Tag: Rutgers Basketball

Pelicans select Dylan Harper in latest 2025 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report

This would change EVERYTHING for New Orleans.

While this draft was long considered one centered around Cooper Flagg, there is suddenly some competition at the top with Dylan Harper.

After a blazing start to the season for the Rutgers freshman, the 6-foot-6 guard is beginning to get some buzz to potentially enter the conversation at No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.

As of right now, Flagg is still the overwhelming favorite to hear his name called with the first overall pick. But whatever team lands the second pick should not feel disappointed, either, especially if Harper keeps playing this well.

The latest projections from Jonathan Wasserman has the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American Game MVP at No. 2 overall to the Pelicans (via Bleacher Report):

“Dylan Harper has begun to separate himself from the No. 3 prospect, whoever it may be come draft night.

He’s coming off a buzzer-beater pull-up three to beat Seton Hall and continuing to sell scouts on his potential star capabilities.

Despite receiving unreliable support from Rutgers role players, Harper is leading all freshmen in scoring on an impressive efficiency (59.5 percent 2PT, 61.9 percent true shooting) while also still assisting on 29.2 percent of teammates’ field goals and taking excellent care of the ball.

He’s in a tough spot to be a No. 1 option and shoot a high percentage or limit the forced plays/decisions, but he’s averaging 23.5 points, 4.4 assists and 2.3 turnovers on 52.0 percent from the floor.

Three-point shooting consistency will inevitably come up when scouting Harper and perimeter players in general. But what we’ve seen feels different from the conversations around highly drafted, weaker shotmaking guards such as Scoot Henderson, Stephon Castle, the Thompson twins, Anthony Black, Jaden Ivey or Killian Hayes.

He’s at least putting pressure on Cooper Flagg in the No. 1 overall discussion.”

This would be a fantastic return in the draft for the Pelicans, who have had a season otherwise decimated by health.

While they traded for Dejounte Murray, his immediate injury made it a tough pill to swallow.

DYLAN HARPER: Rutgers star is the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

New Orleans could add a potential franchise cornerstone in their backcourt with Harper as the future remains uncertain with both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Harper would have the highest offensive box plus-minus (9.8) among all freshmen in the NCAA since Williamson (12.8) in 2019.

Here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win, where Harper goes to the Washington Wizards.

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Instant reaction to Texas A&M basketball’s 80-77 win over Rutgers

Texas A&M holds off Rutgers to take fifth place in the Players Era Festival Tournament

Saturday afternoon, No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies (6-2) defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-3) in their final game to take fifth place in the Inaugural Players Era Festival Tournament at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

It’s still early and Coach Buzz Williams always gets his team whipped into shape if conference ball starts. They have a clear identity on both sides of the ball and the staff knows exactly what they want to do. However, the win against a good but inexperienced Rutgers team was another poor shooting night. It was another game where they shot below 40% in the first half and under 80% from the free-throw line.

Rutgers young guns Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey gave them all they could handle for a combined 42 points and 13 rebounds, keeping the Scarlet Knights in the game and even taking the lead a few times. The Aggies were led by All-SEC guard Wade Taylor, who scored 24 points, while Solomon Washington, Henry Coleman III, and Manny Obaseki all pitched in with 11 a piece.

A&M has all the right pieces and has been put in a great position to be 8-0 against quality competition. They are buying into what Buzz is selling and for the most part, it’s working.

However, they have to reward their coach by finishing shots and closing out teams earlier. The SEC is too competitive to leave points on the court on makeable shots.

They continue to look the part of a top-25 team but if they want to make some noise late in the season, the shooting percentage have to improve dramatically. Still the Aggies showed their resiliency holding off a dangerous team for an 81-77 win to close out their time in Las Vegas.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Texas A&M will play Rutgers on Saturday in the Players Era Tournament

Texas A&M will play Rutgers for a chance at another resume-building win on Saturday afternoon

Texas A&M (5-2) earned one of its biggest wins of the year on Wednesday against No. 21 Creighton in the Players Era Tournament, just a day after falling to the Oregon Ducks. Earning a likely second Quad 1 win, head coach Buzz Williams has set the Aggies up well heading into December.

Led by star point guard Wade Taylor IV (18 points), it was the play of Texas A&M’s forward rotation led by Henry Coleman (17 points), Andersson Garcia, and Solomon Washington, who both scored 10 points, including Washington’s late bucket to take the Aggies final lead.

Defensively, the Aggies limited Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner for most of the night, while the Blue Jays relied on most of their offense from beyond the arc. Sitting at 5-2, the Aggies will play their final game of the Players Era Tournament against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon.

Rutgers is also 5-2 after losing to No. 9 Alabama 95-90, but the Scarlight Knights have also lost to Kennesaw State after entering the season ranked No. 24.

Texas A&M will play Rutgers in the 5th place game of the Players Era Tournament at 2:30 p.m. CT. on Saturday. The game will air on truTV.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

Dylan Harper is the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

Dylan Harper looks like a future STAR.

Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper may not go as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he has the most potential of any player on offense.

Harper is currently playing in the Players Era Festival tournament in Las Vegas. During a win against Notre Dame on November 26, he scored 36 points. That was the most by any freshman so far this season and it was a breakout performance for the future pro.

Long considered the top lead guard in this draft class, Harper was named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year. He was honored as the MVP of the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr., the 6-foot-6 freshman is playing very well during his first collegiate campaign.

Harper has struggled to finish in transition but has played with excellent efficiency in a set offense. He looks difficult to stop in pick and roll and isolation and can create his own shot with ease, including this vicious dunk that got his father hyped:

He is averaging 4.2 unassisted field goals per game at the rim, per CBB Analytics. Most impressive: No player in Division I men’s college basketball is recording more unassisted field goals made (6.2) per game.

Next up is Kam Jones, a senior from Marquette projected as a potential first-rounder in our latest NBA mock draft, at 5.5 unassisted field goals per game.

The freshman is unafraid to finish at the rim, which is encouraging from a young guard, and it is working. He is shooting an unprecedented 37-of-47 (78.7 percent) near the rim, and while that is hardly sustainable, it is also a huge part of what makes him so appealing.

He is also doing a fantastic job drawing contact at the basket, via CBB Analytics, drawing 2.7 shooting fouls (the most among freshmen) and converting 0.7 and-one attempts per game. Harper attempted 14 free throws versus Notre Dame, which is excellent.

Harper has displayed fantastic court vision and ball control and he has also maintained a very high assist percentage and a low turnover ratio, which are both encouraging traits as a floor general.

Overall, per Bart Torvik, his points over replacement per game is among the highest on record from a freshman in a high-major conference since 2008.

Even if Duke prospect Cooper Flagg hears his name called first in this class, defense is his primary trait that excites evaluators. But for Harper, any NBA team that is looking to improve their offense will rush to the podium if he is available when they are on the clock.

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Rutgers women’s basketball hosting elite guard Payton Dunbar this weekend

Rutgers women’s basketball is hosting Payton Dunbar this weekend.

Payton Dunbar is on an official visit to Rutgers this weekend, with the Big Ten program hosting one of the nation’s top guard prospects.

A 5-foot-11 guard with off-the-charts athleticism, Dunbar plays for Jefferson Christian Academy (Ripplemead, Virginia). She has been offered by Miami, Michigan, Providence, Syracuse William & Mary, UPenn and Wake Forest among others.

A class of 2025 recruit, she has taken official visits to Wake Forest, Virginia, Michigan and Virginia Tech already.

Dunbar is on an official visit to Rutgers this weekend. She spoke to Rutgers Wire prior to the start of the visit, including about her relationship with assistant coach Jeanine Wasielewski and head coach Coquese Washington.

“I’ve developed a great relationship with coach Jeanine, who would be my position coach, and coach Washington,” Dunbar told Rutgers Wire.

“I chose to schedule a visit with Rutgers because of the relationships I’ve formed and can’t wait to get there.”

On the visit, Dunbar is hoping to make a connection with the staff and see what a possible future in Scarlet might be like.

 

 

“I’m really looking forward to experiencing the team culture and getting to know the players and coaches better,” Dunbar said.

“I’m also excited to see the campus and facilities.”

Dunbar will be making her commitment on July 27.

 

Rutgers basketball recruiting – Deron Rippey Jr. moves up in the national rankings

Deron Rippey Jr. has moved up the national rankings.

Deron Rippey Jr. is seeing his recruitment take off, with the New Jersey class of 2026 prospect shooting up the national rankings. He is one of the top recruitings targets for Rutgers in the 2026 class.

Rippey, who visited Rutgers in February for an 82-52 win over Michigan, is a 6-foot-2 guard from Blair Academy (Blairstown, New Jersey).  A strong summer has translated to a nice rise in the recruiting rankings for one of the top guards in the nation.

The move up the rankings sees Rippey jump from No. 39 in the nation to now being No. 21 in the 247Sports Rankings. He is the top-ranked player in New Jersey

He has an offer list that includes Georgia Tech, Illinois, LSU, Maryland, St. John’s, Providence, Syracuse, TCU, Villanova and West Virginia among others.

In March, Rippey talked with Rutgers Wire about his official visit to the Big Ten program.

“It’s been surprising to see how much coach Pike has been keeping up on my game and my development. I knew that he came to watch some of my games.

“But I didn’t know that he’s been recruiting me for a long time, been watching some of my games and film and that he knew about my development,” Rippey told Rutgers Wire in mid-March.

“And also just the way they play. Coming into the game, I thought it’d be a good rivalry between Rutgers and Michigan.

“Michigan has always been really good, but just seeing how Rutgers – like they took the game seriously and they’re very competitive. It really surprised me. It honestly makes me excited to see how much they’re growing. You know, like Michigan is a major school, just seeing Rutgers be able to overpower (them)…it was just interesting to see how much they’re growing. And even in the next few years like, Dylan (Harper) being committed – just to see the growth is pretty amazing.”

Rutgers currently has a top-10 recruiting class with the five-star duo of freshmen [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] already on campus.

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ESPN ranks Rippey as the No. 40 player in their ESPN 60 rankings.

Rutgers Tyson Acuff expected to miss three months following foot injury (report)

The Scarlet Knights announced that Tyson Acuff fractured his right foot in practice earlier this week.

Rutgers basketball got some worrisome news on Friday as transfer portal addition Tyson Acuff fractured his right foot in practice earlier this week. He is expected to miss three months of basketball activities with Rutgers.

Although Acuff is expected to be ready for the regular season, the injury is less than an ideal start to his Rutgers career.

The former Eastern Michigan Star is coming off the best season of his college career. During the 2023-2024 campaign, he averaged 21.7 points and 2.8 assists per game. Rutgers is hoping that he can build on those numbers.

Over the next few weeks, the focus for Acuff will be putting himself in a position to get back on the court as quickly as possible. This year, Rutgers has higher expectations than ever before due to their freshman class. Their new lineup will include potential stars such as Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, and Lathan Somerville.

Tyson Acuff had a big game today against Cleveland State

31 points
6 rebounds
2 steals
11-17 FG
2-5 3PT

The 6’4 EMU bucket getter has a very solid scoring game… knows how to get to his spots and score at a high level.

He’ll be a pro somewhere pic.twitter.com/fGGP9QCagG

— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) November 19, 2023

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When Acuff is back in the mix, that talented trio will have a veteran piece and proven scorer to rely on. If his rehab goes as expected, the Detroit native should be back in action by November.

What are the details for 4-star Jaylen Harrell and his commitment ceremony?

Jaylen Harrell is set to make his college announcement on Monday.

Jaylen Harrell announced the time and details for his commitment ceremony. With Rutgers basketball in the mix for the four-star forward, this is certainly a ceremony worth monitoring for the Big Ten program.

Harrell is one of the top recruits in the class of 2025. The 6-foot-8 forward from CATS Academy (Boston, Massachusetts) recently announced a top six of   Kansas, Alabama, Providence, Xavier, Rutgers and Virginia Tech.

If is from that top six which Harrell will commit on Monday, July 1.

He is a consensus four-star recruit and the No. 86 overall recruit in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Harrell will air his commitment via the On3 YouTube channel at 7:00 p.m. ET.

He is the top-ranked player in Massachusetts according to 247Sports. He took an official visit to Rutgers in late January.

 

In March, he took official visits to Providence and Xavier.

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Rutgers is coming off a strong class of 2024 that is top-10 in the nation. The incoming class features two recruits who are ranked as five-star players in forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].

Dorian Jones, a 4-star guard, has Rutgers basketball in his final four

Dorian Jones has a final four that includes Rutgers basketball.

Ahead of a commitment next week, Dorian Jones has a final four that includes Rutgers basketball.

Rutgers is one of three Big Ten programs to make the cutdown for Jones, who is one of the top players in the nation in the class of 2025. He is a 6-foot-1 guard from Richmond Heights (Cleveland, Ohio).

The final four from Jones included Michigan, Missouri and Ohio State in addition to Rutgers. He also has a commitment date of July 1.

Rivals ranks Jones as the No. 67 recruit in the nation and the No. 15 shooting guard in his class. He is an explosive athlete on the dribble with the ability to pull up and knock down from range.

Jones is a playmaker with the ball in his hands and can create his own shot, get to the rim or knock down an open three. He is a pest defensively with a high work rate.

His final four was broken by Joe Tipton of On3:

 

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The Rutgers 2024 recruiting class is top 10 nationally and includes five-star forward [autotag]Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey[/autotag] and five-star guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].

Rutgers basketball makes the cutdown for Jaylen Harrell, commitment date approaches

Jaylen Harrell now has a top six that includes Rutgers basketball.

Jaylen Harrell, one of the top recruits in the class of 2025 and a priority recruit for Rutgers basketball, released his top cutdown on Monday.

And that top six from the 6-foot-8 forward from CATS Academy (Boston, Massachusetts) included Rutgers.

With a commitment date coming next week, Harrell has an impressive top six of Kansas, Alabama, Providence, Xavier and Virginia Tech in addition to Rutgers. ESPN ranks Harrell as a four-star and the second-best recruit in Massachusetts in his class as well as the No. 28 small forward in the nation.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Harrell is the top player in Massachusetts and the No. 86 overall recruit in the nation.

The announcement of the top six was made by On3 and analyst Joe Tipton:

 

Via Tipton, Harrell will make his college announcement on July 1.

Harrell took an official visit to Rutgers in January.

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He also held offers from Georgetown, UMass, Wake Forest and Washington among others.