Rutgers Basketball had a historic 2024 recruiting class, led by 5-star and top-3 overall prospects Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. The two freshmen had great individual campaigns, with Harper producing 19.4 ppg and 4.0 apg, while Bailey averaged 17.6 ppg and 7.2 rpg.
Unfortunately, the team's success wasn’t there, as the Scarlet Knights went 15-17 overall and missed out on the NCAA Tournament, despite being a preseason top-25 team. Still, that didn’t stop NBA scouts from coveting the two young stars throughout the draft process.
On Wednesday night, both players were picked in the top-5 overall, along with Duke. Here’s where the two ended up.
Dylan Harper - No. 2 (San Antonio Spurs)
The Spurs are a franchise on the rise, led by 7’5 star big man, Victor Wembanyama. They have this past season’s Rookie of the Year (Stephon Castle), along with De’Aaron Fox, an all-star guard whom the team traded for at the trade deadline. Look for Harper to star and become a focal point on offense for the Spurs, who could be title contenders in a short time.
Ace Bailey - No. 5 (Utah Jazz)
Utah was tied with the worst record (17-65) this past season, and the lottery balls didn’t work in their favor. They’re a rebuilding franchise who are swinging for the fences with Bailey, a player with a very high ceiling as a prospect. The Jazz are lacking a true franchise player to build around, outside of maybe guard Keyonte George. We’ll see if Bailey is someone who can become an all-star and turn the franchise into a winner.
On paper, Harper is in the clear ideal situation, though he may not be a top-three option on the team and will have to play in the background. Bailey could be an early Rookie of the Year candidate, though the Jazz’s odds of making the playoffs aren’t going to be high next season.