Rutgers star Ace Bailey boosts NBA draft stock with historic Trae Young feat
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2024-25 has been a disappointing season for Rutgers basketball. Outside of its two stars, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, Steve Pikiell’s team hasn’t found consistent contributions from anybody else and has struggled as a result.
At the moment, Rutgers is essentially out of contention for an NCAA Tournament berth, and it has to nearly win out the rest of the way to climb back onto the bubble. On Wednesday night, the Scarlet Knights got a big 79-72 win on the road over Northwestern. Bailey led the way for Rutgers in this one with another incredible performance, scoring 37 points on 13-for-20 shooting and 5-for-8 from 3-point range to lead his team to a win without Harper in the lineup.
ACE BAILEY HAVE YOURSELF A NIGHT SIR
37 PTS
13-20 FG
5-8 3PT
6 REB
3 BLK pic.twitter.com/DfrxL36ARw— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) January 30, 2025
With his latest scoring masterpiece, Bailey became the first Division I freshman since Trae Young in 2017-18 to have multiple road games with 35 or more points, per ESPN.
Bailey is still a little bit inconsistent at times, but he has been very good for the most part in the month of January and that continued in this game. This was his third game with at least 30 points this month after he scored 39 in a loss to Indiana on Jan. 2 and dropped 30 on 13-for-15 shooting in a loss to Penn State on Jan. 2o.
Who is the better Rutgers prospect: Ace Bailey or Dylan Harper?
Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper have a chance to be two of the top five picks in the upcoming NBA Draft if they end up leaving after their freshman seasons, which would be pretty amazing for a Rutgers program that isn’t known for its high-end talent in basketball. But which prospect is better?
Bailey’s scoring has been very impressive of late, and he uses his big frame and ball handling ability to get to his spots and rise up over any defender at the college level. However, Bailey struggles at times to generate separation and relies on making tough shots to score, which leads to some of the inconsistency and poor shooting nights at times. He is also very raw as a defender, so he will have to hone that skill at the next level.
On the other hand, Harper is the steadier of the two Rutgers stars. He has been banned up during the month of January when Bailey has caught fire, but his skills that he flashed earlier in the season still make him the safer prospect of the two. Harper is a crafty left-hander who can get to the rim at will and score at all three levels. He flashed defensive instincts and some playmaking ability, but his scoring as a big guard is the biggest draw with him. He has elite finishing ability and contact balance around the rim, which is crucial for a guard in today’s NBA.
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