NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pros and cons of 5-star Dylan Harper’s top 5 teams

Duke Blue Devils

Pros

There are a ton of reasons why a top prospect would want to play for Duke. It’s an easy advertisement for a player in their likely lone year with the program in front of millions on television. The program is a Final Four contender every year and Harper wouldn’t have to worry about being the primary focus on opposing scouting since there are other five-star players to deal with at Duke.

The addition of Cooper Flagg also can make life easier for Harper. Assuming the star forward is as good as believed, he’ll be the focal point next season. So the guard will be able to avoid doubles and other negatives of being the top guy on not-as-talented programs.

Cons

On the other hand, a case can be made that Flagg will get most of the attention at Duke next season. That could come to the detriment of someone like Harper, no matter how good he is. Another thing is that like Auburn, the entire backcourt could come back for another year. There’s also Caleb Foster and Jared McCain likely coming back, along with five-star commits such as Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel joining the fold.

Then there’s Coach Jon Scheyer, who is starting his second year. It’s still not a guarantee that he’s a great x’s and o’s guy that can lead Duke to a Final Four or develop players for the next level. There are some safer coaches among the options for Harper in that category.