Subscribe
Follow Us
With the 2025 NBA Draft rapidly approaching, no player has been placed further under the microscope than Rutgers wing Ace Bailey.
The consensus third overall player in this year's class, Bailey has been knocked for his shot selection, his decision making, and for his Scarlet Knights team failing to make the NCAA Tournament despite having a pair of Top 5 lottery players in himself and Dylan Harper on the roster.
Asked about his time at Rutgers at the NBA Draft Scouting Combine, Bailey let it be known that he still represents for his University, so even though they came up short, it's all good.
“I mean, it's a blessing. I mean, me and D-Harp, I mean, being in this position, I mean, coming from Rutgers, I mean, it's good,” Bailey declared. “We're putting on for Rutgers, Rutgers University, Big Ten also, but it's good.”
Appearing together in one of the most hyped recruiting classes in years, if not longer, the Scarlet Knights vastly underperformed against expectations with Bailey and Harper on their roster, matching the previous season's win-loss record despite having some serious starpower on their roster. Rutgers never ranked higher than 25th nationally, and in the end, they failed to make it to the NCAA Tournament, marking their third-straight season without a bid after going two years in a row from 2021-22.
Did Rutgers come up short with Bailey and Harper running the show? Yes. Should that team have finished with at least a good enough roster to make the NCAA Tournament, if not make some waves in the big dance? Oh yeah. But then again, plenty of prospects have had incredible NBA careers after playing on losing college teams or never playing college ball at all, for that matter. Even if Bailey couldn't get the job done in college, his future is looking incredibly bright at the NBA level, so in a way, he's right: Rutgers will be benefiting from his success for years to come.
