Tag: Ace Bailey

Two Rutgers commits named Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Player of the Year finalists

Rutgers basketball sees two commits named finalists for the Naismith Award.

As the high school basketball season begins to wind down, Rutgers had a reason to celebrate on Thursday. Future Scarlet Knights Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper were named Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Player of the Year finalists. The talented duo is expected to be critical to Rutgers success starting in the fall.

While Harper and Bailey are already well known to scouts, they will have competition. That includes Cameron Boozer, AJ Dylantsa and Cooper Flagg who has already committed to Duke. All five finalists are Jersey Mike’s Naismith First-Team All-America selections.

Although each finalist has dazzled fans with their play, they were also chosen because of their character.

 

“Each candidate is being recognized for his exceptional prowess on the court and exemplary leadership throughout the season,” said Eric Oberman, the Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “The finalists stand worthy in their unique capacity, and choosing a single winner will be challenging. But we eagerly anticipate witnessing the culmination of these players’ and coaches’ seasons.”

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For Rutgers fans, March 8 will be a day to mark on the calendar. That is when the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy will be announced. Harper and Bailey both have a good chance of hearing their names called.

 

Watch: Rutgers basketball five-star commit Ace Bailey balls out with a 32-point performance this week

Ace Bailey, a five-star forward and a Rutgers basketball commit, was impressive once again this week.

Ace Bailey continues to make a statement this season, the five-star forward from Georgia putting together a complete performance in his most recent game. Bailey signed with Rutgers basketball this past December.

He is the highest-ranked commit/signee in Rutgers history.

A 6-foot-9 forward from McEachern High School (Powder Springs, Georgia), abiley has been impressive in facets of his game. His range continues to improve, providing a very strong complement to his play at the rim.

He is the second-ranked recruit in the nation according to ESPN.

In a 105-72 win for McEachern over Westlake (Atlanta, Georgia), Bailey was dominant. He scored 32 points along with 17 rebounds.

Check out Bailey’s impressive night as McEachern notched their tenth straight win:

 

Bailey is part of an impressive 2024 recruiting class for Rutgers that also features five-star guard Dylan Harper.

The class is consensus top 10 in the nation.

Decision Day: Electric four-star ’25 guard Brandon Stores Jr. announces decision date with Rutgers basketball in the mix

Brandon Stores Jr. is set to make his college decision with Rutgers basketball in the mix.

Brandon Stores Jr. is set to make his decision, with the New York guard including Rutgers basketball in his final three.

A 6-foot-4 guard, Stores is having a strong junior season at St. Raymond’s (Bronx, New York).

In late January, Stores announced that he is down to a final three of Georgia Tech, Rutgers and Xavier. A four-star guard, Rivals ranks him as the No. 58 player in the nation in the 2025 class.

He is the fifth-best player in New York in his class and the No. 25 guard in the nation per ESPN.

He is a complete guard who is a good distributor and can score in multiple ways. Defensively, he is strong and aggressive to the ball.

The college decision announcement will be made at his school on Monday afternoon.

 

In the 2024 class, Rutgers basketball features two five-star commits in forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] (McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia) and guard [autotag]Dylan Harper [/autotag](Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey).

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The duo of Bailey and Harper are top-five national recruits and the highest-ever players to have committed/signed with Rutgers basketball.

 

Watch: This weekend, five-star Rutgers commit Ace Bailey continues to make the case he is the nation’s top player

Ace Bailey showed off his five-star ability on Friday.

Ace Bailey is a special and unique talent, a likely one-and-done for Rutgers basketball.

The consensus No. 2 player in the nation, Bailey has the size and length to be a presence around the basket but the versatility with his game to stretch the floor. A natural glider, he runs the floor effortlessly with a handle that is rarely seen from 6-foot-9 forwards.

Rutgers received Bailey’s commitment over 13 months ago and the five-star forward signed with the Big Ten program in December. He has an elite skillset on the offensive side of the ball, combining the ability to post-up with a strong outside game.

In transition, Bailey is almost unstoppable given his ability to run the court and then get to the rim.

Check out these highlights from Friday night as Bailey’s McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia) defeated Hillgrove (Powder Springs, Georgia) 75-48:

 

McEachern is now 22-5 and has won nine straight games. They close out the regular season on Wednesday against Westlake (Atlanta, Georgia).

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Bailey and fellow class of 2024 commit [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag] are the first five-star commits in Rutgers basketball history. They are the focal point of a recruiting class that is the best in program history and ranked top five nationally.

Is Ace Bailey the No. 1 player in the country? Watch this latest dunk from the Rutgers basketball commit

Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey is set to arrive at Rutgers this summer.

Five-star forward Ace Bailey is popping off recently, the Rutgers basketball commit making a statement that he might just be the nation’s top player.

The class of 2024 commit signed with Rutgers during the early signing period in December, having been committed to the Big Ten program for nearly. He is the consensus No. 2 recruit in the nation.

He is a 6-foot-9 forward who is able to play with his back to the basket as well as in the open court. He is ranked a consensus five-star and is the second-best player in the nation according to ESPN.

The senior forward from McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia) is having a very strong final season before he departs to the Big Ten. He is already generating some strong NBA draft buzz.

Check out this dunk from Bailey. It is the type of strong, explosive play that makes him such a fascinating prospect:

 

It was a good weekend for Rutgers men’s basketball. Not only does Bailey continue to impress, but his future team is looking strong.

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Rutgers has won their last three games following Saturday’s 78-56 win over No. 11 Wisconsin.

Oh no he didn’t! Rutgers basketball commit, 5-star forward Ace Bailey posterizes an opponent

Rutgers basketball commit Ace Bailey is at it again with another highlight dunk.

Rutgers basketball has never had a player like Ace Bailey. The five-star forward, who signed with Rutgers during the early signing period, is a walking highlight film.

On a weekly basis, Bailey is showing why he was a coveted player by Rutgers. He is ranked a consensus five-star and is the second-best player in the nation according to ESPN and is a 6-foot-10 forward from McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia).

Bailey is simply a unique player, one who is explosive to the rim but who is smooth in transition with the ball in his hands. He has range with his shooting and he is a strong defender as well as a very good and committed rebounder.

But these dunks show just how explosive Bailey is and give a glimpse into his NBA potential.

 

This is a one-and-done player for Rutgers if he continues on this trajectory.

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Bailey joins a Rutgers recruiting class that is top 10 in the nation. The class also features Dylan Harper, a five-star guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey).

It is the first time in program history that Rutgers has two players ranked as five-star recruits.

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Harper is the No. 3 player in the nation, which is also a first for Rutgers. Never before have the Scarlet Knights had two of the nation’s top three players in a single class.

Rutgers men’s basketball: Four-star Jaylen Harrell takes an official visit

Jaylen Harrell took an official visit this weekend to Rutgers.

Over the weekend, Rutgers men’s basketball welcomed one of the top recruits in the 2025 class, Jaylen Harrell, to campus for an official visit. The four-star guard has drawn interest nationwide due to his ability to impact a game offensively.

While Harrell is in no rush to make his final decision, he was impressed by what he saw at Piscataway. That has increased excitement about what the future holds for the Scarlet Knights.

Harrell is a 6-foot-6 guard from CATS Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts. He is ranked the No. 91 player in the nation by Rivals.

Rutgers is certainly in a crowded field to land Harrell, with the likes of Alabama, Georgetown, Providence, Washington and Xavier all having offered.

 

 

As Rutgers looks to add to their 2025 class, they will have competition for Harrell’s services.

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The 2025 class hasn’t yet taken shape for Rutgers, but the 2024 class is looking very strong. The class features two recruits ranked as five-stars in forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].

Bailey was recently ranked the second-best player in the nation. The player right after him? Harper.

Two of the five Big Ten players in the McDonald’s All-American Game are future Rutgers players

The Big Ten is expected to have five players in this April’s McDonald’s All-American Game, the most prestigious all-star game in high school basketball. Two of those five players are committed to Rutgers basketball. Over 700 high school players were …

The Big Ten is expected to have five players in this April’s McDonald’s All-American Game, the most prestigious all-star game in high school basketball. Two of those five players are committed to Rutgers basketball.

Over 700 high school players were nominated to the game, with Rutgers five-star recruits Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey being two of them. Even though Harper (East) and Bailey (West) will be on opposing teams, each player will represent the Scarlet Knights on a high level.

According to Big Ten Network Analyst Andy Katz, Harper and Bailey joining the Scarlet Knights next season gives Rutgers basketball the top-3 2024 recruiting class in the country. Bailey and Harper are ranked the No. 2 and No. 3 prospects in the country, respectively, according to 247Sports.

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Jersey Mike’s Arena will be the place to be in 2024 as the two top players help Rutgers basketball climb the ladder during the 2024-25 season. With the ability to recruit these five-star players, Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell has put Rutgers basketball on the map to contend for the Big Ten title and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

Ace Bailey reflects on why he choose Rutgers

Ace Bailey breaks down why he picked Rutgers basketball.

Each time Ace Bailey takes the court, anticipation builds for his collegiate debut with Rutgers, which is only months away. The Georgia standout is one of the top players in his class and will call Piscataway home.

Bailey os one of two five-star commits in the 2024 recruiting class, the other being don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) guard Dylan Harper.

Following the Hoophall Classic, he spoke with Rivals contributor Krysten Peek about his success. During the interview, Bailey explained why he chose Rutgers to play college basketball.

When asked what set Rutgers apart from other schools, Bailey was clear in what made the Scarlet Knights stand out.

“It felt like home. They showed me love since I committed. It’s just love and brotherhood,” Bailey told Rivals.

“They check on me and my mom and one thing I’m big on is family.”

 

Additionally, during the interview, Bailey was asked what he would bring to a Rutgers program that has recently landed some of the country’s top recruits. The star power forward did not hold back.

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” Championship, Big Ten, everything,” Bailey said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun on and off the court playing with Dylan.”

 

Where did the ESPN mock NBA draft have Rutgers basketball’s Ace Bailey going?

Rutgers basketball commit Ace Bailey is a top-five NBA draft pick.

Rutgers basketball recruit Ace Bailey cracked the top five of the mock NBA draft that aired on Wednesday on ESPN.

A five-star forward from McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia), Bailey has certainly looked the part of being the nation’s No. 2 recruit. This week, 247Sports elevated Bailey one spot, putting him behind only Duke commit Cooper Flagg in the national rankings

Bailey has had a really strong final season of high school basketball. The 6-foot-9 forward has shown his ability to run his team’s offense but defensively he has been strong off the glass, contesting shots and his off-the-ball defense has been very solid.

But it has been his ability scoring, in particular his range, that has been impressive this season. Bailey’s ability to play above and around the rim is well-known, but he developed a consistent jump shot this summer.

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All of which led ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givnoy to place Bailey as his second pick in his most recent mock draft for 2025. The top five picks made the ESPN show ‘NBA Today’ this week:

 

Flagg was quickly elevated to the No. 1 recruit status following his re-classification into the 2024 class this past August.

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Bailey is one of two recruits ranked as a consensus five-star who is committed to Rutgers in this class, the other being Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) standout guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].

Harper committed to Rutgers in December at an event in New York City at the Fanatics headquarters building.

Bailey and Harper were named to the McDonald’s All-American Game this week. Harper, ranked the No. 3 recruit nationally in the ESPN 100, did not make Givnoy’s top five in the mock draft.