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“Cooper Flagg’s on an All-Star team”: NCAA analyst reasons why Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper must be considered for #1 draft pick

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are led this 2024-2025 season by two extraordinary freshmen, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Outside of these two, there is no other Rutgers player who averages double digits in scoring. Harper's 23.5 ppg and Bailey's 17.9 ppg are what propelled the team to its 7-4 record thus far despite being in just their first year.

Harper, specifically, runs as the focal point of the Scarlet Knights offense as along with his points average, he is also leading the squad in assists with at least 4.4 a game. With how he has fared in this campaign, many fans and analysts have since called on him to be evenly matched up with Duke's Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 pick in next year's NBA draft.

In an episode of the "DTF Podcast" on Tuesday, college hoops broadcaster John Fanta weighs in on the matter — citing how Harper has had to take on a bigger load as opposed to Flagg.

"Dylan Harper is as good of a shotmaker off the dribble in college basketball right now as there is," Fanta said. "He's doing it on a team that does not have a lot of talent outside of Ace Bailey around him. That Rutgers team does not have much talent beyond those two freshmen.
"Cooper Flagg's on an All-Star team. Duke is a stud team of stars; some of which have played up to the standards, others of which have not. You have to consider Dylan Harper for the No. 1 pick if he continues his scoring and shot-making pace in the rugged Big Ten," he added.

(from 2:55 mark onwards)

While it is up for debate on whether or not there is much more significant talent at Duke than at Rutgers, the stats back Fanta's claim.

The next highest scoring average to Harper and Bailey for the Scarlet Knights is junior Jordan Derkack who posts up 7.6 ppg. For Flagg, meanwhile, he is surrounded by knockdown scorers in Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor who tally 12.2 ppg and 11.7 ppg, respectively.

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It's still early in the season and the performances of both Harper and Flagg may change come conference play. It could be the first and only stint of a more intense style of college basketball for the two projected NBA lottery picks, which could either bolster or weaken their draft stock.

For now, Harper and the Scarlet Knights will gear up to take on the Princeton Tigers on Saturday while Duke and Flagg's next assignment is against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on the same day.

John Fanta says No. 1 NBA draft pick race is tightening up

All the hype heading into the season on who could be the first pick in the 2025 draft was placed on the shoulders of Cooper Flagg. But, with how Harper has performed this year, the narratives may be shifting the race towards a more intense one rather than the huge gap there was previously.

"It was 90-10 for Cooper before the season started. I think it's now 65-35. I really think it's tightening and there's time."

(from 2:42 mark onwards)

One that for certain is that whoever ends up as the No. 1 overall pick next year, both Harper and Flagg are on their way to carving out successful basketball careers post-college.

Who do you think will be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft: Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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