Insider Sees Three-Team Battle for Duke Basketball Recruiting Target

Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) junior combo guard Dylan Harper probably won't announce a winner in his recruitment until sometime after Peach Jam in July. But that's only two months away. And the Duke basketball program remains in contention along with the four other finalists he named in late January: Auburn, Indiana, Kansas, and Rutgers.

Until recently, despite his five-deep list, it seemed like a two-horse race between Duke and home-state favorite Rutgers, where his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., played four seasons before earning a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors last summer.

Now, though, after interviewing Dylan Harper this week, Rivals' Rob Cassidy noted that he believes Indiana also has a legit shot to come out on top:

"Kansas and Auburn feel like the teams on the outside looking into a Duke-Rutgers-Indiana battle as things stand, but that could all change if Harper decides to take additional visits this summer or in the early fall. If the Scarlet Knights are able to stand toe-to-toe with Indiana and Duke from an NIL standpoint, Steve Pikiell's team feels like the smart bet. If not, things will open up a bit, as the Hoosiers and Blue Devils are clearly very real players to land Harper's pledge."

Harper is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound five-star whose crafty skills have stood out this year, leading to his recent jump to No. 2 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite.

Dylan Harper is the #1 RANKED PG in the nation for a reason 🗣 @dy1anharper @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/Ysogb1IQ09
— Overtime (@overtime) May 16, 2023

As the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, there's no doubt his family knows what it takes to reach the sport's highest level. On that note, according to his chat with Cassidy, one thing he likes about Indiana is head coach Mike Woodson's decades of experience in the NBA.

"Mike Woodson is an NBA coach with a great background," Harper said about the 65-year-old, entering his third season at the helm in Bloomington. "He knows how to give people the ball and let them go. That's what I love about them. They have an NBA play style."

Meanwhile, it sounds like he appreciates the consistent attention and feedback he's been getting from Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his assistants.

"Jon Scheyer is always texting me or aligning with me to check how I'm doing and all that," Harper explained to Cassidy. "We talk a lot about what I can improve or about my game after they watch my games. They help me know what to do and what not to do."

As for Rutgers, its advantage in the Dylan Harper sweepstakes may center on his close friend, five-star 2024 small forward Airious "Ace" Bailey, who ranks No. 6 in the class and committed to the Scarlet Knights in January.

"Ace has it all," Harper told Cassidy. "Ace can put it on the floor, score the ball, get to the rim, and do it all...That's my guy. He texts me every day."

Considering all the above, while the lone 247Sports Crystal Ball pick for Harper predicts the Duke basketball program to emerge victorious, the competition is stiff.

The Blue Devils boast two commits on the 2024 trail: North Meck (N.C.) five-star small forward Isaiah Evans and Paul VI Catholic (Va.) four-star small forward Darren Harris.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.

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