Count Duke commit and five-star forward Cooper Flagg among those who admire the play of Ace Bailey. Also a five-star forward, Bailey signed with Rutgers in December.
Bailey is the highest-ranked recruit in the history of Rutgers basketball. On Tuesday, he will go up against Flagg in the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Flagg is the top-ranked player in the class of 2025 by most scouting and recruiting outlets, including ESPN. Bailey is the second-highest-ranked recruit in the 2025 class on most boards.
The only exception is USA TODAY High School Sports, which has Bailey as the top-ranked player in the nation.
On Monday during a press conference for the McDonald’s All-American Game, Flagg was asked about going up against Bailey. The Rutgers commit has been talked about for the last two months as potentially becoming the top player in the country by other media outlets.
“I mean, I think he’s a great player. Really versatile, really well-rounded,” Flagg said during Monday’s press conference.
“And to be honest, I’m not really looking for specific matchups. I’m just playing to have fun and compete. I’m just always trying to win.”
The boys edition of the McDonald’s All-American game will tip-off at 9 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN. The girls game will air on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m. ET.