Tag: Dylan Harper

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.

 

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.

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.

 

 

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.

Two future Rutgers basketball stars named as McDonald’s All-Americans

Two future Rutgers basketball players named to the McDonald All-American Game.

Two members of the Rutgers basketball 2024 recruiting class were named McDonald’s All-Americans on Tuesday. Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, both five-star recruits, received one of the top honors in high school basketball by being named to the game.

And for the last time before they unite at Rutgers, Harper (East) and Bailey (West) will be on opposite teams. Over 700 high school players were nominated to the game.

Earlier this year, Harper’s Don Bosco (Ramsey, New Jersey) beat Bailey and McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia) 76-50 in the City of Palms Classic. Harper scored 28 points to key Don Bosco’s win.

This year’s game will be played at the Toyota Center (Houston, Texas) on Apr. 2. The game will air on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.

 


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Bailey was named as the second-best player in the nation by 247Sports this week. He moved up at the expense of Harper, who dropped one spot to the third overall recruit in the 2024 class.

Rutgers recruit Ace Bailey moves up in 247Sports player rankings

Ace Bailey makes a move in the national recruiting rankings.

Rutgers basketball commit Ace Bailey has continued to dazzle scouts with his scoring ability. While he was already one of the top recruits in his class, he has moved up the 247Sports player rankings and is now the second-best player in his class.

With the move up the rankings, Bailey is now the second-best player in the nation behind just Cooper Flagg. In moving up a spot (Bailey was previously ranked No. 3 nationally), he surpasses future Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper in the rankings.

Harper had been the nation’s top player until Cooper Flagg re-classified in August and became a part of the 2024 recruiting class.

As for Bailey, he scored 33 points in a 63-62 win over Milton on Saturday at the Georgia Nike Elite Classic. However, that is not his only big game in national competition this season.

 

In a 60-59 loss to Harvard-Westlake at the Hoophall Classic, he added 23 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks to his resume. In the Battle in New Jersey, he added 40 points and 21 rebounds to his resume in a win over Camden on December 29.

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Although Rutgers fans will have to wait a few more months to see Bailey make his collegiate debut, his latest rankings show why his future is bright. In an up-and-coming program, Bailey is a vital piece of the future.

Watch: Rutgers basketball’s 5-star commit Dylan Harper is impressive with this putback dunk

Rutgers basketball commit Dylan Harper has a quiet game but made an impressive play for Don Bosco Prep.

Dylan Haper’s latest highlight is one that might be seen in a video game. This time, the Rutgers basketball commit almost nonchalantly puts back a rebound with a two-handed dunk this past Saturday.

A five-star guard, Harper committed to Rutgers in December. He is having a strong year for Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey), averaging 22.7 points per game in 11 games played.

Harper is the No. 2 recruit in the nation according to ESPN.

The highlight sees Harper follow a three-point shot from teammate Jordan Ghee, jump, get the rebound and put it back with a two-handed dunk. Good instincts from Harper on the play while also showing a flash of his explosiveness.

 

Harper had a quieter game on Saturday, scoring nine points in Don Bosco’s 62-45 win over Paul VI (Haddonfield, New Jersey).

Despite injuries this season, Harper is still looking strong. He is one of two five-star commits in the Rutgers 2024 class, joining forward [autotag]Ace Baile[/autotag]y from McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia).

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Ranked the No. 3 player in the nation, Bailey is having a very strong season. Harper and Bailey are the two highest commits in Rutgers basketball history.

Watch: Rutgers basketball signee Ace Bailey is pure dominance for McEachern

Future Rutgers basketball forward Ace Bailey has a huge weekend.

Rutgers basketball has a real gem in Ace Bailey.

Bailey, who signed with Rutgers in December, is putting together an absolutely dominant senior season. The 6-foot-9 forward from McEachern High School (Powder Spring, Georgia) is showcasing his entire repertoire in his final season before heading to the Big Ten.

A five-star forward, Bailey is a consensus top-three player in the 2024 recruiting class.

On Saturday night, he poured in 33 points for McEachern in a win over Milton (Milton, Georgia). But the night before was nothing short of a clinic as Bailey was unstoppable for McEachern.

Showing off his inside and outside game, Bailey turned heads against North Paulding (Dallas, Georgia) on Friday night with his game above the rim. It was his ability to dunk that was on display as Bailey showed his explosiveness.

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Bailey will arrive at Rutgers over the summer as part of the Scarlet Knights’ much-celebrated 2024 recruiting class. Also in the class is [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag], a five-star guard from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey).

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Harper committed to Rutgers in December during an event at the Fanatics headquarters building.

Check out these highlights from Bailey during his Friday night game against North Paulding: