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Rutgers basketball fans have been patiently waiting for the debut of top recruit Ace Bailey. That wait will end when Rutgers takes on Monmouth.
Bailey has officially been cleared and will be making his debut on Friday, the team announced. He had been battling through a hip injury.
With the college basketball season fully underway, there is now no debut more anticipated than Bailey's. He ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the entire 2024 class, via 247Sports. Bailey also forms a powerful tandem with fellow freshman Dylan Harper, who ranked No. 3.
Carrying the pedigree he does, Bailey had offers from plenty of schools across the country. Powerhouses such as Kentucky and Kansas came calling. And yet, Bailey decided to spurn them all for Rutgers. Now, the Scarlet Knights are looking to capitalize on their recruiting efforts.
They were able to take care of business through the first two games. Rutgers opened the year with a 75-52 victory over Wagner before taking down Saint Peter's 75-65. Harper led the way scoring wise in both contests, scoring 20 and 24 respectively.
Now, he'll have a fellow playmaker to work alongside in Ace Bailey. While the transition to college basketball will be a different beast, the expectations surrounding Bailey are sky high. He proved to be a dominant force during the preseason, putting up 25 points and five rebounds in a loss to St. Johns, via Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press.
But now, the final score will actually matter. All eyes will be on Ace Bailey as he joins the college basketball ranks. Speculation has already begun about his NBA Draft prospects. But first, he must live up to the hype.
There isn't word yet whether Bailey will start or come off the bench in his debut. Regardless, Rutgers basketball is sure to get a spark whenever he is on the floor.
