College basketball's freshman standouts feature Rutgers' dynamic duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper
It’s not that uncommon for blueblood programs to have two five-star prospects arrive on campus in the same year.
It rarely happens at schools that don’t have that kind of tradition. And that’s what makes No. 25 Rutgers one of the most intriguing stories of the season as the Scarlet Knights welcome Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.
Bailey was the nation’s No. 2 prospect in his high school class and Harper was No. 3, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. The impact they can have as freshman teammates became apparent on Oct. 17 when Rutgers faced St. John’s in a preseason exhibition. Rutgers lost, 91-85, but Bailey scored 25 points and Harper added 20.
“Dylan, for a freshman, he’s got so much control,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said after the game. “He plays like a senior. He’s so much under control. He’s got a lot of Clyde Frazier in him, the way he plays. He was amazing. Ace just has great talent. Both of them are great. I think they’re terrific. Obviously they deserve the ranking that they’re getting.”
Bailey, who is 6-foot-10, averaged 33.4 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.9 blocks while winning a state title his senior year at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia.
Harper, the son of former NBA guard Ron Harper, had 23 points per game his senior year at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey.