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Rutgers men's basketball team has had a resurgence in recent years, but the best may still be to come. Just last week, the Scarlet Knights landed a commitment from Dylan Harper, a star
at Don Bosco Prep in Bergen County, who is ranked as the number two player in the nation in this year's senior class. Harper will join Ace Bailey, another of the nation's top high
school players at Rutgers next year, giving coach Steve Pikiell arguably the best recruiting class in college basketball. But as Ted Goldberg reports, this is a family affair for Dylan
Harper. Number two, Dylan Harper. Dylan Harper has the size and skill to be New Jersey's biggest recruit in high school basketball. He also has the bloodlines. His mother, Maria, played
Division one at the University of New Orleans, and his father, Ron, played 15 years in the NBA and won five championships. For me, it's just like growing up in that type of
environment, like wanting to do what they did. The kids were always in the gym, being in the environment they naturally just gravitated to picking up the ball and playing. We always had a
basketball in his hand and we had a basketball to run away to. So it was kind of a time where we kind of knew that he was going to try to play basketball. We just encouraged him if he wanted
to play basketball, to go out and play and learn how to play and to have fun. But it wasn't always fun. No one took it easy on me. It was more like getting me tougher, like I got to
compete. So he did grow up getting pushed around a little bit, and he finally started to earn those wins and getting some confidence. And he always reminds his brother of that. My dad and my
mom used to always tell me to let them win, and I always tell them I'll never let Dylan win anything because it builds character. And I stand by that. Dylan's brother, Ron Junior,
was also a standout at Don Bosco Prep before becoming an All-American at Rutgers and signing an NBA contract with the Toronto Raptors. He takes a little credit for helping Dylan become the
most sought after recruit in the Garden State and one of the top recruits in the nation. He gets into this mode sometimes his killer instinct, you know, I feel like I saw that since he was a
kid or, you know, he used to get real mad. Real intense, try to beat me. And, you know, he's a competitive kid, man. I remember back in the day, me and him, you argue every time we
played basketball and it's just me and my just so naturally competitive with each other. You know, we're still like that to this day. Competition at home was definitely fierce.
There's not a win that you got that you didn't earn. When I was coaching Dylan. At a younger age, I was definitely on the fiery side, but I've calmed down a bit. Maria still
coaches Dylan as an assistant for Don Bosco, and she's helped her son earn offers from schools like Duke and Kansas. Last week, Dylan announced that he would turn down those blue bloods
in favor of Scarlet. Even he admits, Rutgers was an unusual choice. No one like a quote unquote, like top five recruit would stay home usually. But I just like chose to stay home and play
in front of my family. Choosing a different path besides, like the blue Bloods stuff, I then just make my own way. So why Rutgers? Dylan says it was because of his relationship with head
coach Steve Pikiell and how he's transformed the program since taking over seven years ago. He didn't have the best recruits like the guys recruits out there, like you'll get
into the tournament, or at least on the bubble every year. Each of the Harpers say they didn't push Dylan to Rutgers, but they're thrilled with his choice. It's really an
amazing place with great people and a great staff, and that's what it's really about. For me, the basketball takes care of itself. It's about the people I trust with my
children. The family atmosphere. And I've known Coach Pike, Coach B Knight, Coach Thompson for the longest. So just knowing that, like they're going to do whatever they got to do
to help me get to the next level, ultimately. Very excited that he stayed close to home. Everybody get a chance to see him play. He has a lot of fans in the state of New Jersey. I'm
excited, but I try to make and let him make his own decision. I think he made the right one. Dylan is part of the best recruiting class Rutgers has put together. Many of that thanks goes to
his family who won't have to drive far to support him next year. In Ramsey, I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.