Ex-NBA star Ron Harper’s younger son Dylan Harper made all the right noises when he chose to commit to the Rutgers over offers from 4 more schools. With both his father Ron Sr. and elder brother Ron Jr. playing for the NBA, it is quite evident that basketball runs in Dylan’s DNA.

But his family has overshadowed his talent since Dylan is just starting off and hence not much is known about him. Yet as for basketball pundits, Dylan will be one of the best players in the years to come.

A Look Into Dylan Harper’s life

Harper plays for the Don Bosco Preparatory High School and the AAU for the New York Renaissance. Growing up in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, Harper was guided by his mother Maria Harper who worked in the capacity of both a mother and a basketball coach.

She is a coach at the Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey where Dylan plies his trade right now. Maria has supported Dylan through thick and thin and always got the best out of him. Though she can be a little hard at times, Maria made sure her kids gave basketball their all.

Her dedication can be traced back to when Ron Jr. let Maria know about his dreams of basketball, she started coaching his teams, leaving the DePaul Catholic High School since she had been missing a lot of Ron Jr. games.

Dylan’s bright future can be gauged from the fact that his brother Ron Jr. who plays for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA was considered less skilled when compared to Dylan while growing up. Ron Jr.’s game was particularly more aggressive than that of Dylan. Colorado coach Tad Boyle heaped praises on Dylan for his attentiveness. “He’s also a great listener, and not a lot of young players have that skill. You can tell he’s well-raised.”

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Overall, Dylan averages a whopping 17.7 points in the 52 high school games he has played with 2.4 rebounds per match.

Harper’s playing style

Harper is agile and has long arms that help him trick defenders and reach the rim swiftly. He has been growing off late which has helped him use the ‘bounce and pot’ move quite often against dominant defenders. He is as good at the perimeter as he is near the rim.

He is also efficient defensively which helps him seize steals in the blink of the eyelids. It only demonstrates his willingness in the game. Harper is also competent in passing from behind the back.

The 17-year-old has a fake dunk trick up his sleeves. Harper is also selfless in his game and he doesn’t mind assisting his fellow teammates when the chance comes. He is a formidable force in defense and takes full advantage of his stature, performing unparalleled steals. 

Harper can play both the anchor and second fiddle roles with equal efficacy. He was the primary layup maker during the EYBL with the Rens whereas he donned a supporting role during his time with the USA Basketball U19 team. He had then averaged a respectable 9.3 points and grabbed 4.6 rebounds per game, propelling his team to finish fourth on the ranking. 

Utilizing his height to his advantage, Harper can read ball screens and decimate his rivals when making three-pointers. He had an outstanding 7.1 rebounds per contest during the regular season of the EYBL and proved his mettle as a defender.

Realizing his strong points, Harper has gained immense maturity though he is only a high school player and hence will be a force to reckon with in the coming years.

The 5-star recruit had to choose between his top five colleges namely – Rutgers, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, and Auburn. Harper made his choice to go with the Rutgers in a press conference today.

His elder brother Ron Jr. had also committed to the Scarlet Knights and led them in two NCAA tournaments.

“First off, the No. 1 thing is winning,” Dylan Harper said. “The first goal is obviously a national championship and making sure that me and my teams are prepared for anything.”

During his time at the High School, Dylan played almost every position from coast to coast and provided the impetus to his team for a 26-3 record. He is also ranked second in the 2024 recruits by 247 Sports only behind Cooper Flagg, who committed to the Duke.

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With Dylan in the team, the Rutgers can vouch for making an impact during the next NCAA season.