Rutgers Scarlet Knights Duo Called Out for Poor Record in Lone Season at Rutgers

An NBA exec. hesitant on Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey ahead of the draft after lack of team success at Rutgers.

Jan 13, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) celebrates in front of guard Ace Bailey (4) during the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

If you spent any time watching the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the 2024-25 season, you probably wondered how the team missed the NCAA Tournament with two elite recruits.

There was an abudance of hype surronding Rutgers preseason with Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey entering as top-three recruits out of high school.

Fast forward to the end of the season and Rutgers finished below .500 with losses to Kennessaw State and Princeton.

How could a team with this level of star power finish 15-17 and miss out on the NCAA Tournament?

The question has been asked countless times and this includes from an NBA executive.

During a conversation with David Aldridge about Harper, a Western Conference executive discussed the lack of success at Rutgers.

"What I struggle with most is you have him and Ace Bailey, who are top five players in this draft, and you couldn't post a winning record in college and in the Big Ten," said the executive. "That's converning to me. What's missing there?"

Harper and Bailey combined to score 37 points per game in their only season at Rutgers. Both players are expected to be selected early in the draft with Harper gaining traction as the clear-cut No. 2 pick to the San Antonio Spurs.

This did not lead to team success as the Scarlet Knights struggled to find an identity all year long.

"That's a little bit of an issue to me, how much he can impact winning," the exec. said of Harper. "But I can't put it all on his shoulders."

The executive continued on to praise the physical traits Harper brings.

""Obviously, like the size for the position. I think he’s going to have to be more of the Cade [Cunningham] type," the exec said. "He doesn’t have that elite burst. His thing is he’s big and strong. He’s got to use that to his advantage. His shooting has to get better. But he’s got an understanding and a feel."