star Dylan Harper dominates at the McDonald’s All-American Game, wins co-MVP

Rutgers basketball guard Dylan Harper wins Co-MVP at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

It was a special night for Rutgers basketball as future guard Dylan Harper put on a show at the McDonald’s All-American Game. Before a national audience on ESPN, Harper was nothing short of dominant on both ends of the court.

Harper shared the Co-MVP honors of the game with Derik Queen, a Maryland basketball commit. The East beat the West 88-86 on Tuesday night in Houston.

Harper’s teammate on the West team, Ace Bailey, will join him at Rutgers this summer. The five-star forward finished with six points.

As for Harper, he went off for 22 points, making three-of-five from three-point range. And for Rutgers basketball fans who closely track these things, he made both of his free throws.

At the McDonald’s game, Harper showed his versatility but also flashes of explosiveness while going up against elite competition.

He is the No. 3 recruit in the nation in the ESPN 100.

 

Harper won a championship with Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) this spring. He and Bailey are part of a recruiting class at Rutgers that is ranked among the top 10 players in the nation.

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Bailey is the top-ranked player in the nation according to USA TODAY High School Sports.

Watch future Rutgers basketball stars Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey connect on a backboard lob at the McDonald’s All-American Game

Future Rutgers basketball teammates Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper connect at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are already looking like difference-makers for Rutgers basketball. The five-star duo showed flashes of their synergy on Monday at a scrimmage for the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Bailey, the top-ranked player in the nation according to USA TODAY High School Sports, is the highest-ranked recruit in Rutgers basketball history. Harper, ranked third nationally by many recruiting outlets, is the second-highest-ranked commit to ever sign with the program.

(For those not good with math, that is a complicated way to say that Bailey and Harper are the highest-ranked commits/signees in Scarlet Knights history).

Playing for the West team, Harper and Bailey showed the potential of their partnership on Monday during a scrimmage for the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Check out this backboard lob from Harper to Bailey. The point guard drives well to the basket, and he sees Bailey moving in from the wing.

Bailey finishes off the play nicely.

 

The all-star competition takes place on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Cooper Flagg, a five-star commit to Duke, praised Bailey’s play during Monday’s press conference.

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On Monday, Harper talked about the potential for Rutgers basketball to change, as he put it, the program’s history.

What does representing Rutgers in the McDonald’s All-American game mean to five-star forward Ace Bailey?

Airious Bailey talks about representing Rutgers at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

On Tuesday night, Ace Bailey will play in the McDonald’s All-American Game. The five-star forward will partner with future Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper in the game.

The five-star tandem of Bailey and Harper are among the best players in the nation in the 2025 recruiting class. They represent the highest-ranked recruiting class in Rutgers basketball history.

Bailey is the top-ranked player in the nation according to USA TODAY High School Sports. He will face off against Duke commit Cooper Flagg, the nation’s top-ranked player by all the other recruiting outlets.

Going up against Flagg will be a marquee measuring stick for Bailey, but it isn’t one that concerns him.

“I mean, I mean it is what it is, just come to play. Play my heart out. Play my game, just do what I do best,” Bailey said.

“So the end results are going to be the end results.”

Philosophical from Bailey if not level-headed.

Bailey will play on the West team and will count Harper as his teammate on Tuesday night and moving forward. Potentially, it is a preview of things to come for Rutgers fans.

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The duo of Bailey and Harper are the highest-ranked players to ever sign with Rutgers.

And with this star-studded class comes a lot of attention and buzz. For Bailey, speaking on Monday during a press conference for the McDonald’s All-American Game, the attention is something that leads him to be thankful.

“I mean, it’s a pleasure like I said, just thank God,” Bailey said.

“I mean for me and Dylan to come here – him being a New Jersey kid me being a Tennessee kid – just a blessing to come support and to show where we are going to bring Rutgers. It’s just a blessing.”

Dylan Harper says that this Rutgers basketball recruiting class can change the program

Dylan Harper talks about the future of Rutgers basketball and the impact he believes this class can have on the program.

Dylan Harper believes that this class can change the trajectory of Rutgers basketball moving forward. That was the message on Monday from the five-star guard, a Rutgers basketball commit who is set to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game on Tuesday.

Speaking on Monday afternoon at a press conference for the McDonald’s All-American Game, Harper said that this star-studded class can be a program changer for Rutgers. Harper is joined by fellow five-star [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] in the Rutgers 2024 recruiting class.

And Bailey, like Harper, is playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game this week. Harper is the No. 3 player in the nation according to ESPN.

Asked on Monday if Rutgers can become a destination program for top recruits, Harper said that this class can do just that.

“Definitely, I think they’ve had other great players like my brother (Ron Harper, Jr.), Geo Baker, people like that,” Dylan Harper said.

“But I think for me and Ace to come in there and just change the culture, I think it’s going to change a lot of Rutgers history.”

Dylan Harper committed to Rutgers in December at an event in New York City that was hosted at the Fanatics headquarters. It wasn’t an easy decision, he said.

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Long considered a Rutgers lean, he remained uncommitted for much of year, choosing to carefully and pragmatically make his decision.

“I mean first off my decision – it was probably one of the hardest decisions I had to make – probably in my lifetime,” Dylan Harper said.

“Just staying home – doing (it for) your family and just the people that are always there for you since Day 1. So I think that was probably the main thing that went to it.”

Harper’s teammate Bailey is the No. 1 player in the nation according to USA TODAY High School Sports.

Rutgers basketball: Dylan Harper reacts to the news of Jeremiah Williams’ return

Jeremiah Williams’ return to Rutgers basketball is welcomed by Dylan Harper.

Jeremiah Williams confirmed that he is returning to Rutgers basketball, and five-star commit Dylan Harper was all about it.

A transfer portal addition last summer, Williams was a big addition to the Rutgers basketball program when he was finally reinstated midseason. Williams missed the season’s first 20 games over allegations of violating the NCAA’s rules on gambling.

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 12.2 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor. Upon making his debut in early February, Rutgers won its first four games with Williams playing.

It is a season of expectations for Rutgers basketball, especially with a star-studded recruiting class coming in.

Harper, who recently signed with Rutgers, is a five-star recruit and one of the top players in the nation. He is expected to partner with Williams and form one of the best backcourt in the Big Ten.

 

Coming off a strong senior season at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey), Harper is the sixth-ranked recruit in the nation according to USA TODAY High School Sports.

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He is one of two recruits in the class of 2024 who are ranked as consensus five-star players. Harper joins forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] as the only five-stars to ever sign with Rutgers basketball.

Bailey is the top-ranked player in the nation in the USA TODAY High School Sports rankings.

Rutgers basketball: Two new schools reached out to Cliff Omoruyi this weekend in the transfer portal- who has reached out so far?

Cliff oMoryi’s list of suitors continues to grow.

There are two new suitors who have reached out

On Saturday, Clemson and Kansas State reached out to Omoruyi for the first time, per a source close to the situation. Omroyi has played the past four seasons for Rutgers basketball and has been a starter the past three seasons.

An All-Big Ten selection, Omoruyi averaged 10.4 points per game this season while also averaging 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.

Omoruyi is one of the top defensive players in the country. Last week, Big Ten Network analyst Raheal Davis gave the opinion that he believes Omoruyi should return to Rutgers for a final season of college basketball.

These comments from Davis came before Omoruyi had decided to enter the transfer portal.

Per the same source, the following schools have reached out to Omouyi since he entered the transfer portal last week.

Omoruyi is a former four-star recruit and one of the highest-ranked players to commit to Rutgers during Steve Pikiell’s era as head coach.

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The loss of Omoruyi to the transfer portal is one of several personnel moves for Rutgers basketball this offseason. Omoruyi is one of two starters (along with forward Mawot Mag) who have entered the transfer portal so far this spring.

With a highly ranked class coming in for Rutgers, one that features two recruits ranked as five star players (forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag]), it was inevitable that Rutgers would see a thinning out of its roster ahead of the summer.