Dylan Harper new No. 1 in 2024 On3 150 update

On3 updated its 2024 On3 150 on Monday, and Dylan Harper made his debut in the top spot for the recruiting cycle. 

Harper is a 6-foot-5 guard out of Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep. He was previously the No. 2 player in the 2024 On3 150, a position he has held since October for the last three updates.

Harper has held steady behind previous No. 1 ranked Tre Johnson in each of the last three updates. On3 first moved Johnson to No. 1 in our July of 2022 update. On3 was the first to make that move, and the industry soon followed. However, Harper’s performances under the brightest lights this season, paired with his consistent across-the-board production on Nike’s EYBL Circuit this fall, became too hard to ignore. 

The new No. 1 prospect released a top five schools earlier this year. Duke, Rutgers, Kansas, Auburn, and Indiana were the five. Harper has taken official visits to Duke and Indiana. He has been on campus, in an unofficial capacity, to Rutgers numerous times.

Let’s dive into why we made the move to put Dylan Harper as the No. 1 player in the new 2024 On3 150 update.

Harper’s production

Dylan Harper’s production comes from more than just scoring, which he does well. In 23 high school games this season, Harper averaged 23.4 points per game. However, his high-level production comes across all counting stats. 

Currently, Harper places among the top-15 in Nike’s EYBL Circuit across the points, rebounds, and assists categories. His 18.9 points finished No. 9 on the circuit. His 7.1 rebounds were No. 12, and his 5.3 assists were No. 3. He also shot 50.4 percent from the field. 

Harper is comfortable on the ball, creating offense for the team, or off the ball, making plays for himself. What Harper lacks in top-end burst – both laterally and vertically – he more than makes up for with his size and feel.

His versatility to affect a game as a passer, a creator, and a scorer is unparalleled in this class. 

The court vision

This may sound redundant, but Dylan Harper’s feel and his ability to see the floor is an immediate takeaway when watching him play. His reads out of the pick and roll are impressive. He is accurate and capable of dishing out multiple deliveries, from multiple angles, at multiple speeds, and at all levels of the court. 

His ability to touch the paint is unique because he does not have the top-end burst you typically like at the point guard position. However, he has a sturdy handle with a lot of craft that gets him to any spot he wants. And once he gets his defender on his hip, he has the size and balance to keep him in jail while making a play. 

Harper has the touch and feel to deliver on target and on time in traffic. When watching Harper play, I find myself uttering, ‘He always makes the right play,’ quite often.

The Harper bloodlines

When watching a player develop through his high school years, you look for markers or trends within the player’s archetype that can help to look ahead. Dylan Harper is the brother of Ron Harper Jr, who was twice named to All-Big 10 teams at Rutgers and is currently on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors. 

Ron Jr. and Dylan are the sons of five-time NBA Champion Ron Harper. Harper played in the NBA for 15 seasons, where he scored almost 14,000 career points and accumulated just over 1,700 career steals.

Dylan Harper grew up around the game. He has a natural feel that puts him a step ahead of many of his peers.

Dylan Harper, looking ahead

The most valuable evaluation point for Dylan Harper is his feel for the game. That trait spans multiple disciplines, enabling him to be one of the most across-the-board productive players in high school.

While On3 currently has him listed as a combo guard, Harper has primarily played on the ball for both his high school and travel ball teams over the past year. At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, his ability to create opportunities for his team – both self and others – is unique in this class. His play this spring with the New York Rens on Nike’s EYBL Circuit has put him in the conversation – especially now that Elliot Cadeau has classified up to the 2023 class – as the top passer amongst his peers. 

The 2024 class, much like in 2023, is down in top-end talent when compared to previous and future classes. Each player, even among the five-star prospects, has questions. With Harper, it is his burst and explosion. And that is something he will have to continue to address as he moves up each level in his career. 

Harper’s skill set and his size give him a high floor looking ahead. The production, the bloodlines, and the feel make him a unique prospect amongst his peers, and for this, he is worthy of the 2024 On3 150 top honor for this update.