PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men’s basketball program has officially signed and welcomed forward Dylan Grant to the 2023-24 class.

Grant is a 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward from Mississauga, Canada. Grant moved to Warren, Michigan to compete at the high school level. Grant quickly became one of the best players in the state of Michigan at Michigan Collegiate High School and is currently ranked as the No. 1 player in all of Michigan in the class according to On3.com.

“We’re really excited about Dylan Grant officially becoming a Scarlet Knight,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “First and foremost, we are getting a wonderful young man from a great family. He’s an athlete, a rebounder, an inside-outside scorer, and the ultimate defender of all five positions. Rutgers fans are going to love him and most of all they are going to love his energy.” 

Grant competed for “The Family” AAU program just north of Detroit during his high school years. Current Rutgers assistant coach Marlon Williamson used to run the AAU program and has deep connections in the Midwest. Grant is excited to join the Scarlet Knights and has long dreamed of competing in the Big Ten Conference.

Rutgers offered Grant earlier this summer after he officially visited campus August 4th-6th. Grant was joined by his mother Sparkle and his AAU coach James Scott. He enjoyed his visit to the team facility and seeing a practice in person helped him imagine himself as a Scarlet Knight. Grant committed to Rutgers on August 28th. 

“I loved that I got to meet some of the current players,” Grant said. “They all welcomed me, and I was watching practice and everything. It was good to see them get up-and-down, and you kind of see where I would fit in and that. The campus was amazing. I got to see the different places where I'd be able to do my schoolwork as well.”

Being from the country of Canada is something that really means the world to Grant and his roots and basketball abilities afforded him the opportunity to compete for the U-18 Canadian National Team at the FIBA U-18 Americas Championship in Mexico in 2022. 

Grant averaged 4.7 points per game and 3.8 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. Grant helped Canada make it to the semi-finals where they were defeated by Brazil. His best game in the world event came during the third-place game against Argentina where he scored 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field in 14 minutes. 

“Growing up in Canada, I would say basketball is a very local, small-town thing,” Grant said. “I was just grinding there, and I always had these dreams. I've never thought I would end up here at Rutgers, but I am just thankful for all the opportunities that came up to allow me to get connections from Canada over here. Being from Canada means everything to me.”

Grant says his transition to basketball in Michigan really fit his play style. He averaged 18 points per game nine rebounds and two blocks in 2021-22 for Michigan Collegiate High School his sophomore season.  He went on to win the Charter School Conference Regular Season East Championships for the Cougars during his junior season while averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game. 

Grant excelled as a member of “The Family” AAU program and had an outstanding performance at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam for his squad. He averaged 15.0 points per game and 6.6 rebounds in five games against the nation’s top high school talent. 

“There is great competition in Michigan,” Grant said. “I got there, kind of nervous, being not from that country. So, I just got there, got to play at heart, just playing my style, my style of basketball. I just looked and started dominating slowly, and then I just picked it up as I played down there.”

Grant has proven he’s a force to be reckoned with on the boards and in the paint as one of the most athletic players in the Midwest. Grant said he loves the fast-paced offensive style of Coach Pikiell’s Scarlet Knights. When watching Rutgers, he loves how RU gets up and down the floor and shares the ball inside out. He immediately saw his style of play fitting in with the Scarlet Knights

Where does Grant feel most comfortable scoring the rock on the floor?

“I would say the top of the key is my favorite spot on the court,” Grant said. “I can see the whole floor, be able to get down a hill, or shoot from there if they leave me open. I can also drive to the rim from that spot on the court. That's one of my signatures.”

Grant held offers from many top Division 1 programs including Cincinnati, DePaul, Loyola-Chicago, VCU, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and Oakland before ultimately picking RU.

Grant is rated a four-star prospect by ESPN and is 22nd in the nation at his position and 16th in the nation in his region. Rivals ranks Grant as the 129th player in the nation and 34th at the forward position. On3.com ranks Grant as the 145th player in the nation. In all of the rankings, Grant is either the first or second-best player from his high school state of Michigan.

Grant is thrilled to join the Scarlet Knight 2023-24 class that boasts some of the best talent in the nation. 

“It's actually very exciting that we got such a great recruiting class,” Grant said. “It's going to be fun to work with the guys and get better with them to compete. You got a lot coming to New Jersey for next season.”

Grant said he has long looked to NBA superstar Lebron James for inspiration as his favorite player and role model. For Rutgers Nation looking to get to know Dylan Grant off the basketball court, the forward says he loves to cook in the kitchen thanks to help from his mother Sparkle.

“I would say I'm a really good cook, I like to cook, chef it up,” Grant laughed. “So, if anyone wants to try some of my signature meals, you know where to go.”