Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey Shine in Win Over Nebraska

On Thursday, the Rutgers duo of forward Ace Bailey and guard Dylan Harper against propelled their team to a win, each thriving in a variety of areas to take down Nebraska, 85-82.

With around three minutes remaining in the game, Harper finished back-to-back layups, pushing the Scarlet Knights’ lead out of reach for the Cornhuskers. From there, Bailey would show his potential on both ends in nabbing a steal and hitting free throws to seal the game.

All in all, the two would combine for 45 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and five stocks.

Bailey continued to show off his improved game, scoring a team-high 24 points on 50% shooting, cashing in on four of his seven 3-pointers attempted. He came down 11 rebounds, dished an important four assists and saw one of his best defensive games yet, sending three blocks and nabbing one steal.

While Harper got off to a slow shooting start, he quickly came around, scoring 21 points in total on 8-for-17 shooting, hitting three of eight threes and adding five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

While Bailey has shown high points throughout the entire season, there’s been low points in the form of inefficient shooting, little to no distribution and inconsistent defense. Through conference play, he’s quelled plenty, scoring the ball more effectively, dishing six assists in his last two games, as well as registering six blocks and two steals.

Bailey's looked much more defensively versatile than many thought coming into the season. Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI: "There is still reason for optimism on the defensive end given his elite physical tools, athleticism and motor. At a minimum, he’s equipped with everything he needs to at least be a solid defender. But if he puts it all together on that end, we’re talking about a two-way playmaker who can run an offense but also disrupt opponents defensively."

Harper’s low point came after an illness, where he saw some of his lower scoring outputs of the season. It seems he’s well past that now, looking more like the talented heliocentric scorer he’s often been.

Other than his short-lived dry spell, Harper's been a steadying presence for the Scarlet Knights all season long. Per NBA Draft on SI's earlier scouting report on the jumbo guard: "What stands out about Harper relative to other players his age is the poise. He’s consistent and reliable with an incredible natural feel on both ends. He’s a smooth lefty with length and has a frame that should have no problem adding more weight to be NBA-ready as a rookie. He isn’t an elite athlete but makes up for it in other ways."

There’s little question about the two’s overall talent level, and both are now cruising towards becoming top three-to-five picks in the 2025 NBA Draft fairly comfortably.

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