Rutgers' Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper to Take on New-Look Big 10

Armed with two of the top prospects in the class, the Scarlet Knights will be must-watch TV.

Mar 8, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, United States; Don Bosco vs. Paul VI in the Non-Public A championship at Jersey Mike's Arena. DB #2 Dylan Harper. / Michael Karas / USA TODAY NETWORK

Teams like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and more have long stolen the college basketball spotlight. But every so often, top prospects will sign elsewhere, bringing attention along with them.

This year, Rutgers achieved that two-fold, landing the No. 2 and 3 prospects in the entire country, per RSCI. 

Ranked only behind Duke’s Cooper Flagg, forward Ace Bailey and guard Dylan Harper are set to roll out for the Scarlet Knights next season, and will be must-see TV for college and draft fans alike.

At this point in time, Bailey likely has the best claim in dethroning Flagg at No. 1. A 6-foot-9 forward with an already NBA-like jumper, he’s a premier offensive player with improvable skillsets on the defensive and passing fronts.

Harper is a jumbo guard, like many to pass through the NBA Draft ranks before him. He stands at around 6-foot-6, and possesses the same cerebral, probing skillset with the ball in-hands that makes so many stars in the NBA great.

In terms of collegiate dominance, Rutgers is far from the rest of the Big 10 pack. But with newly-found weapons in Bailey and Harper, they should be ready to contend. Still, it won’t be easy. The already-tough Big 10 added USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon this season, one of which is a college basketball blue blood and all of which will contend for the NCAA Tournament this year. 

NBA decision-makers will be keeping a close eye on how the Scarlet Knight’s duo fares in their solo collegiate seasons.

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