Feb 5, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) goes to the basket in entrance of Illinois Combating Illini ahead Ben Humrichous (3) and a referee in the course of the second half at Jersey Mike’s Enviornment. Obligatory Credit score: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Pictures If you wish to meet an NBA scout this weekend, head to School Park, Md.
That is the place greater than 30 recruiters reportedly can be when Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper and Rutgers go to fellow star freshman Derik Queen and No. 18 Maryland on Sunday afternoon.
All three gamers are projected to be first-round picks on this summer time’s NBA draft. Guards Bailey and Harper are consensus top-five prospects, whereas Queen is predicted to be scooped up later within the spherical by a group in want of an elite large man.
The Scarlet Knights have relied closely on their two touted newcomers all through an up-and-down marketing campaign.
Bailey averages group highs of 20.1 factors, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per sport, whereas Harper leads Rutgers with 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals per sport.
Harper additionally carries a 19.1 scoring common, which is the second-highest on a Scarlet Knights squad that does not have one other participant averaging greater than 7.2 factors.
Regardless of Bailey and Harper’s success, Rutgers (12-11, 5-7 Huge Ten) has struggled to stack wins amid its quest to return to the NCAA Match’s Spherical of 64 for the primary time in 4 years.
The Scarlet Knights have consecutive wins simply twice since beginning 4-0, and it did not assist that Harper was lower than 100% for many of January as he battled the flu and a subsequent ankle harm.
However Rutgers not too long ago confirmed how harmful it may be when Harper and Bailey are wholesome.
Harper returned from a two-game absence to tally 28 factors, six rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals, whereas Bailey bundled 18 factors with 11 boards within the Scarlet Knights’ 82-73 residence win over No. 23 Illinois on Wednesday.
It was Rutgers’ first victory over a ranked opponent this season and additional strengthened the chemistry between its two finest gamers.
“It opens loads for me,” Bailey mentioned of getting Harper again. “I ain’t obtained to fret about two or three folks attempting to field me out on the identical time as a result of they obtained to fret about D-Harp attacking. … And that opens up for lots extra for our teammates.”
One other ranked win for the Scarlet Knights on Sunday may finish the Terrapins’ temporary keep within the High 25.
Maryland (17-6, 7-5) vaulted into the rankings for the primary time in nearly two years after successful six of seven, however the Terrapins adopted by blowing a 17-point lead in a 73-70 loss at Ohio State on Thursday.
Queen, who averages a team-leading 15 factors a sport, tried simply seven photographs from the sphere and completed with 13 factors and eight rebounds, whereas fellow large man Julian Reese (14.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg) paired 24 factors with 13 boards to guide the Terrapins.
Maryland largely struggled to comprise the Buckeyes’ guards.
The Terrapins restricted John Mobley Jr. to eight factors on 3-of-12 capturing however let Micah Parrish rating 13 on a 5-of-9 effort. Bruce Thornton delivered the important thing injury by hitting 11 of 18 field-goal makes an attempt, together with the tie-breaking 3-pointer within the remaining seconds, en path to a game-high 31 factors.
Thornton’s large night time could possibly be alarming with a matchup towards Harper and Bailey looming, however Maryland is not overly involved about its potential to defend a group’s finest backcourt gamers.
“I assumed we did a very good job for essentially the most half (defending Thornton),” Terrapins coach Kevin Willard mentioned. “Even when he made a few powerful twos, we have been OK with that. … I assumed our protection on the finish was actually good. We switched out. We coated all the pieces.”
–Discipline Degree Media
