A little further behind in December, Dylan Harper found great form Monday against Columbia. The Rutgers guard led his team to a quiet success (91-64) thanks to a performance full of mastery and talent. After his successes as a scorer during the “Players Era Festival” in Las Vegas – 36 then 37 points – this time he showed off his versatility with a triple-double: 16 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.
Ron Harper's son has silenced questions about his profile, far from being one-dimensional. Very solid defender, the third best NCAA scorer of the season showed his ability to manage tempo and distribution against the zone defense offered by Columbia. Patient and selfless, he only took four shots in the first half for 3 small points, but already had seven rebounds and six assists at halftime.
“ I like doing this kind of thing » reacted Dylan Harper. “ I just try to broaden my range and help my team in whatever way they need it, whether it's grabbing a rebound, making a steal, an assist… If it's not my night, I I'm just going to play without the ball honestly, and help my team win, do actions that allow it. »
The Scarlet Knights widened the gap in the second period, thanks in particular to their star, who did not hesitate to take responsibility. “ I work non-stop on these shots all year round » he insisted. “ Every day I work on these shoots, so it's like second nature. »
In a unique category with De'Aaron Fox
His triple-double is the first by a Rutgers player since 1983 and Roy Hinson, a future solid NBA player in the 80s with the Cavaliers, Sixers and Nets.
“ Being mentioned alongside Roy is something special for Dylan » assured coach Steve Pikiell. “ I loved him grabbing seven rebounds in the first half, we need him to do those things. And he passed the ball superbly well. » « Obviously it's a big accomplishment, but I couldn't have done it without my teammates » Dylan Harper soberly reacted.
His last pass to validate the triple-double found his sidekick Ace Bailey, also expected in the heights of the next Draft and top scorer of the match with 24 units (at 11/18) and 8 rebounds.
“ His performance is historic, so when you receive this pass, you owe it to yourself to finish the action » he smiled. A 35-point outing and a triple-double in the same season, only De'Aaron Fox had signed him during his freshman season in the last 15 seasons in the NCAA first division. Enough to boost Dylan Harper's rating among recruiters, and possibly relaunch the debate on first place between him and Cooper Flagg (Duke).
A rebound at the right time
This gala outing also comes at the right time for the record of Rutgers (8 wins – 5 losses), which has recently been marking time with three defeats in its last five matches, the last at the finish against Princeton on December 21. Setbacks during which Dylan Harper did not show himself in his best light between clumsiness and individualism (6/20 against Texas A&M, three lost balls for two assists against Princeton).
“ Ultimately you can't come back from a loss » he concluded. “ You can make your future better but you can't take back the past. That's the way I see things. I'm not at all worried about our chances at the end of the season. It's December. We're just going to move forward. »
