One of the top prospects in the class of 2024, Dylan Harper cut his massive offer list down to include just five schools on Tuesday. Kansas, Duke, Auburn, Indiana and Rutgers are the schools still alive to land the five-star guard, and the battle to secure his letter of intent should be a contested one.
“I want to say thank you to all the coaches who recruited me,” Harper said in a statement. “I wish them, their players and programs continued success. This process has been a dream come true.”
Below, Harper breaks down each of his finalists, and Rivals has a look at which school may lead the way.
On Auburn: "(Auburn) Made the list because they have had numerous players in the first or second round of the draft. Coach Pearl has a track record of producing pros.”
On Duke: "When you hear about Duke you hear about 'Brotherhood'. When I went on my visit, Coach Scheyer showed me what the Brotherhood truly meant. Cameron is a fantastic environment.”
On Indiana: "Indiana made it because Mike Woodson played and coached in the NBA. He told me that they run an NBA play-style that would fit me perfectly.”
On Kansas: "They’re a winning program and when you turn on March Madness coach Self’s team is always a top contender. That's a program I am interested in."
On Rutgers: "Obviously I have been there a lot of times with my brother (Ron Harper Jr.) but they really show me they're recruiting me for me. They play defense, they play hard, they win big games. Coach Pikiell (and staff) has turned the program around. It is a great environment to play in."
RIVALS REACTION: Rutgers and Duke have long felt like Harper’s most likely landing places based on relationships and past visits. That said, it’s impossible to cast the other three finalists aside completely. Harper took an official visit to Indiana in November, toured Duke in October and is as familiar with the Rutgers program as any prospect in America due to his brother staring at the university.. The picture of Harper’s recruitment will clear even more in the coming month or so, as additional visits are scheduled and a pecking order within the top five continues to take shape. Still, the Blue Devils and Scarlet Knights still feel like the teams to watch at this juncture.
