Is Rutgers' Dylan Harper At the Head of the Big Ten's Best Freshman Class Ever?
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
If there’s a better player than Dylan in college basketball this year I haven’t seen him.
I wont be surprised if Dylan goes #1 based on what we have seen so far. I also won't be surprised if Ace drops down a few spots either.
As discussed probably hundreds of times on this board over the years, college performance and draft slot are somewhat independent as the latter factors in perceived potential. Flagg is absolutely going #1 because of that perceived potential, and Ace will probably not go lower than 3 for the same reason. Many draft experts are saying Dylan has been the best player in college basketball this season while still putting him at 2.
I think the ESPN hype has you thinking this. It depends on the team's need and draft position for a player of Flagg's skill. IMO, Flagg's floor may be higher than either Ace or Dylan, but Ace and Dylan may have a higher ceiling.
If I were a GM and had the #1 pick, I want to draft a foundational franchise piece that I can build around and who can carry my team. Dylan is the guy that meets those qualifications out of the top guys right now. I don’t see Flagg as a franchise building piece, I see a good to great NBA player but I see Dylan as a potential best player in the league, MVP candidate, one day. Flagg and Ace could be that level, but I have to go off of what I see today, and what I see today is that Dylan is The Guy. He already has a ton of skills that will translate to the league. I also didn’t realize his athleticism was this elite. I went into this season thinking Ace’s athleticism would be the story, but Dylan has really impressed with his strength, size, speed and athleticism to consistently get to his spot on the court that he wants (drive to the hoop, pull up in the paint, mid range on baseline, 3 point jumper, ending up on the free throw line as he draws a ton of fouls). Just wait until Dylan improves his jumper when he gets to the league, all of these top NBA guys improve their outside shot after they get to the league and mature in their career. When Dylan is a lights out NBA distance 3 point shooter then it’s good luck to the rest of the league as to how to stop him.
That was a heck of a Villanova team. Brunson was All Everything his last year, and so far, Dylan is having a better year.
