Big Ten Roundup (Oct. 9): Dylan Harper Planning Official Rutgers Visit, Phoenix Gill Visits Illinois
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Basketball regular seasons at every level — high school, college and NBA — are almost back. However, that doesn't mean that there's ever a time for the recruiting grind to stop.
Coach Steve Pikiell and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have recruited Dylan Harper — the No. 2 overall ranked player in the class of 2024 — about as strongly as any college basketball team ever has. On Saturday, Harper told 247 Sports that he is planning on taking an official visit to Piscataway next weekend.
Everyone talks about Dylan Harper's lineage, being the son of NBA champion Ron Harper, but Phoenix Gill is no slouch in that department either. He is the son of Illinois basketball legend Kendall Gill, and on Thursday, the guard in the class of 2025 posted photos from an official visit he took to Urbana-Champaign.
Here's everything you need to know in today's Big Ten Roundup:
Dylan Harper to Visit Rutgers Soon
Rutgers basketball fans have understandably been clamoring for more and more updates on Harper. For a long time, the 6-foot-6 guard from Don Bosco Prep was the No. 1 high school basketball player in the class of 2024 (he's No. 2 now thanks to the re-classification of one Cooper Flagg). And surprising as it sounds, Pikiell's Scarlet Knights have long been the frontrunner to land him.
Well Rutgers' fans wishes were fulfilled on Satuday, as Travis Branham of 247 Sports published a story in which he spoke with Harper, who said that he plans on visiting Piscataway next week for the football game against Michigan State.
“I think after this weekend, next weekend I will take an official to Rutgers with Ace [Bailey] and them,” Harper said to Branham in the story. “I think that will be fun. As of right now that is the only one I have set up because I haven’t taken an official there.”
Harper has taken official visits to Duke and Indiana so far. His top five for his college decision also includes Auburn and Kansas.
The player Harper referenced in the above quote — Ace Bailey — is the No. 3 overall ranked high school basketball player in the class of 2024 by 247 Sports. Bailey has already committed to coach Pikiell and Rutgers, and a future commitment from Harper would establish the Scarlet Knights as having one of the best recruiting classes in the entire country.
“Really, I think for me all five schools are still contenders," Harper said. "But for me, I am really making sure that whatever school I pick is for me and not for anyone else. It’s my decision at the end of the day.”
In 22 games for New York Renaissance during 2023 Nike EYBL play, Harper averaged 19.5 points, 4.9 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game, according to a source with access to EYBL statistical data. He also shot 34.3% from three during that stretch on 4.5 attempts per game.
Phoenix Gill, Son of Kendall Gill, Takes Illinois Visit
Kendall Gill left Urbana-Champaign in 1990 as an iconic member of the Illinois "Flyin' Illini" team. Thirty-three years later, he returned to campus with his son, Phoenix, who is a three-star guard in the class of 2025, and took an official visit to Illinois this past week.
Coach Brad Underwood and the Illinois Fighting Illini have three commits in the class of 2024 in Morez Johnson, Jason Jakstys and Jase Butler. However, Underwood and Co. do not have a commit in the class of 2025.
Phoenix is a 6-foot-2 guard who plays for St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, Ill. He's currently ranked as the third-best player in the class of 2025 in the state of Illinois, according to 247 Sports. Phoenix also took a visit to Northwestern this past week, as his mother attended the Big Ten school out in Evanston.
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- NEBRASKA 20, ILLINOIS 7: Coach Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers advanced to 3-0 on Friday night in a 20-7 win over coach Bret Bielema and the Illinois Fighting Illini. CLICK HERE
