An ESPN analyst raved about the NBA potential of Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey, a Rutgers basketball.
Bailey has been very strong and impressive this season, making s legitimate case to be the nation’s top recruit. His athleticism combined with the range of his offensive game have coupled together to make him an explosive and multiple scorer.
He is a 6-foot-9 forward from McEachern, Georgia who is ranked the No. 3 recruit in the nation by ESPN. He signed with Rutgers in December,
He is one of two Rutgers basketball commits ranked as consensus five-star recruits (the other being [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag]).
Jonathan Givnoy, an NBA Draft analyst for ESPN, praised the performance of Bailey this season and his prospects at the next level (well, technically two levels up):
Rutgers-commit Ace Bailey is in many ways exactly what the NBA is looking for; a 6’9 guard with NBA range, elite body control changing speeds out of hesitation moves, highlight-reel explosiveness, live-dribble passing, and physicality and competitiveness defensively. pic.twitter.com/BXtlq1xfw0
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) January 17, 2024
Interestingly, Bailey is seen as a guard. Most analysts and insiders have projected him as a forward at Rutgers.
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Bailey is a key part of the 2024 recruiting class for Rutgers, which is a consensus top-10 class in the nation. It is the first time in Rutgers basketball history that the program has secured commitments from multiple five-star recruits.
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Harper is ranked the second-best player in the nation by ESPN.