"Nah Harden different nobody like him": Fans dismantle Dylan Harper comparisons to James Harden and Cade Cunningham

Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper is setting himself in the race to be the best college player and a contender for the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft. On Monday, Harper recorded his first triple-double in a 91-64 win over Columbia.

The guard put up 16 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals, becoming the first Scarlet Knight with a triple-double since Roy Hinson in 1983. Harper has been compared to many NBA stars, and his play has drawn comparisons with the LA Clippers' James Harden and the Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham.

Ballislife shared a post on Instagram on Tuesday of fans comparing Harper to the players with the caption:

"Who do you think @dylharpp plays like?? 👀👀"

Most fans in the comments section disagreed with the James Harden take, while some agreed with Harper's comparisons with Cunningham.

"Nah harden different nobody like him😂," one fan wrote.

"He don't got the footwork to be harden yet. So I'll deff say Cade," another commented.

"lol every lefty isn’t Harden and the kid looks like Cade but that’s about it 🤣😆," one fan wrote.

Here are a few more fan reactions.

Fan reactions to Dylan Harper's comparison with Harden and Cunningham (Credits: Instagram/@ballislife)

---

Dylan Harper credits his team for his record-setting performance

Dylan Harper was one of the top prospects of the 2024 class and is living up to the expectations with his play at Rutgers. Despite his efforts, the guard credited his teammates for his triple-double record on Monday.

"Obviously, it's a great accomplishment, but, I mean, I couldn't have done any of that without my teammates," Harper said. "I mean, guys like Jamichael Davis, Ace Bailey, the rest of the team just really put me in great positions. They got open for me to find them and for them to score.

"But the most important thing is that we won today, and that's what we did. You know, we prepared great, we just did all the right things, and that's what happened today."

Harper is fourth-best nationally in scoring with 22.8 points per game. He also has 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest. The freshman guard is efficient making 52.5% of his shots, including 37.3% from 3-point range.

Rutgers and Harper will be hoping to continue with Sunday's win as they return to action on Thursday against the Indiana Hoosiers.