Dylan Harper Injury Update: Rutgers HC gives promising news as star player plays only few minutes due to ankle injury 

Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell gave a promising development on injured star guard Dylan Harper in a post-game press conference on Saturday following the Scarlet Knights' 81-74 defeat against the No. 8 Michigan State.

Pikiell told reporters that Harper would need a little more time to recover from a sprained ankle he sustained against Penn State on Monday. He also said that the guard was determined to play against the Spartans in front of a packed crowd at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

"Dylan Harper did everything possible to try to get back and play in this game," Pikiell said (0:21-onwards). "He did every PT (physical therapy) appointment, rehab and he wanted to go. (I) was proud of him you know to give it a try's he's been gritty and tough for us. He sprained his ankle against Penn State and that's just going to take a little bit more time."

Eventually, Harper got cleared by team physicians and played sparingly. He suited up for 13 minutes and finished with six points and one steal.

The 6-foot-6 son of former NBA great Ron Harper has proven to be an NBA-worthy prospect this season. He has averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Dylan Harper forms a 1-2 punch with fellow freshman Ace Bailey and the duo has produced the bulk of Rutgers' offense this season. Scarlet Knights fans hope Harper can play as soon as possible. They also hope the team will string up crucial wins in the coming weeks to improve their NCAA Tournament chances.

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Rutgers-Michigan State game recap: Scarlet Knights fall to the Spartans amid Derkack's breakout game

Rutgers resumed its downward spiral, losing to Michigan State on Saturday at the Madison Square Garden in New York. The undermanned Scarlet Knights (10-10, 3-6 in Big Ten), who played without key contributors Dylan Harper and Emmanuel Ogbole, showed grit and determination to upset the Spartans (17-2, 8-0) but the Tom Izzo-coached five proved to be too strong for them.

Jordan Derkack, who was initially deemed questionable to play due to a hip injury, suited up and had a breakout game. He finished with 26 points, on 7 of 11 shooting (4 of 7 from the 3-point area), four rebounds, one assist and two steals in 27 minutes off the bench.

Ace Bailey added 18 points, nine rebounds and two steals but he was 4 of 17 from the field due to the tough defense put up by the Spartans against him.

Freshman Jace Richardson shone brightly for Michigan State, finishing with 20 points, four rebounds and one assist. Coen Carr added 14 points and eight rebounds while Jaden Akins contributed 12 despite having a horrible 3 of 15 shooting.

Rutgers hopes to break the two-game skid as it takes on Northwestern (12-7, 3-5) on Wednesday at the Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston.