There have been a number of firsts at Rutgers since the hiring of Steve Pikiell seven seasons ago.
First NCAA Tournament bid in 31 years. First NCAA Tournament win since 1983. First time Rutgers has reached the postseason three seasons in a row.
This, it can be argued, is his greatest accomplishment at the Big Ten school: A top-three recruiting class.
With the commitment of five-star guard Dylan Harper on Wednesday afternoon, the Scarlet Knights now have two of the top three ranked players in the country for next year, according to 247Sports.com, with Harper (No. 2) and Ace Bailey (No. 3), a 6-foot-8 freak athlete from Chattanooga, Tenn.
Piscataway, N.J., will be a popular spot for NBA scouts and media members.
Next year, Rutgers will be a national program.
“It’s a pretty remarkable class they’ve put together,” said Travis Branham, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports.com. “Obviously getting one of the best players in the country in Dylan Harper and getting absolutely one of the best long-term prospects in all of high school in Ace Bailey. … It’s one of those classes, the stars kind of aligned [for them].”
The two coveted recruits are the highest-rated prospects to pick Rutgers in program history.
They are joined by three-star, top-200 recruits Lathan Sommerville, Bryce Dortch and Dylan Grant in a blockbuster class.
Bailey and Harper both likely will be selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game. The last Rutgers recruit to do so was Mike Rosario in 2008.
The 6-4 Harper, the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, chose Rutgers over a who’s who of elite suitors, from Duke to Kansas and Indiana to Auburn.
The school, through booster and sneaker company connections, was able to field a competitive Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) number, although it is believed Harper could’ve landed more money at one of the aforementioned programs.
Harper, a star at Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), opted to stay close to home and play for the same school as his older brother, Ron Harper Jr. (2018-22).
Pikiell and his coaching staff went everywhere to watch the younger Harper, even going to Hungary to see him play in the FIBA U19 World Cup. There was already a connection between the family and Rutgers.
The Bailey commitment, which initially happened last January, was more of a surprise. He wasn’t from this area. He had similar top schools after him.
A few factors worked in Rutgers’ favor. For one, his close friend, JaMichael Davis, is currently a freshman at the school. Associate head coach Brandin Knight was very close to the family.
“In recruiting, you have to play the cards you’re dealt,” Branham said. “Being a team like Rutgers, being dealt cards in which your capability of getting the No. 2 and No. 3 players in the country, never comes along and it did. So credit to them for frankly making the most out of this opportunity and sealing the deal with both of them.”
An NBA scout, speaking on condition of anonymity, considers Bailey more likely to be a one-and-done lottery pick than Harper, although both are projected by many experts as having that possibility.
“Ace is the much more intriguing prospect due to his physical and athletic tools along with budding skill and defensive potential,” the scout said.
As for Harper, the scout said he has improved as a facilitator and has a high basketball IQ. He makes others around him better, but still needs to work on his jump shot and defense.
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