Dylan Harper grew up in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey and attends Don Bosco Preparatory High School.[1] He averaged 15.2 points per game during his sophomore season.[2] Harper was named the Boys Basketball Player of the Year by NJ.com as a junior after averaging 24.9 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game.[3][4]
Harper averaged 22.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while leading the Ironmen to a 29-3 record and a NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship during his senior season.
Harper plays Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the New York Renaissance.[5]
Recruiting
Harper is a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services.[6] He was rated the number one overall recruit for the class of 2024 by ESPN during the summer before the start of his senior year.[7] On December 6, 2023, Harper committed to playing college basketball for Rutgers, his brother‘s alma mater, over offers from Duke, Kansas, Indiana, and Auburn.[8] He is the highest-rated recruit in the program's history.[9]
Harper's father, Ron Harper, played 15 seasons in the NBA and won five NBA championships.[12] His mother, Maria (née Pizarro), is from Bataan, Philippines and played college basketball for New Orleans and is currently an assistant coach at Don Bosco.[13] Harper's older brother, Ron Harper Jr., played college basketball at Rutgers and played in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors.[14]