As the start of the college basketball season is less than a month away, fans will keep an eye out for Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. Among the top prospects of the 2025 class, they have both decided to gear up with instead of against each other this upcoming season.
Ace Bailey grew up in an all-around basketball family. His mom and dad played college basketball, and his aunt Venus Lacy was a WNBA player and member of the 1996 gold medal Olympic team. Bailey was a stud in high school, averaging 22 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and four blocks as a junior. In senior year, he broke through putting up 32.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.4 blocks a game. Rightfully so, he was named the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game and other prestigious competitions.
Ace can do it all on the court. Known for being able to play in all 5 positions, the young talent has promising offensive and defensive capabilities. Due to his lengthiness at 6 ’10, he can act as a functional big man but due to his shiftiness can transform into a guard. Thanks to his strong IQ, he can analyze the floor at a proficient level, to make smart plays and flashy dishes to his teammates. He also is an effective rim protector who can block some shots for his team. His striking athleticism and fluidity on the court is a massive plus for Rutgers this season.
As for Dylan Harper, the impressive prospect grew up in New Jersey playing basketball for Don Bosco Preparatory High School. After becoming a more developed guard his junior year, putting up 24.9 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals a game, he was named Boys Basketball Player of the Year by a New Jersey website. Gaining motivation and traction, the young guard led his team to a 29-3 record and an A State Championship in his senior year.
Harper is a flashy guard who can score buckets. He can accelerate downhill for the lay or shoot it from downtown. As a proficient facilitator, he has advanced passing skills to find good looks for his teammates. He can work off the ball as well as be a rebounding machine to grab extra possessions for his team. Dylan is a fortunate addition to Rutgers and will be an energizing point guard on the roster.
Evidently, Ace and Harper are going to be starters in the rotation, but it will be interesting to see how the organization will use them this season. Since Ace is a versatile guard who can play in multiple positions, he will likely become a frequent 2 or big man when Harper is also on the floor. Ace will roam in the wing as he normally does while Harper can drive for a bucket or pop out a three. Since both are proficient passers, they will find good looks for each other as well as their teammates, promoting a more unselfish and fluid style of play. They’ll find their rhythm as the season progresses and will be able to ultimately complement each other’s strengths.
Rutgers has been a decent basketball program throughout its history, but this season can boost its overall status. After the acquisition of two potential lottery picks, Rutgers can now go to a whole new level of success this season. This is their best chance to make it far into the national tournament and even win the national championship. All eyes are on Rutgers to see if they can pull off anything special this season thanks to the additions of the two most highly anticipated recruits in the program’s history.
Overall, the future of Rutgers Basketball is very bright. It’s not common to see two of the biggest prospects in a class being teammates, so college basketball fans better savor this super duo from the time to come. Rutgers has now improved their playmaking and defensive presence from standard to elite because of these multi-talented guards. To reach their potential, the two talents must build each other up by supporting their common yet contrasting skill sets. As the new leaders of this team, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are now the leading knights of scarlet.
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