Tag: Ace Bailey

Ace Bailey remains sold on Rutgers basketball: ‘It’s been great’

Ace Bailey talks about Rutgers basketball.

Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey has been putting on a clinic for the ‘Athletes of Tomorrow.’ The Rutgers basketball commit has left little doubt that he is one of the nation’s top players and a truly elite talent.

Bailey, a five-star forward who committed to Rutgers in January, has been a revelation at the Tip-Off Classic in Suwanee, GA. the class of 2024 prospect has shown dominance in the low post, the ability to play above the rim and a strong defensive presence as well as being able to rebound.

He is a consensus top-three recruit in the nation.

Reporter Dylan Clearfield asked Bailey about “Being a Rutgers commit right now” and why he committed to the Big Ten program.

“It’s been great. I’ve loved it ever since I committed – before I even committed,” Bailey told Clearfield.

“It’s been great.”

A 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward from McEachern (Powder Springs, GA) committed to Rutgers in January following the Scarlet Knights’ overtime win against Ohio State.

The interview, conducted this week, included Bailey talking about what players and coaches influenced his game and development. He was also asked the question of if he ever thought this would happen and he’d become an elite high school basketball prospect.

“I really didn’t. It was always a dream, I never knew I’d get this good, be the person I am now,” Bailey said.

“Keep getting better every day, keep working. Staying humble, put God first.”

 

[lawrence-related id=29254,29250]

Five-star guard and Rutgers basketball recruit Dylan Harper remains the top recruit in the nation

On3 ranks Dylan Harper as the best player in the nation.

Dylan Harper remains on top, the Rutgers basketball recruit remaining the best player in the nation in a recent update from On3.

In an update of their top 150 recruits, On3 slotted in Harper as the nation’s top player. It is the second-straight update where Harper is the best player in the nation.

Right after Harper at No. 2 in the On3 update is Ace Bailey. The five-star forward committed to Rutgers in January.

Harper is a combo guard and a member of the 2024 recruiting class. He plays for Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) and participated in the recent FIBA U19 World Cup as a part of the United States national team.

According to On3, Rutgers has the ninth-best recruiting class in the nation in the 2024 class. On3 has center Lathan Sommerville and forward Bryce Dortch as three-star recruits.

Sommerville had originally been a four-star recruit per On3. In the On3 Industry Rankings, which aggregates the rankings from 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN and On3, Sommerville is No. 120 nationally.

[lawrence-related id=29108,29105]

Rutgers basketball recruiting: Ace Bailey ‘looks like an NBA prospect’

On3 raves about the potential for Rutgers basketball commit Ace Bailey.

Five-star forward Ace Bailey had a tremendous summer, with the Rutgers basketball recruit apparently making a pitch to be the nation’s top player.

Bailey, who committed to Rutgers in January, is the second-highest ranked recruit in the nation according to On3. He is only behind Dylan Harper, a New Jersey guard who is also high on Rutgers and may be closing in on his commitment decision.

(In fact, Rutgers might be the leader here for Harper)

In their most recent update, On3 has Harper as the nation’s top player in the 2024 recruiting class. But in their analysis, they raved about Bailey and even said that he made a case to be the nation’s top recruit.

Jamie Shaw, in analyzing Bailey, made it clear the player’s high ceiling:

“Bailey checks all the boxes that you want physically when projecting players toward the highest level. At 6-foot-10, he has great positional size for a wing. He can handle within two and three dribbles and rise up with full extension to knock down shots with range over his defender. He is also an explosive athlete, capable of finishing high above the rim.”

He then added that in terms of his jump from the college to the professional level, that “Ace Bailey looks like an NBA prospect.”

[lawrence-related id=29105,29103]

As for Harper, Shaw said that the race tightened between the two players to be the nation’s top recruit. Harper was praised by the On3 analyst, although he notes that there are questions about his explosiveness.

On Harper, this was written by Shaw:

“Harper is best with the ball in his hands. The 6-foot-6 guard has an excellent change of pace and delivers on target and on time all over the court. He led the USA Basketball U19 team in assists this summer, then followed that up, finishing Peach Jam second in scoring.”

[lawrence-related id=29058,29059]

Rutgers basketball offers five-star standout Asa Newell

Asa Newell gets offered by Rutgers basketball.

Rutgers basketball already has one five-star recruit committed to the 2024 recruiting class. Another five-star recruit has Rutgers in the mix. And on Tuesday, Rutgers offered a five-star in Asa Newell.
A 6-foot-9 power forward at Montverde Academy, Newell is the No. 10 player in the nation in the 247Sports Composite. He was part of the USA Basketball U19 National Team that recently played at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
He has offers that include Alabama, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan and Wake Forest among others.
Rutgers already boasts a strong class that includes five-star forward Ace Bailey and four-star commits Lathan Sommerville and Bryce Dortch. The class is the second-highest-ranked recruiting class in the nation.
Newell tweeted about the offer, tagging assistant coach Marlon Williamson in the post:

 

Rutgers basketball head coach Steve Pikiell attended the FIBA World Cup this month to recruit Dylan Harper.
A product of Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Harper is a five-star guard and the consensus top recruit in the nation. Harper recently had a tremendous Peach Jam where he affirmed his ranking as the top-ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class.
[lawrence-related id=28535,28507]

Watch: Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey with the dunk of summer?

Ace Bailey is simply unreal.

Rutgers basketball commit Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey is no joke.

A five-star recruit, Bailey is having a tremendous summer where he has simply dominated, showcasing his ability to get to the basket and play above the rim. After participating in the USA Basketball U19 national team camp, Bailey has continued to play at a high level.

A 6-foot-9, 200-pound power forward from McEachern (Powder Springs, GA) committed to Rutgers in January following the Scarlet Knights overtime win against Ohio State.

He has certainly lived up to the hype. At some points this summer, he has been simply unreal.

The dunk here is unreal, as is the physical force from Bailey as he gets to the rim.

 

It appears that seated behind the basket is Dylan Harper, the top recruit in the nation. Harper, who plays for Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), appears to have gotten out of his seat after getting a tremendous view of the dunk.

Harper is being heavily recruited by Rutgers, including the program attending a couple of his games with the United States U19 national team in the recently completed FIBA World Cup.

[lawrence-related id=28250,28247]

Simply en fuego: ESPN names Rutgers basketball target Dylan Harper as the top 2024 recruit in the nation

Dylan Harper is ESPN’s new top recruit.

Dylan Harper, fresh off two strong performances for the USA Basketball junior national team, now has more good news. The New Jersey guard, who is a priority recruit for Rutgers basketball, was named the top player in the nation by ESPN.com.

A guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Haper is believed the be strongly in the mix for Rutgers along with Duke and Kansas. The class of 2024 recruit recently spoke to Rutgers Wire about his recruitment and said that the Scarlet Knights are very much a family program.

He also talked about the pull to be a ‘hometown hero’ were he to commit to Rutgers.

The ESPN update was overall kind to Rutgers, showing the strength of this 2024 recruiting class. You can’t hope to control Steve Pikiell on the recruiting trail, you can only hope to contain him.

Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey, who committed to Rutgers in early January, is the second-best player in the nation. The forward is a consensus five-star recruit. His play on the court this summer? Cooler than the other side of the pillow.

Lathan Sommerville, a talented forward/center who committed to Rutgers this spring, is No. 84 in the ESPN rankings update.

 

Another Rutgers target, Nassir Cunningham, who just transferred this month to Southern California Academy, is ranked by ESPN at No. 34. Cunningham is from New Jersey and had Rutgers in his latest cutdown of programs.

Harper was also recently named the top player in the nation by On3.

[lawrence-related id=28039,28037]

Ace Bailey opens up on Rutgers basketball commitment: ‘It felt like another home’

Five-star Ace Bailey talks Rutgers basketball commitment.

Ace Bailey is not only committed to Rutgers basketball, he is equally committed to building the 2024 recruiting class.

The highest-ranked player to ever commit to Rutgers, Bailey is a huge talent. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 15 player in the nation.

A 6-foot-9, 200-pound power forward from McEachern (Powder Springs, GA) committed to Rutgers in January following the Scarlet Knights overtime win against Ohio State. It was a bit of a surprise to see Bailey give his verbal to Rutgers, but he said he felt comfortable with the program.

“It was bigger. It was more about just playing (for) top coaches, about making a name,” Bailey said in an interview with GPB Sports

“It felt like another home up there. So it is different.”

Prior to the game against Ohio State, Bailey said he was thinking about committing and joining his teammate and friend JaMichael Davis (class of 2023 Rutgers basketball commit who is a guard at McEachern). But after the overtime win against a Big Ten rival, Bailey said it was the right time to give his verbal.

“So it wasn’t really planned. Me and my mom were talking about it and she just kept telling me to wait. So I waited and then I thought to myself that if I commit after the game, it’d be a perfect commitment because they won so after they won, we went down to the locker room – went down there. Me and my best friend – we call each other cousin. We’ve been together since he was little – Jamichael,” Bailey said.

“So it’s like we went into the locker room and then they just got hyped up the game and then I talked to my mom on the side I said ‘Mom this is what I want to do, this is where I want to be’ and she said ‘If you are okay with I’m okay with it’. So I pulled coach to the side and told him and it went crazy from there. My mom was crying, I was crying. Jamichael was happy – it is something I will never forget.”

The 2024 recruiting class is ranked No. 5 in the nation. But Bailey is doing his part to piece together what is likely to be the best recruiting class in program history.

Players such as Dylan Harper and Lathan Sommerville are in the mix right now to join Bailey at Rutgers.

“It’s building, I’m pulling people in, people are coming. People are thinking about it,” Bailey said. “But when I made that decision so other people are like ‘Hey, I want to go play with Ace Bailey. I want to play with this person.’ It is like I’m pulling them in.”

[lawrence-related id=24340]

[mm-video type=video id=01gszjegypthtg54p122 playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gszjegypthtg54p122/01gszjegypthtg54p122-216a5d106fc2229c148ace6b78d37089.jpg]

Auburn basketball target Ace Bailey commits to Big Ten school

He included Auburn in his top 12 schools but picked Rutgers over the Tigers.

Auburn’s plans for their 2024 recruiting class took a hit Sunday when five-star target [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] committed to Rutgers.

Bailey included the Tigers in his top 12 schools earlier this month and took a visit to the Plains. The Tigers seemed to be in a great place to land the Powder Springs, Georgia, product. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gave them a 94.2% chance of landing Bailey but it wasn’t meant to be.

He is the No. 6 overall player and No. 3 small forward in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 2 player from Georgia.

While he would have been a major piece of Auburn’s recruiting class, he is far from the only elite prospect the Tigers are involved with.

Five-star point guard [autotag]Tahaad Pettifort[/autotag] included Auburn in his top seven schools earlier this month. He is the No. 21 overall player and No. 2 point guard in the 2024 class.

He isn’t the only elite point guard Auburn is a finalist for, four-star target [autotag]Labaron Philon[/autotag] put the Tigers in his top six schools on Thursday. He is the No. 39 overall player and No. 6 point guard in the class.

The Tigers have already landed one target in four-star center [autotag]Peyton Marshall[/autotag]. The 6-foot-11, 310-pounder is the No. 89 overall player and No. 11 center in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

[mm-video type=video id=01gpcs42qt4mn3z9c1y5 playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gpcs42qt4mn3z9c1y5/01gpcs42qt4mn3z9c1y5-6ff62b4456b24e20f929aa42757bd5d9.jpg]

[listicle id=60414]

5-star PG Tahaad Pettiford puts Auburn in top 7

The Tigers are in a great place for one of the best point guards in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and Auburn have landed some impressive recruiting classes since he took over but the 2024 class has the chance to be the best one yet.

One of Auburn’s top targets is five-star point guard [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] and on Monday he included Auburn in his top seven schools. They will be battling UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky, UConn, Seton Hall, and Ole Miss for the New Jersey native.

Pettiford is the No. 21 overall player and No. 2 point guard in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 2 prospect from New Jersey.

The Tigers were one of his first offers, extending an offer back on June 15, 2022, to the 5-foot-11, 160-pound point guard. That move paid off as he took an official visit to the Plains on Sept. 17, 2022. That is currently the only visit he has taken and is one of the reasons the Tigers are the heavy favorites to land him.

According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Tigers have a 78.5% chance of landing him. If that does happen, he would become the second highest-rated signee in program history. Trailing [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] and just edging out [autotag]Sharife Cooper[/autotag].

He isn’t the only five-star high on Auburn in the 2024 recruiting class, small-forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] announced his top 12 schools on Sunday and the Tigers made the cut. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine also believes the Tigers are the overwhelming favorite to land Bailey, giving them a 94.2% chance of landing him.

[mm-video type=video id=01gmvst8001f3efpxc0g playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gmvst8001f3efpxc0g/01gmvst8001f3efpxc0g-22304e2189a943de68f06098d5602d81.jpg]

[listicle id=59623]

5-star SF Ace Bailey has Dana Altman’s Ducks among top schools

The Ducks landed in the top 12 for 5-star Ace Bailey, the No. 6 player in the 2024 class.

Recruiting has been a hot topic for Oregon Duck fans to follow over the past month or so, and Dana Altman wanted to get in on the action.

After signing a top-10 class this past fall, Altman is looking to get a nice start on the 2024 class, and New Year’s Day saw that be successful with 5-star SF Ace Bailey announcing his top 12 teams, keeping the Oregon Ducks in the mix.

Bailey, who stands at 6-foot-10, is rated as the No. 6 overall player in the 2024 class, and the No. 3 SF in the nation. He was offered by the Ducks earlier this year, but has yet to take a visit to Eugene.

Ace Bailey’s Recruiting Profile