Tag: Dylan Harper

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.

 

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.