Dylan Harper’s recruitment is nearing its conclusion. As with any top prospect, there’s a last minute flurry of action taking place behind the scenes.
Harper is the best guard in the 2024 class and was long-ranked No. 1 overall until Cooper Flagg’s reclassification. He released a top-five in January, which is an eternity ago in the recruiting world. Over the last few months, Auburn and Indiana have fallen out of the picture.
Rutgers has been considered the favorite in this race since early May. The timing coincides with the decommitment of fellow 2024 guard Dellquan Warren. The consensus among various sources is that Warren got wind of a silent commitment from Harper to Rutgers and did not want to play second fiddle to him.
Another rumor that quieted down around that time was that the Harper camp was split on where they wanted Dylan to go. He had one faction pushing him to stay home and play for Rutgers, while the other insisted he go play for Jon Scheyer at Duke. The whispers of a split camp calmed down for a few months…until recently.
Latest Intel
Harper made waves on social media after posting that he was in the market for a commitment edit. Multiple sources indicated September 10 as a key date to watch because of Ron Harper Jr.’s NBA obligations. The expectation was that a commitment would come on or, more likely, before that date. Those same sources say an announcement is on hold because of refueled division in the Harper camp – this time with a new suitor involved.
In recent days, Kansas has made a strong push to get the highly-touted prospect on campus for a visit. Kansas is already hosting Liam McNeeley, Derik Queen and Jalil Bethea this weekend. One source indicated Bill Self is trying to get Harper to join the trio in Lawrence for a massive recruiting haul.
Self is hard to bet against in these situations. He has a knack for swooping in at the last minute and reminding people that Kansas is the premier program in college basketball. Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell is certainly hoping his efforts in this recruitment are enough to seal the deal. Harper’s ties to Rutgers give him a great advantage, but NIL and the national stage are powerful opponents.
Will Harper give Kansas his ear, or will he spurn the blue-blood in favor for his home-state school? Stay tuned to find out!
Follow @trillydonovan on X (Twitter). Stay tuned to burnerball.com to keep up with all things coaching carousel and transfer portal.
