When it comes to college basketball, the hottest name in town is Duke Blue Devils star freshman Cooper Flagg, who has opened the season strong and is the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
But, right next to him is fellow five-star freshman Dylan Harper, who has immediately sprung on the scene for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights after being the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2024 class.
Harper, a native of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, elected to stay with the hometown team, committing to Rutgers and attracting fellow five-star freshman Ace Bailey, who was the No. 2 overall recruit in the cycle.
Bailey caught headlines early on with a 25-point performance in an exhibition game against St. John’s, but the 6’9” wing missed the first two games of the season, paving the way for Harper to take advantage of the spotlight early for Rutgers.
And the 6’3”, 215-pound point guard did exactly that. Harper opened his college career with three consecutive 20-point outings, shooting 57.5 percent from the field and dishing out 3.7 assists per contest over Rutgers’ first three wins.
With Bailey back in the fold, the two stars have found a way to coexist well, as Harper hasn’t let his foot off the gas, leading up to Tuesday’s thriller in the Players Era Tournament, featuring Rutgers, Notre Dame, Alabama and Houston.
Facing a feisty Fighting Irish team, it was the Harper show for the Scarlet Knights on Tuesday, as the point guard exploded for 36 points on 12 of 22 shooting, marking the most that any freshman has scored in a single game this year.
It was a dominant performance from the freshman, as Harper got to the free throw line 14 times, navigating his way smoothly inside the arc, leading to a highly efficient performance. The five-star filled up the stat sheet, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists, while turning the ball over just once and was a calm presence in Rutgers’s backcourt.
With Bailey struggling with his shot, hitting just 4 of 12 of his attempts, Harper took over in the 85-84 overtime victory, scoring eight of Rutgers’s 16 points in overtime, including the game-winning free throw as he got to the line with 11 seconds remaining to seal the deal.
It was a memorable moment, as the New Jersey native found a way to shine in his biggest test yet with the bright lights on and the game on the line. To make matters even more special, Harper had the performance in front of his father, Ron Harper Sr., who relished the moment courtside.
“When the stage gets bigger, you’re going to see a bigger performance out of him,” said his father Ron Harper Sr, via nj.com. “I already know it because he was raised to be that way. He was raised with an older brother who can play. His old man won those championships. Now it’s all about him.”
If you thought that was it from the talented freshman, think again. Because Harper found a way to make winning play after winning play in another tightrope game, as Rutgers took on Alabama on Day 2 of the in-season tournament, finding a way to shine under the bright lights yet again in an even bigger test.
Facing the high-octane Crimson Tide offense, Harper was the spark that led the way once again for the Scarlet Knights, who fell just short in a 95-90 loss that went down to the final seconds.
In Wednesday’s game, Harper went off for 37 points, topping the freshman season record that he set the night before, while shooting 11 of 19 from the field and making quality shot after quality shot at the rim in the second half.
Once again, the point guard feasted at the free throw line, shooting 15 of 16 at the charity stripe, and was in attack mode all night long en route to a major scoring performance, getting help from his five-star counterpart Ace Bailey, who poured in 22 points on 9 of 18 from the field.
It wasn’t enough to combat Alabama’s offense, as the Crimson Tide shot 51.7 percent from the field and had a significant advantage from three.
But, Harper looks the part of an NBA guard seven games into his college career, finding a way to be incredibly efficient at the rim, while showing the qualities of a point guard by getting teammates involved and limiting turnovers.
If Rutgers is to make some noise this season, Harper will undoubtedly be one of the leaders of that charge, and it was a memorable two-day period for the five-star freshman here at the Players Era Festival.