Rutgers Star Becoming Most Controversial Prospect in Recent NBA History

Former Rutgers Scarlet Knight Airious "Ace" Bailey is clearly an immense talent, but he's been heavily scrutinized before the 2025 NBA Draft has even arrived.

Oct 17, 2024; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Airious Bailey (4) at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Duke Blue Devil Cooper Flagg might be the consensus number-one pick in this upcoming 2025 NBA Draft and perhaps the most surefire prospect the league has seen since LeBron James in 2003, but he's not the player generating the most buzz at the combine. Instead, that title belongs to former Rutgers Scarlet Knight Airious "Ace" Bailey.

Coming out of high school, Bailey was the country's second-best talent, just behind Flagg. He didn't disappoint in his freshman season at Rutgers, either. Despite the Scarlet Knights' disappointing team record overall, finishing just 15-17, Ace produced like the top prospect he was, putting up 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game. He did so while showcasing his elite athleticism, rangy size, and patented tough shot-making.

Despite him mostly meeting expectations as an 18-year-old at Rutgers, Bailey has easily been the most heavily scrutinized prospect in his class. He's still expected to go in the top five, but some draft analysts and pundits have assessed him as if he's a guaranteed bust, a player to avoid at all costs.

There are real concerns regarding his game, such as his shaky handle, limited playmaking scope, and questionable shot selection as a Scarlet Knight. That said, the way he's been dissected so far during this draft cycle has been incredibly unfair. Everything he's done has been dissected and slandered.

It began with his measurements. No, Ace Bailey did not stand 6'10" barefoot. He was, however, recorded as 6'7.5" tall. In the past, NBA players were almost always measured in shoes, which added about two inches in height. That would put Bailey at 6'9.5"... or, virtually, 6'10". The amount of backlash that came when his height was announced would suggest that he clocked in at 6'5 or under. He might not be an official 6'10", but he measured just a quarter-inch shorter than Cooper Flagg, and nary a soul has had a problem with Flagg being dubbed as 6'10".

His quotes coming out of the combine so far have been the subject of even more controversy. When asked how he was able to hit so many tough looks at Rutgers, he stated that he practices shots that might be considered bad when he's training. That was met with an uproar from his detractors, who hailed it as proof that he'll never be a team player in the NBA. He also had a soundbite make the rounds in which he was asked to give a scouting report on himself and detail his top two strengths and his greatest weakness. In jest, he responded:

"I ain't got no weaknesses, and I got more than two strengths, big dog."

Despite it being an obvious joke, his staunchest critics still ran with the quote. The NBA Draft is still over a month away, but Bailey has already been established as the biggest underdog in the class, despite being the number-two prospect coming out of high school. All the incoming noise has yet to shake his confidence. Hopefully, that'll continue as he embarks on his NBA career.