Rutgers basketball's Dylan Harper pulls off stunning feat not seen in 41 years

12/31/2024 12:01 PM

Rutgers basketball defeated Columbia on Monday, and the team got a marvelous performance from one of its players in that game. Rutgers player Dylan Harper posted a triple-double in the contest for the Scarlet Knights. It was the first time since 1983 that a player did that for the program, per the Associated Press.

Rutgers got the win 91-64, behind Harper’s heroics. The freshman finished the contest with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. The squad is now 8-5 on the year.

Harper tried to remain humble after accomplishing the historic feat.

"Obviously it's a great accomplishment,” Harper said per Asbury Park Press, “but I couldn't have done it without my teammates."

Harper is already well-known among Rutgers basketball fans. He hit a shot that lifted the team earlier in the season, to a win over Seton Hall. In less than a year, it seems that Harper is etching his name in the school record books.

Rutgers has now won three of its last four games, after defeating the Lions.

Rutgers basketball is fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament

The Scarlet Knights have already won some big games this season, including that close victory over Seton Hall. Rutgers basketball also has wins over Penn State and Notre Dame.

The squad must now pick up wins in a tough Big Ten this season, to make March Madness. Rutgers has a daunting schedule upcoming, including meetings with Purdue, UCLA and Indiana.

Rutgers basketball has a dynamic freshmen duo that will need to play well in order for the squad to get wins. Harper is joined on the floor by fellow freshman Ace Bailey. Bailey scored 24 points for Rutgers in the win over Columbia, leading the team. The two players are the two top scorers for Rutgers this season.

Harper is averaging nearly 23 points a game. He also is grabbing more that five rebounds a contest, and dishing out close to five assists. He and Bailey are both contenders this season for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The two certainly don’t play like freshmen.

The last Rutgers basketball player to get a triple-double in a game was Roy Hinson, who went on to the NBA.  Hinson posted a triple-double in a 1983 game for Rutgers basketball against Rhode Island.

"Roy Hinson, not only a great player here and in the NBA, but a great guy, too,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell added. “To be mentioned with him, for Dylan, that's a special thing. I love the fact that he had seven rebounds in the first half. We need him to do those things. And he passed the heck out of the ball."

Rutgers next plays Indiana on Thursday. The squad last made the NCAA tournament in 2022.

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