Rutgers’ Bailey makes play for top of NBA Draft in win at Northwestern
A Rutgers-Northwestern game isn't usually the place to scout NBA lottery picks.
But Rutgers might have two players at the top of the 2025 draft. One of them, guard Dylan Harper, didn't play Wednesday at Welsh-Ryan Arena due to an ankle injury. Harper's absence gave the other freshman, 6-foot-10 Ace Bailey, a chance to let loose.
Bailey exploded for 37 points, hitting 13 of 20 shots from the field as the Scarlet Knights beat Northwestern 79-72.
A recent NBA mock draft by Bleacher Report had Harper and Bailey going Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, behind Duke's Cooper Flagg. That means it will take some extreme lottery luck for either of them to end up on the Bulls.
Harper, the son of former Bulls guard Ron Harper, got the jump among draft prospects by unleashing back-to-back games of 36 and 37 points against Notre Dame and Alabama in November. He suffered the ankle injury last week against Penn State and was limited when Rutgers played Michigan State over the weekend.
Bailey got off to a slower start, but this was his third 30-point game in Big Ten play. Including Wednesday, he's now hit 15 of 25 attempts from 3-point range.
NU coach Chris Collins compared Bailey to Kevin Durant, as a 6-foot-10 forward who lives mostly on the perimeter, and the description fit in this game.
Bailey hit 9 of 10 shots from the field in the first half, including all 4 looks from 3-point range, for 24 points and the Scarlet Knights led 43-35 at halftime.
Bailey grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, then moved to Powder Springs, Georgia, after his freshman year of high school. He's the highest-rated recruit in Rutgers men's basketball history.
Rutgers (11-10, 4-6) has been considered a disappointment so far this season because their star power hasn't translated to a winning record. But it's not over yet.
Northwestern (12-9, 3-7) needs a big finish to make its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and this result won't help the cause. The Wildcats host Wisconsin on Saturday.
Northwestern is not a very deep team, but its 1-2 punch can be as good as any team in the Big Ten. So the Cats have a tendency to turn up the intensity when needed and have some strong finishes at home.
But this was a night when there seemed to be a lid on the basket for the Wildcats, who shot 42.4% as a team. Forward Nick Martinelli started the day tied with Bailey for the Big Ten scoring lead, but lost some ground with just 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Senior Brooks Barnhizer could never get going, with just 10 points, while guard Jalen Leach led the Wildcats with 23.
A couple other tall Rutgers freshmen are 6-10 Lathan Sommerville from Peoria Richwoods and 6-9 Bryce Dortch, which gave Martinelli and Barnhizer some long arms to shoot over.
The final score was as close at it got down the stretch. The last nail may have been when Bailey drained a corner 3 to put Rutgers ahead 55-44 with 11:19 left and turned to stare down the Northwestern band before heading downcourt.