Rutgers Basketball Star Duo, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Set to Make School History
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Rutgers Basketball is set to make headlines on Wednesday night during the NBA Draft with Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper both set to be drafted.
Despite the Scarlet Knights' poor performance this past season, finishing 15-17 overall including 8-12 in the Big Ten, good for 11th, Harper and Bailey both stood out and made it clear that they will each make an impact at the next level.
Harper, son of Ron Harper, who played for 4 different NBA teams from 1986 to 2001, led the team in scoring with 19.4 points per game (PPG). He also averaged 4.6 rebounds per game (RPG) and 4 assists per game (APG). In a recent NBA Draft projection from ESPN, he is projected to be selected 2nd overall by the San Antonio Spurs.
Bailey also made an impact on the Scarlet Knights, being the only other player to average double digit scoring with 17.6 PPG. He also averaged 7.2 RPG and 1.3 APG. His draft position has been much more questionable than his former teammates, with his landing spot being one of the biggest questions leading up to draft night. His reluctance to workout with teams has seen his draft projection start to slide. In the same ESPN projection, Bailey is predicted to be the 6th overall pick to the Washington Wizards.
Regardless of where they end up, both projected lottery picks will do something that has not been seen from Rutgers Basketball since 1985: have multiple Rutgers players selected in the same NBA Draft.
In just 72 hours, Rutgers Basketball will have two players selected in the same NBA Draft for the first time since 1985. pic.twitter.com/EImRCbIc3K
— Rutgers Scarlet Knights | The Knight Report (@RutgersRivals) June 23, 2025
Where Harper and Bailey land is yet to be seen, but the star due will put the Scarlet Knights in the headlines and will more than likely be the first Rutgers duo to ever be drafted in the top 10.
The NBA Draft is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25th at 8:00 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN and ABC.
Seth Orlemann has been covering sports for more than 5 years. His work spans across all major leagues in the realm of sports betting while he has also contributed to sites for the USC Trojans, New Orleans Saints, and FC Cincinnati. Orlemann, who is based out of Cincinnati, is a graduate of Ohio University’s Sport Management program and can be found in many major media outlets.