Five-Star G Dylan Harper lights up Barclays Center for Jordan Brand Classic
As one of the country's prized recruits and the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, Class of 2024 Rutgers signee Dylan Harper is expected to play a vital role in altering the national perception of Rutgers next year.
On Sunday night, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Harper scored a game-best 30 points, en route to MVP Honors of the Jordan Brand Classic. The slick, left-handed Don Bosco Prep guard knifed his way to the lane and finished gracefully. He heated up in the second half.
The 6-foot-5 Harper's 30-spot ranks up there as one of the best in the event's storied history. His total ranks third all-time, behind only Emmitt Williams' 44 points in 2018 and Lebron James' 34 back in 2003, his senior year at St. Vincent St. Mary.
Harper, with his father and former NBA player Ron Harper watching, splashed a straight-away 3-pointer with 4:26 remaining in the second half. Then, with 4:07 remaining, Harper hit a pull-up 3-pointer in transition.
With the crowd revved up and Harper toting the hot hand, the McDonald's All American banked in a stepback three-pointer with 3:49 to go.
Harper had several thorough dashes to the rim in the first half, as he carved his way through the lane in smooth fashion.
During an interview with John Fanta and former Wake Forest star Randolph Childress, Harper said, "Liam to Rutgers."
This, of course, was in jest.
Montverde's 6-foot-8 wing, the sharpshooting Liam McNeely, interviewed beside Harper, is back on the recruiting market. The 2024 five star recruit recently made the decision to decommit from Indiana University. McNeely is hearing from back to back national champions, UConn, heavily. He appears to be a Huskies lean.
The uniqueness of Harper's game is evident in his timely, floor spreading shot-making. He has a proficiency in creating space and scoring on the move, as well as a physical build. He's able to savor hard contact at the rim. This resulted in plenty of traditional 3-point plays at Don Bosco Prep this past season.
Harper has headlined Steve Pikiell's sizzling, nationally lauded 2024 recruiting class, which includes 6-foot-9 Swiss army knife forward Ace Bailey of McEachern High School in Georgia.
Harper's arrival at Rutgers for the 2024-25 season is heavily anticipated. He also has family ties to the University. Harper's older brother, Ron Harper Jr., played for the Scarlet Knights.
Four years ago, Harper Jr. was instrumental in helping the program snap a 30-year NCAA tournament berth drought.
While Harper is most known for his prolific scoring and knack for engineering game-breaking scoring drives, he is also a creative play-maker with a purity of vision and slick, timely reads.
He's able to deliver pinpoint passes and pocket passes and really trigger the souped-up attack with his transition passing. That's an aspect of his game that tends to go undervalued.
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