Ranking the Contenders: Five-star guard Dylan Harper
Dylan Harper is one of the few prospects in the thick of the race for the top spot in the class of 2024 Rivals rankings. He’s also one of the most intriguing uncommitted prospects of any age. He may be off the board soon, however, as the five-star guard has been mulling over his list of five finalists since he narrowed his focus in January.
With Harper’s decision inching closer by the day, Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy ranks the contenders to land his pledge.
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MORE: Five 2024 prospects on the rise
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RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights are the presumed leader in the clubhouse for the time being. The NIL money will need to be right, however. If it is, Rutgers may be hard to beat. If it isn't, things will open up a bit. Most things - aside from the cash - point toward Steve Pikiell’s program. Pikiell developed Harper’s older brother, Ron Harper Jr., into a certified star at the school, and the fact that fellow 2024 guard Dellquan Warren recently backed off his pledge to Rutgers to seek a new home may, in fact, suggest that he thinks Harper will land in Piscataway for college. The warning signs are present and the strong relationships are in place, so Scarlet Knight fans should feel cautiously optimistic … if the dollars make sense. If Harper chooses Rutgers, it will be because of his family’s unwavering trust in Pikiell and his staff.
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INDIANA
Indiana has been on a recruiting roll lately, and Harper has definitely noticed. He had high praise for Mike Woodson's ability to develop NBA talent in the wake of five-star forward Mackenzie Mgbako saying the Hoosier head coach puts Mgbako in the best position to succeed long term. Harper has already been on campus in Bloomington and has longstanding relationships with both Woodson and assistant Yasir Rosemond. Indiana isn’t the favorite to land Harper as things stand but it seems to have improved its standing in recent months.
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DUKE
The third and final school that seems to have a realistic chance of landing the five-star guard, Duke, shouldn’t be counted out of any recruiting battle, including this one. Harper took an official visit to Durham back in October and it once seemed as though the Blue Devils led his recruitment. As of now the program is still a serious player, as there seems to be little to separate between the three schools at the top. Harper will be monitoring the draft positions of Duke freshmen Dariq Whitehead and Derek Lively, each of whom declared for the draft following less-than-dominant freshmen campaigns.
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KANSAS
Kansas has work to do if it hopes to land Harper, as the Jayhawks feel like they are squarely on the outside looking in for the time being. The five-star guard has never been to Lawrence and there has been minimal buzz about a future visit. Harper’s interest was piqued by the Jayhawks' perennial success, but there doesn’t seem to be much smoke around his relationships with the staff. If KU truly gets involved here it will be because of a late charge that has yet to begin.
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AUBURN
Auburn has an uphill battle on its hands, but it’s probably not wise to cast Bruce Pearl aside completely. Harper likes Pearl’s ability to produce pros, but the Tigers can’t be taken too seriously as a threat unless an official visit takes place. The fact that Pearl already holds a commitment from lead guard Tahaad Pettiford, who thrives with the ball in his hands, probably works against Auburn in this battle. Stranger things have happened, sure, but the Tigers landing Harper would shock everyone.