The Rutgers Scarlet Knights could use a helping hand right now. Despite having the most exciting duo in all of college basketball, they’re just 8-7 for the season and 1-3 in the Big Ten.
Notably, not even Dylan Harper could help them in his latest outing. The projected top NBA Draft pick was erratic in the loss to Wisconsin, and he clearly didn’t look like himself.
Something had to be going on for a player of his caliber to go scoreless. Now, his coach reveals that he’s been battling through severe flu over the past week or so, and he’s still not feeling all that well.
Dylan Harper is struggling with the flu
“He certainly was (struggling with the flu). I’m proud of him, he wanted to go tonight,” coach Steve Pikiell told reporters after the game. “But obviously, that flu has taken a lot of him and we got to get him back to normal. I appreciated his effort trying but he didn’t have what he obviously normally has. So we got to get him healthy, it’s that time of the year.”
Pikiell confirmed the reports that Harper has lost nine pounds with the illness, Needless to say, they will give him as much time as he needs to get back on his feet:
“The flu is bad. He’s been in the middle of it. It’s a bad strand. He hasn’t eaten – that’s what the flu does to you,” Pikiell said. “I appreciate him trying today. Obviously, he wants to be out there for his teammates but he just didn’t have the energy that he usually has. It’s understandable.”
Harper is in danger of missing another game with the flu, and his team will clearly miss him, as he’s averaging a team-best 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for the season.