Tag: Dylan Harper

Rutgers basketball recruiting: How is Dylan Harper doing at the 2023 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup?

Dylan Harper has been quite good for Team USA in the FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup

Despite being two years younger than many of his teammates, Dylan Harper is playing like a star in the 2023 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup. The New Jersey product, who is being heavily recruited by the likes of Rutgers, Duke and Indiana, has certainly not looked out of place for Team USA.

In four games played, Harper is averaging 8.0 points in 17.8 minutes per game as the Americans have had some up-and-down moments in this tournament.

In Wednesday’s win over China, the Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) standout had nine points on 2-of-6 shooting. He also added two assists, five rebounds and a steal in what was a 92-69 win.

Perhaps most impressive is how Harper has played with control and ease despite being surrounded by a number of his teammates being in college and his opposition very often featuring professional players.

To that point, in four games, Harper has just two personal fouls and two turnovers.

For the tournament as a whole, he is shooting 50 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from 3-point range.

On Thursday, ESPN named Harper their top player and No. 1 overall recruit in the nation. The second-best player on that list? Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey, who committed to Rutgers in January.

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Harper has spoken positively about Rutgers, not a surprise given his close association with the program (his brother Ron Harper Jr. was a star at Rutgers before joining the Toronto Raptors last season).

The younger Harper has said he is intrigued by the idea of being a ‘hometown hero’ were he to commit to Rutgers.

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Simply en fuego: ESPN names Rutgers basketball target Dylan Harper as the top 2024 recruit in the nation

Dylan Harper is ESPN’s new top recruit.

Dylan Harper, fresh off two strong performances for the USA Basketball junior national team, now has more good news. The New Jersey guard, who is a priority recruit for Rutgers basketball, was named the top player in the nation by ESPN.com.

A guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Haper is believed the be strongly in the mix for Rutgers along with Duke and Kansas. The class of 2024 recruit recently spoke to Rutgers Wire about his recruitment and said that the Scarlet Knights are very much a family program.

He also talked about the pull to be a ‘hometown hero’ were he to commit to Rutgers.

The ESPN update was overall kind to Rutgers, showing the strength of this 2024 recruiting class. You can’t hope to control Steve Pikiell on the recruiting trail, you can only hope to contain him.

Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey, who committed to Rutgers in early January, is the second-best player in the nation. The forward is a consensus five-star recruit. His play on the court this summer? Cooler than the other side of the pillow.

Lathan Sommerville, a talented forward/center who committed to Rutgers this spring, is No. 84 in the ESPN rankings update.

 

Another Rutgers target, Nassir Cunningham, who just transferred this month to Southern California Academy, is ranked by ESPN at No. 34. Cunningham is from New Jersey and had Rutgers in his latest cutdown of programs.

Harper was also recently named the top player in the nation by On3.

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Dylan Harper interview: On his relationship with Air Bailey and possibly suiting up for Rutgers basketball

Dylan Harper talks Rutgers basketball, his thoughts on staying home and Air Bailey.

Dylan Harper is on the USA Basketball junior national team, the New Jersey guard making the final cutdown last week. It is another achievement for a player who has the chance, were he to commit to Rutgers basketball, the change the arc of the program.

Ranked as the nation’s top prospect by On3, Harper is a member of the class of 2024. He is a five-star guard for Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.).

Speaking last week before the final roster cutdown, Harper spoke with Rutgers Wire following a practice with Team USA. He touched on a number of topics, including updating his recruitment (he will take two official visits this fall) and his thoughts on representing New Jersey throughout this process.

He also talked about recruiting.

One of the players that Harper is the closest with is [autotag]Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey[/autotag]. A five-star forward from Georgia, Bailey committed to Rutgers in January, becoming the highest-ranked verbal in program history.

Bailey did not make the final roster, but Harper says the two spent time together in Colorado.

“We have a great relationship, we talk all the time, we text. He’s always saying if I go there with him, we can do something special,” Harper told Rutgers Wire.

“So I hear that a lot from him.”

The idea of playing at Rutgers and following in his brother, [autotag]Ron Harper Jr.[/autotag]’s path, is intriguing to Harper. The 2024 recruiting class for Rutgers, which features the aforementioned Bailey, is ranked second in the nation.

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“I think if I went there, we’d have a very special, a very hard-working class,” Harper said.

“Everyone, when you’re little, you want to be a hometown hero. So that’s a big factor.”

Because of the connection to the program via his brother, Dylan has been around Rutgers more than anywhere else. Rutgers is clearly recruiting him very hard and has made him a priority recruit for this upcoming class.

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“It’s a great relationship because my brother went there,” Dylan said.

“Every time I am there, it’s always heartwarming.”

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Rutgers basketball recruiting: How does Dylan Harper feel about his USA Basketball experience? ‘I’m out here playing for all Jersey’

Playing for the United States also means representing New Jersey according to Dylan Harper.

Last week, Dylan Harper made the 12-man roster for USA Basketball’s junior national team. The entire experience has been a strong one for Harper, who is the top-ranked recruit in New Jersey in the class of 2024 and is a priority recruit for Rutgers basketball.

Harper is highly sought-after five-star guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) who was recently ranked the top player in the nation by On3. He made it through several series of cutdowns over the past two weeks during a USA Basketball training camp in Colorado

Speaking last week before the final roster cutdown, Harper acknowledged the hard work that went into making it this far with USA Basketball.

“It’s a great feeling just because knowing all the hard work I put into the game, I put into myself…all the distractions I put up with just to hoop,” Harper told Rutgers Wire last week.

“It’s a milestone, but it’s not the end goal. I’m going to put my head down, keep working, that’s really the main goal for me.”

Harper said that he plans on taking all of his official visits with Auburn and Kansas likely to get visits in the fall. He plans on deciding at some point during his senior season.

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There is also the added dimension, Harper admits, of playing for New Jersey. One of the top states in terms of producing Division I talent, New Jersey has been a pipeline to a number of top programs over the years.

Harper, as the top-ranked player in the state and a consensus five-star recruit, acknowledges that there is a certain burden he carries for New Jersey when he steps out on the court.

“It’s a great representation not just for. (me) – I’m not just playing for myself or my family,” Harper said,

“I’m out here playing for all Jersey and everything I stand for.”

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One-on-one with Dylan Harper: Nation’s top player is intrigued by staying at home, playing for Rutgers basketball

Dylan Harper talks Rutgers and playing for USA basketball.

Dylan Harper just made it through the latest round of cuts for the USA Basketball junior national team. The nation’s top recruit, who is being pursued by the likes of Duke, Kansas and Rutgers, has reportedly impressed over the past week at the national team’s training camp in Colorado.

A class of 2024 recruit, Harper is a talented combo guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) and has the potential to be a game-changing recruit for Rutgers, which is already ranked as the second-best recruiting class in the nation.

Rutgers appears to be very much in the mix for Harper, who spoke to Rutgers Wire this week in a phone interview following a practice with USA Basketball. He said that there is certainly an appeal to staying at home and potentially playing for Rutgers.

He is the top player in the nation according to On3 and 247Sports.

“Everyone, when you’re little, you want to be a hometown hero,” Harper told Rutgers Wire. “So that’s a big factor.”

As for checking out other programs, Harper said there is the possibility of making other visits following the summer. He said that the rest of his top five are likely to get visits, notably Auburn and Kansas.

Rumors of a decision this summer don’t seem likely now. A commitment is going to come, he says, “probably during my high school season.”

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A cutdown of his list also isn’t likely.

As for Rutgers, Harper says there is a special bond and connection with the program. It is a connection that likely doesn’t exist among the other candidates in Harper’s top five including Duke and Indiana.

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“It’s a great relationship because my brother went there,” Harper said.

“Every time I am there, it’s always heartwarming.”

Harper spoke following practice at USA Basketball’s junior national team camp this week. After two rounds of cuts, 14 players remain in camp. Harper is in a prime spot to make the roster for the 2023 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup in Hungary later this month.

“It’s a great feeling just because knowing all the hard work I put into the game, I put into myself – all the distractions I put up with just to hoop, Harper said.

“It’s a milestone, but it’s not the end goal. I’m going to put my head down, keep working, that’s really the main goal for me.

“It’s a great representation…I’m not just playing for myself or my family, I’m out here playing for all Jersey and everything I stand for.”

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With the addition of four-star Bryce Dortch, Rutgers basketball now has one of the top recruiting classes in the nation (and might be No. 1 soon)

Rutgers basketball has a top six recruiting class in the nation.

With the commitment of four-star forward Bryce Dortch on Tuesday, Rutgers basketball made a move

A four-star recruit according to Rivals and 247Sports, Dortch’s commitment gives Rutgers two four-star commits (Dortch along with center Lathan Sommerville) and a five-star (Airious Bailey).

With the commitment of Dortch, the Rutgers class is currently second in the nation on both Rivals and 247Sports. The consensus top class currently is North Carolina, with 247Sports ranking the Tar Heels as currently having commitments from two five-star players and one four-star.

This is significant for Rutgers, as the program has never had such a highly-rated recruiting class in the modern era of recruiting services. The class has the chance to be a transformational one with the potential of adding another five-star player very much real.

Dylan Harper, the top-ranked player in the nation according to On3 and 247Sports, is a consensus five-star recruit who has Rutgers very much in the mix. He is the second-best player in the nation per ESPN.com and third overall for Rivals.

Bailey is ranked as the third-best recruit in the nation by ESPN.

Rutgers was out in Colorado this week at a USA Basketball event to recruit Harper. Assistant coach Brandin Knight was present at a practice over the weekend.

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Ranked the No. 125 player in the nation according to Rivals, Dortch is a 6-foot-7 forwad at Brimmer & May School (Chestnut Hill, MA). He recently took an official visit to Marquette and holds an offer list that includes UMass, Providence, Seton Hall, Temple, Texas A&M, VCU and Virginia Tech among others.

 

On3 is the outlier when it comes to the national ranking for the program, with Rutgers at sixth nationally in their rankings. Bailey is a five-star at On3 but Dortch and Sommerville are both three-star recruits (both are top 50 players at their position according to On3).

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Rutgers basketball is at the USA Basketball Junior National Team camp in Denver

Rutgers basketball was at the USA Basketball event over the weekend.

Rutgers basketball is pulling out all the stops to land Dylan Harper, including sending assistant coach Brandin Knight out to Colorado this weekend for the USA Basketball Junior National Team event.

Harper, along with five-star forward Airious Bailey (a Rutgers basketball commit) are at the event.

Knight, the associate head coach at Rutgers, is one of the top assistants in not only the Big Ten but all of college basketball.

At the event in Colorado, Knight was flanked by coaches from Duke and Kansas among other top college programs. Harper, who was recently named the top player in the country by On3, is the obvious big draw.

A guard out of Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Harper remains uncommitted. Duke, Kansas, Indiana and Rutgers are all in the mix for the five-star player.

He is the complete package, with the ability to put the ball on the floor, score in a variety of ways, rebound and is solid defensively.

Bailey, who committed to Rutgers in January, is the highest-ranked verbal in program history. He has made it clear that the hopes Harper joins him in New Jersey at Rutgers:

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The scoop about the presence of Knight at the event came from Matt Whitfield, a contributor to ZagsBlog. Whitfield is best known for his scoop that Ryan Arcidiacono was committing to Villanova.

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Harper has long been linked to Rutgers, given that his brother is Ron Harper Jr., who is currently on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors.

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Rutgers basketball recruiting: Dylan Harper is the new No. 1 recruit in the nation

Rutgers basketball target Dylan Harper is now the top-ranked recruit in the nation.

Rutgers basketball is now firmly in the mix – and perhaps even in the lead – for the top high school basketball player in the nation. Dylan Harper has been tabbed by one prominent recruiting service as the best player in the class of 2024.

In their most recent update, On3 has Harper as the top player in the nation supplanting Texas five-star guard Tre Johnson. This time last year, Harper was the No. 19 player in the nation according to On3.

A 6-foot-6 guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Harper is a consensus five-star recruit. ESPN and 247Sports rank him as the second-best player in the nation. Rivals has him ranked third nationally.

In their assessment of Harper, On3 described a versatile guard who is comfortable running the court, posting up and is strong on defense:

“Currently, Harper places among the top-15 in Nike’s EYBL Circuit across the points, rebounds, and assists categories. His 18.9 points finished No. 9 on the circuit. His 7.1 rebounds were No. 12, and his 5.3 assists were No. 3. He also shot 50.4 percent from the field.

Harper is comfortable on the ball, creating offense for the team, or off the ball, making plays for himself. What Harper lacks in top-end burst – both laterally and vertically – he more than makes up for with his size and feel.”

Ace Bailey, a Rutgers basketball commit, is the third-best player in the 2024 recruiting class according to this most recent update. He moves up one spot in this update.

Also part of the 2021 recruiting class is Lathan Sommerville, a four-star center who is ranked the No. 91 player in the nation according to 247Sports.

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Which five-star recruit is calling and texting Dylan Harper to join him?

Dylan Harper is being heavily recruited by a fellow five-star recruit.

Five-star guard Dylan Harper is one of the best players in the class of 2024, and the New Jersey guard is being recruited by another five-star to come join him in the Big Ten. That player?

[autotag]Airious Bailey[/autotag], a five-star commit to Rutgers basketball.

Having committed to Rutgers earlier this year, Bailey is the highest-ranked verbal in program history. The standout from Georgia is the No. 15 player in the nation according to 247Sports.

Harper is the second-best player in the nation and has a top five that includes Rutgers basketball. Over the weekend during the USA Basketball Mini Camp in Houston, he spoke with 247Sports about the five schools that are recruiting him when Bailey interrupted their interview.

The conversation shifted to Bailey, who appears to be recruiting Harper to Rutgers:

“He’s always calling me, texting me, DM’ing me all the time,” Harper said of Bailey in his conversation with 247 Sports. “He is telling me we can win a ‘natty’ [National Championship] together and I really believe we could. I am really going to take that into thought.”

There are currently two commits to the 2024 recruiting class for Rutgers basketball. The aforementioned Bailey is a huge piece for the Big Ten program’s future. [autotag]Dellquan Warren[/autotag], a four-star guard and a top-75 recruit, committed to Rutgers in late December.

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Were Harper to commit to Rutgers, then the Scarlet Knights potentially could have the top-ranked class in the nation.

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Dylan Harper talks recruitment and Rutgers basketball: “It’s home’

Dylan Harper breaks down where things stand with Rutgers basketball.

Don Bosco Prep guard Dylan Harper is one of the most coveted players in the nation. And the class of 2024 recruit seems to have a special affection for Rutgers basketball.

Ranked a five-star and the No. 2 player in the nation by 247Sports, Harper is the biggest recruit that Rutgers is going after this season. The in-state product has obvious ties to the Rutgers program and has consistently been a visitor on campus.

Including a game this winter where fans cheered for Harper and chanted his name in unison.

In a story that ran on 247Sports this week, Travis Branham talked with Harper at the USA Basketball Mini Camp in Houston during the Final Four weekend. He broke down all the schools that are currently in the mix, including Rutgers:

“It’s home. Every time I go there there is always love and affection everywhere I go,” Harper told 247Sports.

“The coaching staff really emphasized how they are recruiting me not just because of my brother but for me.”

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The 2024 recruiting class is already off to a good start for Rutgers basketball, with two top 75 recruits already in place. In late December, four-star guard Dellquan Warren from Pennsylvania committed to the Scarlet Knights. Then a few weeks later, five-star forward Airious Bailey became the highest-ever commitment to the program when he gave his verbal.

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