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Duke basketball's Cooper Flagg was the preseason hype magnet in college basketball, and for good reason. The 17-year-old's hoops IQ is well above most players his age on both ends of the floor, but Rutgers basketball superstar Dylan Harper is quickly showing why he should be mentioned in the same breath.
Flagg still has the edge because of his defensive prowess, but Harper's scoring and playmaking have been other-worldly, via USA Today's Mike D. Sykes II.
“He’s the only freshman in the last 20 years of NCAA men’s hoops to score 35 points in consecutive games after scoring 37 and 36 in the Player’s Era tournament.
He’s third in the nation in scoring as a freshman.
He’s also averaging 5.8 assists to only 1.8 turnovers in his last five games,” Sykes said.
“As a 6-foot-6 guard with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and an elite creator, he’s the exact sort of player NBA teams are looking to build through.”
Flagg has been less prolific offensively, averaging 15.9 points per game on 44.4% shooting and 4.1 assists, including 26 and 24-point outings against No. 19 Kentucky and No. 17 Arizona, respectively.
Although it's early, it'll be hard to keep Harper out of the top spot in the 2025 NBA Draft if he improves defensively while maintaining this hot streak.
Dylan Harper is a Swiss army knife offensively
Harper's best trait thus far has been his scoring ability by a wide margin, as he's averaging 24.6 points per game on 55% shooting heading into the Scarlet Knights' bout with No. 20 Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon. However, the New Jersey native could surpass Flagg if he continues to shine as a playmaker as well, via Locked On NBA Big Board's James Barlowe.
“Yes, I think there is a chance. Not because Cooper Flagg isn't nice…[But] Dylan Harper does so many things…You're talking about 6-foot-6, 215 [pounds] depending on what he ate the day before…” Barlowe said. “I think he's a great athlete, without dunking the basketball you can be a great athlete. Body control, we saw him split that pick-and-roll and dunk. Even then, he has plays where he can maintain his elevation…he's cold.”
Unlike Flagg, Harper also has the advantage of playing alongside fellow star freshman Ace Bailey, who is possibly the third-best prospect in the upcoming draft class.
“On top of that, I think that with Ace Bailey back he's learning how to balance scoring and the playmaking, so you get 36 points and the six assists? Yeah, I think he can legit challenge…It's clearly a two-man race for the top two prospects in the draft.”
There's no telling where Flagg or Harper will end up in the NBA's all-time rankings, as both players are still in their early stages. As of right now, though, Harper is outproducing the Blue Devils' star statistically and should be considered the best prospect in the country until further notice.
