PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Following his debut last weekend, Rutgers basketball guard Dylan Harper came through in a gritty game, scoring 24 points and keying some big moments in a 75-65 win over St. Peter’s.
The five-star freshman didn’t score his first points until the 14:15 mark of the first half, but Harper is clearly the straw that stirs the drink for Rutgers. And Rutgers is now 2-0 to start the season, having fought off a tough and aggressive St. Peter’s team that made the NCAA Tournament last year.
With Ace Bailey missing his second game of the season, it was Harper’s star power that stepped up for the Scarlet Knights. Early in the second half, he made repeated big shots including the first five points after halftime as Rutgers tied the game.
Harper scored 16 second-half points to fuel the comeback. Rutgers was down 42-37 at halftime but in the second half, the Scarlet Knights turned things up defensively and were more efficient in scoring.
“I mean, I think we have a great offense. We have so many scorers, so many playmakers, people that just get downhill, make plays, stuff like that,” Harper said after the game. “So, I mean, once Ace (Bailey) gets back, the sky’s the limit. But you know for us, it’s more just like repetition, stuff like that in practice. Know this, get familiar with plays all that.”
With 2:03 left in the game, Harper took a feed from Jeremiah Williams and drove to the basket. He took a hard foul and then proceeded to make both free throws to extend Rutgers to a 70-65 lead.
It provided a bit of breathing room as the Scarlet Knights grinded out a perfect start to the young season.
For Harper, it was certainly another building block performance. Fresh off last week’s 20-point performance on 64.3 percent shooting in a win over Wagner, this game represented not only a tougher opponent but also a far more physical game.
Once in the first half and then once in the second half, Harper took hard fouls that sent him to the floor. Each time, he bounced up no worse for the wear.
In crunch time, Rutgers consistently put the ball in Harper’s hands and he rewarded this faith with six points in the final 5:17 of the game.
“What goes through my mind is just making the right play,” Harper said. “Coach Pikiell trusted me to go out there and just be the team leader. The biggest deal for me is making the right play.”
And while there have been parts of his game that are frustrating, such as making just two of his 10 attempts from three-point to start the season, it is clear that he is dynamic and explosive.
With NBA scouts again in attendance on Monday night, Harper did nothing to take away from all the hype around his game.
“I mean, obviously ‘D Harp’ is ‘D Harp.’ He’s a lottery pick for a reason,” P.J. Hayes said after the game. “That kid is one of the best players I’ve ever seen.”
