With Ace Bailey signed, sealed and delivery expected, Rutgers men’s basketball head coach Steve Pikiell was able to publicly comment for the first time on the class of 2024 prospect. A five-star forward, Bailey is a top-five recruit in the nation.
On Saturday, Bailey signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) and officially committed his future to Rutgers. Bailey had originally given Rutgers his verbal in January.
He is the highest-ranked recruit in program history. The early signing period saw Rutgers land all four committed players in the class of 2024.
Following Wednesday’s win over Georgetown, Pikiell was able to talk a bit about the players he will be getting on campus this summer. Asked about this group, Pikiell said that he is “Thankful (for) all of them, they’re all going to be really good players.”
But Bailey is the pinnacle of this class and the caliber of recruit that Rutgers has never before landed.
“Ace is a s special talent. Loyal, great family, great work ethic,” Pikiell said.
“It just shows you where Rutgers is, I think that’s important We’re a great academic school, we play in a great league. We sell out, we have great crowds.
“To be able to get a player like that will be fun. People will really like watching him play.”
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A forward from Georgia, Bailey is explosive with great length and the ability to play above the rim. He is the second-best player in the nation according to Rivals.