Dylan Harper remains No. 1 in the updated 2024 On3 150

On3 updated its 2024 On3 150 on Monday, and Dylan Harper held serve in the top spot for this recruiting cycle. 

Harper is a 6-foot-6 guard out of Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep. After being No. 2 in the previous three rankings updates, he debuted as the No. 1 player in the 2024 On3 150 during the last update in June. 

On3 first moved Harper to the No. 2 spot in our October update, where he stayed until his play earned the bump to No. 1. Harper’s consistent production under the bright lights of Nike’s EYBL Circuit and USA Basketball kept him on top. 

Harper released his top five schools earlier this year. Duke, Indiana, Auburn, Rutgers, and Kansas are the schools who made the cut. As of this writing, he has not issued a commitment date.

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

Harper’s production

Dylan Harper finished second in scoring during NIke’s Peach Jam. He averaged 21.2 points during the week while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three. He led his team to the Final Four of the event.

Sure, he is able to ball the ball in the basket, but his production comes from more than simply scoring. It is the feel he has for the game that really takes his production to a different level. During the Nike EYBL Circuit regular season, Harper finished top ten in points (18.9, 8th) and assists (5.3, 3rd) while finishing top 15 in rebounds (7.1, 12th).

What makes Harper’s Peach Jam numbers even more impressive is that he had just gotten off a plane to do so. The five-star spent the majority of June with the USA Basketball U19 team. First during the training camp portion and then with the actual team, competing in the FIBA World Championships in Hungary. 

On that Sunday, Harper competed in the third-place game, where he scored 15 points and had 4 rebounds. He then hopped on a plane to Augusta, Georgia, and started Peach Jam that Tuesday, where he produced the numbers he did. 

Harper’s processing

This goes along with the feel that Harper has for the game. His court vision and court awareness are among the top players in the country. While he is listed at 6-foot-6 and over 200 pounds, a big body for a guard, he is at his best with the ball in his hands. 

In a vacuum, Harper does not have the explosive athletic traits that get him from point A to point B. However, his feel and his understanding of pace and balance get him past his primary defenders and into the teeth of the defense. 

His ability to make a play once he is engaged by the second and third defenders is among the best in his class. Harper’s vision is excellent. He is able to make all the passes, with both hands, off a live dribble, at numerous angles. He has excellent touch and does not get rushed, which allows him to deliver plays on target and on time. 

Harper finished Nike’s EYBL Circuit regular season third in assists with 5.3 per game. He also led the USA U19 Basketball team in assists at 3.0 per game this summer. 

However, Harper’s processing is more than just the passing. It is his ability to get to his spots on the court. His understanding of angles and his using the threat of him knocking down shots from various angles when he is in the paint.  He understands team defense, and while he might not be the fastest on the court, he has good footwork to stay with his man on that end. 

His basketball IQ, natural feel, and his processing ability continued to impress throughout the summer. 

Harper’s 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 spent last season 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 is the trait you look to translating as he moves from level to level. While feel is an obtuse descriptor and is a trait that spans multiple disciplines, it is the trait that enables Harper to be one of the most productive players across-the-board in high school.

While On3 currently has him listed as a combo guard, Harper has primarily played on the ball for his high school, travel ball, and USA Basketball 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. 

Harper has also continued his production, at his own pace, across the biggest stages he has played on. Routinely putting up numbers and playing effectively against his peers, both domestically and internationally.

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. Players up top, like Ace Bailey, will continue developing their consistency. There will also be other players who join Jayden Quaintance and re-classify into the class. The conversation at the top of this cycle will continue, and at the end of the cycle, may not look the same as it does today.

His play this summer on Nike’s EYBL Circuit and with USA Basketball 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. 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.