It’s the year of the silent strikers. In case you missed it, NBA legend Ron Harper’s second youngest son is among the top five prospects in the 2025 NBA draft. His college debut grabbed immense attention after he chose Rutgers despite having offers from Kansas, Duke, Indiana, and more. However, another freshman who is giving him some tough competition in the NCAA already is Cooper Flagg. Hence, an ex-NBA player has one doubt regarding Harper’s NBA draft prospects. While he has a lot of appreciation for the 18-year-old, the former star has predicted a potential challenge ahead.

Jeff Teague, on his podcast Club 520, had nothing but praise for Harper’s son Dylan. Like many watching the Rutgers star take the world by storm, he even wants to see the basketball player drafted as the first pick. However, he believes that Dylan might face a challenge against Cooper Flagg, who is projected as the first pick and equally talented. As per ESPN and The Athletic, Dylan is ranked just behind Flagg and Ace Bailey.

“I could honestly see him (Dylan Harper) being the No. 1 pick, I mean you’re not going No. 1 cause of Cooper Flagg because of everything that come with him. Just being honest, he a great white hope. Athletic white dude like that got potential to be a star,” Teague said on the podcast.

Ranked fourth in the ESPN 100, Harper has shown his best while playing in the Nike Hoop Summit, Jordan Brand Classic, and McDonald’s All-American Game. Both Harper and Flagg have a tough competition, Ace Bailey, who is ranked No. 2 in the same list.

It’s important to note why the expectations are high for the No. 1 ranked player in the ESPN 100, who just might be “the great white hope” as Teague puts it. An excellent 3-point shooter and brilliant defender, Flagg even had the opportunity to practice with Team USA before the Paris Olympics as a Select Team member.

While the WSMBNT got the better of the young opponents, NBA stars from LeBron to Kevin Durant have plauded the new face with the Lakers star announcing him as the “Big time player for Team USA down the road.” In fact, many gurus of the league are already comparing him to the likes of The King himself.

As for his opponent, having grown up in a basketball family with both parents guiding him in the game, it wasn’t surprising to see Dylan showcase an impressive performance in April.

Dylan Harper chosen in the Bob Cousy Award top-20 watchlist

The 18-year-old’s ball-handling abilities have been exceptional and praised by the veterans. Named the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game, Dylan played for Don Bosco Prep before joining the Scarlet Knights. Averaging 17.7 points in the 52 high school games he played, Dylan showed a phenomenal game. While representing the USA Basketball U19 team, he averaged 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds.

None of these achievements went unnoticed. He was named to the Bob Cousy Award Top-20 Watchlist by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Named after the legendary former Boston Celtic point guard, the award shines a spotlight on some of the top point guards in college basketball.

“It’s an exciting year ahead. All 15 of us at Rutgers can play and we are excited to show what we can do. We all come out each day with the same common goal and look forward to contributing,” Harper said to local media.

All three of these stars are well deserving of their rankings, but the question raised by Teague will also bother the fandom. Is it too soon to name a player for the top pick? Or is Cooper Flagg really showing all the signs of greatness already? Only time will tell.