Rutgers bound duo show glimpse of future in McDonald's All American Game
On campus, men's basketball has steadily materialized into the bellwether sport at Rutgers.
With head coach Steve Pikiell altering the upward trajectory of the program by bringing in a prized 2024 recruiting class, the high standard has been elevated a few pegs. There are high expectations, hearsay, and the prospect of unprecedented success next season now enveloping the program. Pikiell's national recruiting class in 2024 is by leaps and bounds the best in program history.
A pair of highly touted 2024 national recruits, slick and high scoring guard Dylan Harper, and 6-foot-9 jack of all trades forward Ace Bailey have helped change the perception of the Scarlet Knights moving forward. While the class is a deep one with plenty of interchangeable, versatile pieces, Harper and Bailey have been upper echelon recruits for three consecutive years.
Don Bosco Prep's Harper, a 6-foot-6 left handed point guard with the purity of vision as a playmaker, a knack for opportunistic 3-pointers and elbow jumpers, and a college-ready build which enables him to turn in dazzling plays at the rim and finish through contact.
Harper has a uniqueness in his ability to sling darts with either and, spur the transition attack, and free up space off the dribble for his left handed slingshot from mid range and 3-point shot.
Harper, who is the son of NBA champion guard Ron Harper (who won the title with the 1998 Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls), the younger brother of legendary Rutgers guard/forward Ron Harper Jr., and also the son of former University of New Orleans guard and current Don Bosco assistant coach Maria Harper.
His flair for the end game and ability to put his stamp on the game with timely, deep 3-pointers and traditional 3-point plays were evident during last year's EYBL Peach Jam finals.
As a seasoned senior at Don Bosco, Harper scored 38 points, decimating everything his way, during a 56-42 victory over St. Peter's Prep in the North Non-Public A title. Harper was instrumental in spearheading Don Bosco to a 56-29 championship rout of Paul VI (Haddonfield), as he scored 26 points (including 12-for-15 from the free throw line), nine rebounds, and four assists.
During the McDonald's All American game in Houston, Harper culminated his well-chronicled and historic high school season with a bang. After being named 2024 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year, Harper turned in a game-best 22 points to pace the West, which wound up losing to the East, 88-86.
Harper averaged five assists and six boards, en route to garnering Game MVP honors alongside Montverde Academy forward Derik Queen. Queen, who accumulated 20+ Division-I offers, will prolong his career at University of Maryland next season.
Harper scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half, his adeptness for creating space off the dribble evident. Harper floated up timely lob passes, finished above the rim, pocketed corner 3-pointers, and was elusive in his one on one game and surges to the rim.
Bailey, a highly coveted recruit who choose Rutgers over Kentucky, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Memphis, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina and a handful of other upper major programs, is known for his ability to play and guard multiple positions. With his broomstick long arms and thunderous finishing ability, Bailey has been a proficient around the rim scorer during his illustrious career at McEachern (GA) High School. He's a deadly shooter and floor spreader, with knack for deep straight-away 3-pointers and 15-18 foot corner jumpers. Few players in the country have the ability to operate offense and put the ball on the floor the way Bailey does at 6-foot-9. The aspect of Bailey's game which tends to get undersold is his passing. He's able to really locate cutters, deliver timely reads, and pull off three-quarter court passes while making those pieces flanking him beneficiaries of his multi-dimensional presence.
During the McDonald's All American game, the vertically explosive Bailey displayed his offensive uniqueness. He hit difficulty contested shots, ran the floor fluidly, and finished above the rim during the scrimmages leading up to the game.
As a freakishly athletic talent, Bailey puts his head on the rim with his vertically explosive style. Bailey scored six boards and five boards, playing alongside Harper in a harbinger of things to come. Bailey also placed second in the McDonald's All American dunk contest, with a wild windmill and soaring above rim athleticism only a rarefied core of athletes are capable of pulling off.
The two man foundation of Bailey and Harper have already developed a rapport on the court. It was evident during the Slam Summer Classic Vol. 5 at Rucker Park this past summer, as both were able to locate each other and create opportunities for each other. Bailey's thunderous dunks, corner 3-pointers, and ability to quarterback a team while pushing a frenetic pace were evident throughout that event.
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