Dylan Harper at Rutgers is going to be a “blast to watch”, claims college hoops analyst
Dylan Harper is one of the most interesting freshmen in college basketball this season. The five-star recruit is one of the top players in his class and is already assumed to become a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA draft. He is currently following his older brother, Ron Harper Jr's footsteps by playing for Rutgers, where he makes for the most talented group the program has ever had.
With that, former USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year and basketball analyst Robbie Hummel has pointed out Harper’s unique talent and how he can impact the Big 10 conference in the coming season.
"Now it's Dylan's turn at Rutgers and the thing that stands out to me is - I have watched him in high school and throughout the exhibition season - is just the poise that Dylan Harper plays with," Hummel said on Big Ten on NBC Sports. "He's always under control, never gets sped up and with his size at 6’6, him running the point for Steve Pikiell this year is going to be a blast to watch." (01:10)
Robbie Hummel also highlighted Dylan Harper’s ability to score from all areas on the floor and overall personnel at Rutgers, which can complement the lefty guard in the long run.
Alongside college hoops fans and analysts, Harper has also retained the attention of several NBA scouts, who have constantly appeared courtside to witness him play.
In Rutgers' exhibition against St. John's on Oct. 17, nearly 20 NBA scouts were present at the Jersey Mike's Arena, New Brunswick.
Draft analyst suggests the improvements Dylan Harper needs in his game
Just like other top players, Harper still needs to improve his game and give NBA teams what they exactly need. With that, draft analyst Jonathan Givony suggested the possible elements in Harper’s game that can help his position on the draft leaderboard.
"For Dylan Harper, NBA scouts love his feel for the game,” Givony said on NBA Today. “They love the way he competes defensively, and they love his size at the point guard position."
"But as the year moves on we want to learn more about how good of a shooter he is, how good of a finisher he is in traffic, and how he balances being aggressive looking to score while making his teammates better at the same time, which we know he can do," he added. (03:15)
Harper will have plenty of help with him this season, as he is joined by the second-best freshman in the national, Ace Bailey.