Ace Bailey made the All-Big 10 Team as a freshman, and he is expected to find the same success in the NBA if he’s used right.
When the very first mock drafts for 2025 came out, Cooper Flagg was–and has since remained–the consensus top pick. However, Ace Bailey of Rutgers University has slid down the rankings from second overall, and can now be found anywhere between third and tenth.
The Scarlet Knights missed the NCAA Tournament, so it makes sense that his stock would take a hit, although in recent memory top players either underwhelmed in or missed the tournament entirely, and Bailey should be classified with those players.
As a 6-foot-10 forward, Bailey has tools on both ends of the floor to thrive, and any general manager who overthinks the draft and passes on him will be remembered for that poor choice.
Here’s everything fans need to know about Bailey before the draft.
- Age/Date of Birth: 18 (August 13, 2006)
- Nationality: American
- Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 210lbs
- College: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Career stats: 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks, 46.0 FG%, 34.6 3PT%
- NCAA Tournament stats: N/A
- Career highs: 39 points (vs. Indiana), 15 rebounds (vs. Penn State), 4 assists (vs. Nebraska, vs. Iowa)
- NBA comparison: Rashard Lewis
He’s a 6-foot-10 forward who moves like a true wing and can elevate to get his shot off against anyone guarding him. He is the premier 3-level scorer in the draft and is the ultimate tough-shot maker.
He is a solid defender who can block shots and dance with a ball-handler on the defender, although he likely won’t be a star-stopper. His explosive athleticism will benefit greatly on both ends of the floor, although his offense is what he will be known for.
He can pull up off the dribble and create for himself behind the arc or in the midrange, and has both the height and explosiveness to get above the rim. He could slot in as a jumbo-guard or a weakside shot-blocker, allowing him to fill any role. His versatility is only matched by Flagg.
As with his teammate at Rutgers, Dylan Harper, Bailey suffers from tunnel vision. He often pulls up and takes bad shots, although he frustratingly makes them, so his shot diet remains bloated.
He also doesn’t have the weight to jump with some big men, and can easily be out-bodied on both ends of the floor, so his rebounding prowess in the NCAA might not translate into the NBA. He can also be easily knocked off course when attacking the rim, as he doesn’t absorb contact like a stronger player would.
He can stay in front of smaller players, but might not be able to take a bump and stay on top as a defender, even against smaller players, which is a concern. However, when he jumps to block a shot, he will more often than not get a hand on the ball provided he hasn’t been knocked off his position.
Any team that could use a secondary defender and a scoring punch would be happy to take Bailey. A frontcourt in Charlotte of Moussa Diabate, Tidjane Salaun, and Bailey would be long, athletic, and capable of rebounding by committee.
He would also fit in well next to Nic Claxton in Brooklyn, although the Nets might play their way out of drafting him this season.
A surprise cellar-dweller, the Philadelphia 76ers, could also use him as an eventual Paul George replacement, and if all the tools are there from the jump, a young Bailey could steal George’s spot in the starting lineup. He’s that talented and brings that much versatility to the table.
