Rutgers’ two prized freshmen lived up to the hype in their first live action Thursday night.
Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey showcased flashes of their high ceiling and advanced shotmaking.
They dazzled from deep. They didn’t show jitters or nerves.
Even in a 91-85 exhibition loss to St. John’s at Jersey Mike’s Arena, it was everything a Rutgers fan could have wanted to see out of the two projected top-10 NBA draft picks who have created attention and buzz for this Big Ten program.
“Dylan is, for a freshman, so under control,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said afterward. “He plays like a senior. He’s got a lot of [Walt] ‘Clyde’ Frazier in the way he plays. He was amazing and Ace Bailey just has great talent. Both of them are great. They deserve the rankings they are getting.”
Harper was the steadier of the two, notching 20 points and four rebounds, while the 6-foot-10 Bailey the more explosive with 25 points and four made 3-pointers.
They both looked deserving of the immense hype they are receiving.
More than 20 NBA scouts were on hand, including general managers from the Nets, Magic and Raptors.
At one point early in the second half, Bailey hit back-to-back deep 3-pointers.
Later in the game, the 6-6 Harper reeled off six consecutive points, first hitting a 3-pointer, then sinking a pull-up jumper and drawing the foul. Both repeatedly made tough contested shots all night.
Down the stretch, St. John’s was the better team, erasing a 12-point second-half deficit.
But there was a lot to like for the Scarlet Knights, even if they were beaten soundly on the glass and on the short end of a 14-2 run to end the exhibition.
“Those two kids [Harper and Bailey] are talented. I like the pieces, too, that we surrounded these guys with,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “We can move pieces around, too. They’re great kids, first and foremost. They’re really good passers. They have to learn some things, college defense is something they’re going to continue to get better at. But they’re exciting. I’m thankful for this whole group. Those two fit right in perfectly with us.”
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