Top Rutgers basketball recruit Dorian Jones is on a Big Ten official visit this weekend

Rutgers basketball recruit Dorian Jones is on a Big Ten official visit.

Four-star guard Dorian Jones, a priority Rutgers basketball recruit, is on an official visit this weekend to Big Ten rival Ohio State.

Jones, a 6-foot-4 guard from Richmond Heights (Cleveland, Ohio), took an official visit to Rutgers this spring. He is the No. 50 recruit in the ESPN 100 in the class of 2025.

According to 247Sports, he is the No. 37 recruit in the nation. In early May, Jones was offered by Michigan.

Jones is an ideal fit for Rutgers. A sharpshooter who can take defenders on via the dribble, he has good range coupled with explosiveness in getting to the rim.

In addition to a well-rounded and balanced offensive game, Jones is an aggressive defender who uses his length well.

He also holds offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Illinois and USC among others.

 

Rutgers had a very strong haul in the 2024 recruiting class. The five-star duo of [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] were recently ranked second and third in the nation by 247Sports.

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The class finished top-10 in the 247Sports rankings and included four recruits in the top-150 of the nation.

247Sports says Rutgers basketball’s Ace Bailey ‘has the highest upside in the class’

Ace Bailey had a shot at being the No. 1 recruit in the nation.

Ace Bailey was in serious contention to be the top player in the 2024 recruiting class according to 247Sports. The Rutgers basketball commit is expected on campus this summer.

A five-star forward, Bailey is the No. 1 player in the nation in the USA TODAY High School Sports rankings. He is the highest-ranked recruit in Rutgers basketball history.

In this week’s final rankings for the class of 2024, Duke commit Cooper Flagg was ranked No. 1 in the nation. Bailey was ranked second with his future Rutgers teammate [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag], a five-star guard, rounding out the top three.

Flagg, Bailey and Harper all recently played in the McDonald’s All-American Game. Harper was the game’s Co-MVP.

Bailey, who showed off not just his athleticism but some elite range this past season for McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia), had a legitimate case to be the nation’s top-ranked recruit.

In writing for 247Sports, director of scouting Adam Finkelstein praised the growth of Bailey:

“As for Bailey, he’s improved at such a rapid rate. In the process, he’s shown flashes of true stardom this year with his combination of wing size, athleticism and tough shot-making ability. As a result, he could actually have the highest upside in the class if everything goes right for him.”

Finkelstein did caution that Bailey will need to continue rounding out his game, especially his shot selection.

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Rutgers has a top-10 recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports. It features four total players ranked in the top 150 nationally.

Did Rutgers basketball make the cutdown for four-star forward Jaylen Harrell?

Jaylen Harrell announces a top six that includes Rutgers.

One of the top recruits in the class of 2025, Jaylen Harrell, has Rutgers basketball in his top six with a decision coming at the end of the month.

Harrell included Rutgers in a top six that also has Alabama, Kansas, Providence, Virginia Tech and Xavier.  He is a 6-foot-6 small forward from CATS Academy (Boston)

ESPN ranks Harrell as a four-star recruit. He is the No. 62 recruit in the nation according to On3.

Programs such as Georgetown, Wake Forest and Washington were not included in the cutdown. According to reporting from On3, Harrell will make his college commitment on May 27.

Also included in the reporting was that Harrell plans on taking two more official visits, having already visited Providence and Rutgers.

The story about his top six and his upcoming recruiting trips was re-tweeted by Harrell:

 

Rutgers is coming off a strong recruiting cycle, with a class ranked top-10 nationally. The class features the five-star duo of [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].

 

How did the Rutgers basketball duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper do in the 247Sports final rankings?

Rutgers basketball has two of the top three recruits in the nation.

With the incoming arrival this summer of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, Rutgers basketball has two of the top three players in the nation in the 247Sports final rankings.

The 247Sports rankings for the class of 2024 were certainly quite the flex for Rutgers, with the five-star tandem of Bailey and Harper ranked second and third in the nation, respectively.

Duke commit Cooper Flagg remained the top player in the class. Harper is coming off an offseason where he was the Co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game and then followed that up with 30 points in the Jordan Brand Classic.

Flagg played in both games.

And with two players in the top three nationally, Rutgers has the No. 9 overall class in the class of 2024. Bailey and Harper are both signed with Rutgers.

Also in the 247Sports ranking from the Rutgers class is three-star center [autotag]Lathan Sommerville[/autotag] (No. 106 in the nation) and three-star small forward [autotag]Bryyce Dortch[/autotag] (No. 150 in the nation).

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Rutgers has never before had four recruits ranked in the top 150 nationally, a first-ever for the program.

USA TODAY High School Sports ranks Bailey as the top player in the nation.

 

 

Rutgers basketball is set to play Kennesaw State, per report

Rutgers basketball has a new non-conference opponent.

It looks like yet another non-conference opponent is being lined up for Rutgers basketball.

Per college basketball insider Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Rutgers will play at Kennesaw State this upcoming season. The obvious local ties to Georgia are clear for Rutgers, given that freshman guard Jamichael Davis and incoming freshman Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey are from the state.

Last year, Kennesaw State finished the season 15-16 (6-10 Atlantic Sun Conference). In late December, the Owls battled well at Indiana in a 100-87 loss.

Rutgers is primed for a bounce-back season, having finished last year 15-17 (7-13 Big Ten). A five-star forward, Bailey is a big reason for the optimism around Rutgers heading into the fall.

Also joining Bailey at Rutgers is five-star guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey).

 

Harper had a very strong close to his high school career with tremendous showings at the McDonald’s All-American Game as well as the Jordan Brand Classic.

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The duo of Bailey and Harper are the first-ever five-star commits in Rutgers history.

Big Ten Network’s Rapheal Davis makes a bold claim about Rutgers’ Dylan Harper

Rapheal Davis of the Big Ten Network believes Dylan Harper is a special player.

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear that Rutgers basketball is in hype season, then it is now official. Count Big Ten Network Rapheal Davis among those believing that the Scarlet Knights are on the up heading toward next season.

The arrival of five-star forward Ace Bailey and five-star guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] are pushing the excitement meter into overdrive around the Rutgers basketball program. Davis, an analyst with the Big Ten Network, believes that Harper in particular is a transformational guard for the Scarlet Knights.

A former standout guard in his own right at Purdue, Davis is one of the most popular analysts on the Big Ten Network.

Since the end of his senior season at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey), Harper has been very impressive. Most notably, he had a standout performance at the McDonald’s All-American Game where he was named Co-MVP.

A week later, Harper was equally as impressive at the Jordan Brand Classic.

Before developing into an NBA All-Star, Russell was a standout at Ohio State and was the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

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During his lone season with the Buckeyes, Russell was named the Big Ten Freshmen of the Year. He averaged 19.7 points per game for Ohio State.

Harper, a consensus top-six recruit in the nation, is part of a Rutgers recruiting class that is expected to transform the program. The addition of the aforementioned Bailey and Harper should see Rutgers back in the NCAA Tournament if the duo remain healthy.

Who does Rutgers basketball play next year? Big Ten releases basketball conference schedule

The Big Ten released their conference schedule this week.

On Wednesday, Big Ten college basketball fans had a reason to celebrate. The conference released the breakdown of conference opponents for every school for the 2024-2025 season. Each team is set to play a 20-game conference schedule. This season’s newest members are Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington.

For Rutgers basketball, there will be plenty of reasons to travel to Jersey Mike’s Arena. Their home slate includes Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, UCLA, USC, and Wisconsin. They will go on the road to face Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, and Washington. 

During the 2023-2024 campaign, Rutgers went 7-13 in conference play. They recorded wins against Indiana, Nebraska, Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Northwestern. Their goal this season is to improve on that record while making an NCAA Tournament bid.

The 2024-25 @bigten opponents slate is set ✅#TheKnighthood🛡⚔️ pic.twitter.com/NcKe0oK8Zv

— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) May 1, 2024

While the start of the season is still months away Rutgers fans can start playing vacations that until this year would not be on the schedule. Fans will have the opportunity to travel to Oregon and Washington to see Rutgers in action. Those two teams posted a combined record of 21-19 in the PAC 12 last season.

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Game dates and television times will be announced at a later date. Thursday’s release has only created more excitement for this upcoming season, as Rutgers is set to welcome a talented recruiting class that includes Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. 

Dylan Harper: ‘I have a very unique game that most people don’t have, most people don’t ever see’

Dylan Harper was born to play basketball. His father, Ron Harper, is a five-time NBA champion who played alongside Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Currently ranked as a Top 5 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, Harper sat down with HoopsHype after a …

Dylan Harper was born to play basketball. His father, Ron Harper, is a five-time NBA champion who played alongside Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Currently ranked as a Top 5 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, Harper sat down with HoopsHype after a recent practice at the Nike Hoop Summit to talk about his influence from his parents, NBA players he tries to emulate, flying under the radar amongst his peers, and more.

Watch future Rutgers basketball guard Dylan Harper goes off for 30 points in the Jordan Brand Classic

Dylan Harper was sensational in the Jordan Brand Classic.

Dylan Harper had a big showing at the Jordan Brand Classic, the future Rutgers guard putting up 30 points in the Sunday night showcase.

A five-star guard who committed to Rutgers in December, Harper was named the game’s Co-MVP.

The showing from Harper follows up another recent dominant performance at the McDonald’s All-American Game. Harper shared co-MVP honors in that game as well.

A guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey), Harper is a cornerstone piece of the 2024 recruiting class for Rutgers, one that is a consensus top-10 class in the nation. Harper joins Ace Bailey as the first five-star players to ever commit to Rutgers.

ESPN ranks Harper as the third-best player in this class.

Bailey was the top-ranked player in the nation in the most recent USA TODAY High School Sports rankings.

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Check out the Sunday night highlights from Harper, who showed everything in guiding Team Flight to a win over Team Air: His dribble-drive was on display as was his range and high-end defensive abilities.

 

The game was held at the Barclays Center (New York City).

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.