Tag: Dylan Harper

Watch: Five-star Rutgers basketball commit Ace Bailey is basically the ‘NBA Jam’ video game

Rutgers basketball commit Ace Bailey was tremendous at Rucker Park on Saturday night.

Rutgers basketball commit Ace Bailey showed out on Saturday night at Rucker Park. The five-star forward from Georgia turned in a dominant performance for ‘Team Dylan’ at Rucker Park.

‘Team Dylan,’ by the way, was led by fellow five-star Dylan Harper. The Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) guard is the No.2 ranked player in the nation and is currently uncommitted. There is plenty of buzz that Harper could join his fellow class of 2024 standout Bailey at Rutgers.

Might as well call the venue for Saturday night’s game ‘Rutgers Park’ after the showing from Bailey and Harper.

At the Rucker Park event, defense was barely being played – if at all – but it was still an opportunity for Bailey and Harper to showcase their abilities on the court.

A 6-foot-9 forward from McEachern High School (Powder Springs, GA), Bailey is a consensus five-star player. He is also a top-five national recruit and there has been some buzz that he has the potential to be the nation’s top overall player.

ESPN ranks Bailey as the second-best player in the nation.

 

Bailey showed his ability to run the court and play above the rim. He is an explosive athlete, something that is clearly noticeable from his highlight package from Saturday night at Rucker Park.

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Bailey and Harper are building a good chemistry this summer, having played together numerous times this offseason including at the USA Basketball U19 national team and at the Tip-Off Class in Georgia last week.

Saturday’s performance doesn’t show much, given the relaxed nature of the game, but it was still a reminder of how good this Rutgers class could be if Harper committed to the Scarlett Knights.

In June,  Harper talked with Rutgers Wire about his relationship with Bailey, who he said is recruiting him for the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers currently has the second-best recruiting class in the nation among the 2024 class.

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Watch: Rutgers basketball recruit Dylan Harper shows out at the 2023 Nike Skills Academy

Rutgers basketball recruit Dylan Harper, a five-star, has had a strong summer.

Dylan Harper showed this past week why he can legitimately stake a claim as the nation’s top recruit. Harper’s impressive and complete skillset was on display over the past few days at the 2023 Nike Skills Academy.

Harper, who was the consensus player in the nation until Cooper Flagg re-classified as part of the 2024 recruiting class, is a massive target for Rutgers. He is a five-star recruit according to every major recruiting site.

The top-ranked player in New Jersey, Harper is closing in on his senior season at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.). With a number of top offers from across the nation, Harper has narrowed it down to a final five that includes Auburn, Duke, Indiana, Kansas and Rutgers.

Harper is the consummate combo guard. At the Nike event, he showed off his ability on the dribble. He is able to create his own shot and has some good range.

This week, he has been a teammate of Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey during the Tip-Off Classic. Bailey is a five-star forward and the third-highest ranked recruit in the nation.

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Harper has had a strong offseason, including performing well for the United States in the FIBA U19 World Cup in June.

Rutgers currently has the second-highest-ranked recruiting class in the nation. It features Bailey, the aforementioned five-star as well as Bryce Dortch and Lathan Sommerville.

Dortch and Sommerville are both top 150 recruits nationally.

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Watch: Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper in action from this weekend

Dylan Harper and Airious Bailey team up together this past weekend.

Rutgers basketball fans may have gotten a taste of the future this weekend when Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper teamed up once again.

Bailey, a five-star forward and a Rutgers basketball commit, played on the same Athletes of Tomorrow (A.O.T.). team as Harper. A guard at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Harper has Rutgers in his final five programs.

Playing against the Georgia Stars, the duo of Bailey and Harper looked strong and very much in sync. Harper was very impressive, showing his ability to create his own shot and an accurate pull-up jumper that is impossible to defend against.

Bailey, a long stretch four, ran the court very well for A.O.T. He played well above the rim and was very strong in transition. He is the second-highest ranked recruit in the nation according to ESPN.

Harper is currently ESPN’s No. 1 player in the nation.

Check out the highlights from the performance of Bailey and Harper over the weekend:

(h/t to Cam Ruiz and his YouTube channel for the excellent highlights)

Rutgers currently has a strong 2024 recruiting class that is ranked second-best in the nation according to Rivals.

A.O.T. is based in Georgia.

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Five-star guard and Rutgers basketball recruit Dylan Harper remains the top recruit in the nation

On3 ranks Dylan Harper as the best player in the nation.

Dylan Harper remains on top, the Rutgers basketball recruit remaining the best player in the nation in a recent update from On3.

In an update of their top 150 recruits, On3 slotted in Harper as the nation’s top player. It is the second-straight update where Harper is the best player in the nation.

Right after Harper at No. 2 in the On3 update is Ace Bailey. The five-star forward committed to Rutgers in January.

Harper is a combo guard and a member of the 2024 recruiting class. He plays for Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) and participated in the recent FIBA U19 World Cup as a part of the United States national team.

According to On3, Rutgers has the ninth-best recruiting class in the nation in the 2024 class. On3 has center Lathan Sommerville and forward Bryce Dortch as three-star recruits.

Sommerville had originally been a four-star recruit per On3. In the On3 Industry Rankings, which aggregates the rankings from 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN and On3, Sommerville is No. 120 nationally.

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Is Dylan Harper officially trending towards Rutgers basketball?

Rutgers basketball has been in the recruitment of Dylan Harper from the beginning.

Rutgers basketball appears to be trending well with Dylan Harper, with the most coveted recruit in the nation appearing to be ready to make a commitment. A commitment that might just keep him home.

A combo guard out of Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), the five-star Harper is the consensus top player in the nation. He holds a number of top offers including Auburn, Duke, Indiana, Kansas and Rutgers.

Three crystal ball picks from 247Sports have come in for Harper over the past three weeks. And all three have Harper going to Rutgers.

Two of the picks come from the Duke affiliate site on 247Sports. The third one is from Bobby Deren at Scarlet Nation.

The pick from Deren came with the most confidence of the three.

 

Harper was expected to take all five of his official but it appears that his timeline has been accelerated.

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This summer, Harper made the United States national team as part of the FIBA U19 World Cup. He followed this up with an impressive showing at Peach Jam.

His brother, Ron Harper Jr., is currently with the Toronto Raptors and is a former Rutgers basketball standout. Their father is former NBA star Ron Harper.

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Is Rutgers basketball now the favorite to land Dylan Harper?

Rutgers basketball recruit Dylan Harper could be closing in on a decision.

Dylan Harper isn’t just the prize recruit for Rutgers basketball, he is in fact the prize recruit in the nation. And there are signs perhaps that Harper is trending towards a decision and one where Rutgers basketball might be the favorite to land the five-star recruit.

The consensus top player in the nation for the 2024 recruiting class, Harper dropped a hint this week on social media that he might be set for a decision. And then on Thursday, a recruiting projection was pointed towards Harper and Rutgers.

Harper is a 6-foot-5 guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.). He recently played with the United States national team in the FIBA U19 World Cup.

Adam Rowe, a Duke insider for 247Sports, put in a crystal ball pick on Thursday for Rutgers, registering his projection with a confidence level of ‘6’ (medium).

Rowe has gotten his last two picks, both basketball players going to Duke, correct in his projections (Darren Harris and T.J. Power).

 

It would be a program-defining decision were Harper to select Rutgers. Never before have the Scarlet Knights landed the nation’s top player. Couple Harper with five-star commit Airious Bailey, the second-best player in the nation, and Rutgers would have quite the recruiting class.

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Also part of the 2024 class is a four-star center in Lathan Sommerville, and a four-star forward in Bryce Dortch.

The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine currently has Rutgers (20.1 percent) in third place in the sweepstakes to land Harper, behind Duke (39.6 percent) and Indiana (34.7 percent).

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Rutgers basketball offers five-star standout Asa Newell

Asa Newell gets offered by Rutgers basketball.

Rutgers basketball already has one five-star recruit committed to the 2024 recruiting class. Another five-star recruit has Rutgers in the mix. And on Tuesday, Rutgers offered a five-star in Asa Newell.
A 6-foot-9 power forward at Montverde Academy, Newell is the No. 10 player in the nation in the 247Sports Composite. He was part of the USA Basketball U19 National Team that recently played at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
He has offers that include Alabama, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan and Wake Forest among others.
Rutgers already boasts a strong class that includes five-star forward Ace Bailey and four-star commits Lathan Sommerville and Bryce Dortch. The class is the second-highest-ranked recruiting class in the nation.
Newell tweeted about the offer, tagging assistant coach Marlon Williamson in the post:

 

Rutgers basketball head coach Steve Pikiell attended the FIBA World Cup this month to recruit Dylan Harper.
A product of Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Harper is a five-star guard and the consensus top recruit in the nation. Harper recently had a tremendous Peach Jam where he affirmed his ranking as the top-ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class.
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Watch: Rutgers basketball recruit Dylan Harper showcased his exciting potential at Peach Jam

Dylan Harper was scintillating at Peach Jam.

Dylan Harper showed why is the nation’s top recruit at last week’s Peach Jam. The New Jersey guard, who is being heavily recruited by Rutgers, showed no downside to his game at the tournament.

The consensus top player in the nation, Harper is a five-star guard who recently played for USA Basketball in the U19 FIBA World Cup.

Peach Jam is a national invitational tournament that serves as “the championship tournament for Nike Nike Elite Youth Basketball League’s boys premier spring and summer league, is comprised of 84 of the top high school-aged club teams from across the country.”

Notable NBA players such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Chris Paul among others have played in Peach Jam.

Harper, a guard at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), put together multiple complete performances at Peach Jam while playing for the New York Rens.

 

It was a complete and exciting Peach Jam for Harper, who showcased his ability to dribble and distribute, create his own shot, effectively get to the rim as well as some good range to his offensive game.

He has a top five that includes Duke, Indiana and Rutgers among others.

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Watch: Rutgers five-star commit Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey is dominant

Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey shines in the Tipoff Classic.

Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey, the highest ever recruit to commit to Rutgers basketball, put out a series of strong performances last week that helped cement him as one of the top high school basketball players in the nation.

A 6-foot-9 forward from McEachern High School (Powder Springs, GA), Bailey is a consensus five-star player. He is also a top-three recruit according to all four prominent recruiting outlets.

Bailey has great length, handles the ball well and is dynamic in getting to the hoop. He takes effortless long strides, is strong defensively in the paint, showed some nice moves in the post and has the ability to score in multiple ways.

At the recently concluded Tipoff Classic in Atlanta, Bailey showcased his strength as well as athleticism. It is hard to watch these highlights and not be impressed with how polished he is as a player.

 

Bailey is most explosive in the open court, where he is strong in transition and getting to the rim.

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Last month, he was part of the USA Basketball U19 national team camp. Bailey did not make the team but Dylan Harper did.

A Rutgers basketball recruit, Harper is a five-star who is from New Jersey. He talked with Rutgers Wire about his relationship with Bailey, who he said is recruiting him for the Scarlet Knights.

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Dylan Harper reacts to the Rutgers basketball staff attending the FIBA World Cup

Dylan Harper talks about what it means to have the Rutgers basketball staff in attendance for his FIBA World Cup game.

Dylan Harper had a bit of home in the stands this weekend, with Rutgers basketball head coach Steve Pikiell in Hungary to watch the standout from New Jersey in action. The five-star recruit has been representing the United States in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.

It was a successful World Cup for Harper, even as Team USA disappointed by losing in the semifinals. In a shade over 18 minutes played per game, Harper averaged 8.3 points per game in addition to rebounding well and being solid defensively.

In an 89-86 semifinal loss to France on Saturday, Harper had 14 points along with four rebounds and two steals. The output from Harper was impressive given that he is a 17-year old playing against professionals in Europe and alongside a number of teammates who are in college.

Pikiell and assistant coach Brandin Knight were in Hungary for the World Cup to watch Harper. It was a clear show of support from the Rutgers coaching staff in their effort to land Harper, who is a standout at Don Bosco Prep.

“They’re a great staff, they always show me love and support,” Harper told Bleacher Report’s Max Escarpio on Friday.

“Anytime I need them, I can always hit them up.”

Last week, Harper was named the top recruit in the nation by ESPN. All four major recruiting services (Rivals, On3, 247Sports and ESPN) have Harper as the top player in the nation.

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Harper said his versatility is the reason why he is so highly ranked.

“Obviously, I notice it, it’s a great honor but I don’t play the game for the ranking. I play because I love the game,” Harper said in the B/R interview.

“Obviously, I’m very happy about it but it’s not even the reason I’m playing. I’m going to keep on playing because I love it.”

At the next level, Harper sees himself as a “point guard or a combo guard.”

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