How Two Freshmen Phenoms Are Changing Rutgers Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Step into Steve Pikiell’s office on the fourth floor of Rutgers’ Athletic Performance Center, and you’ll find a story waiting to be told. Behind the Rutgers men’s basketball coach sits a wall adorned with three basketball-sized glass display cases. Each one represents a dream, a goal, a milestone yet to be achieved.
The bottom case, labeled “NCAA Tournament,” holds a ball commemorating Rutgers’ victory over Clemson in the 2021 tournament. That win marked the Scarlet Knights’ first NCAA tournament appearance since 1991 and their first tournament win since 1983. The other two cases, however, remain empty. One is marked “Final Four,” and the other, “National Championship.”
When Pikiell took over the program in 2016, Rutgers hadn’t had a winning season in over a decade and hadn’t finished above .500 in conference play in 25 years. Yet, he had these cases built, a bold statement of his vision for the program. Since then, Pikiell has led Rutgers to two NCAA tournament appearances and its first top-25 ranking in more than 40 years. But as those empty cases suggest, the journey is far from over.
“We’re getting dusty,” Pikiell joked in late November. “We need to fill a couple more.”
The Season of Potential
This season, Rutgers basketball is buzzing with excitement. For just the second time since 1979, the Scarlet Knights earned a preseason top-25 ranking. The reason? Two names: Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. These two freshmen are not just any recruits; they are two of the top three players in the 2024 high school class and projected top-five picks in next summer’s NBA draft.
For a program like Rutgers, landing one player of this caliber is rare. Landing two? Practically unheard of. But with great talent comes great expectations. The Scarlet Knights started the season strong, winning their first four games against mid-major opponents. However, a loss to Kennesaw State knocked them out of the AP Top 25. Now, they face a grueling stretch of games, including matchups against Notre Dame, Alabama, and Ohio State, all within the next 12 days. This stretch will be a litmus test for whether this team can live up to its potential and, perhaps, fill one of those empty glass cases.
“Dylan and Ace can do things that normal people don’t do,” Pikiell said. “Then we have guys around them that can do some things. So if we can put it all together, we’re pretty exciting, I think.”
The Beginning of a Dynamic Duo
The first time Bailey and Harper teamed up was in April 2023, playing for an Athletes of Tomorrow grassroots team at the Tip-Off Classic in Atlanta. Bailey, who had already committed to Rutgers three months earlier, was eager to show Harper what they could achieve together. Harper, whose older brother Ron Harper Jr. was a Rutgers legend, was still weighing his college options.
The chemistry between the two was immediate. “That s— was fun,” Bailey said. “The whole gym was just eyes on us, too. Knowing the whole gym was coming in to watch us, just to put on a show, doing what we do best, and then we’re playing together. It’s just fun.”
Harper echoed the sentiment. “He told me from day one, he said the ball is in your hands. Like, I’m going to rely on you,” Harper said. “So that really hit me because the trust he has in me, I know that I got just as much in him.”
Off the court, their bond grew just as quickly. “It was more so the bonding that took place outside of the games,” said Damon Wilson, the program director for AOT. “Hanging out, going to dinner, listening to music, talking. Spending a whole weekend together, that’s where they grew.”
Changing the Culture
For Harper, Bailey’s decision to commit to Rutgers was a game-changer. “When Ace committed, it was like, dang, he’s coming here,” Harper said. “He’s from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and he believes in the program. Why shouldn’t I?”
Bailey and Harper’s arrival has injected new energy into the program. At practice, Bailey’s infectious enthusiasm is on full display as he sings Kurtis Blow’s 1984 classic, “Basketball.” Harper, while more reserved, matches Bailey’s intensity on the court. Together, they are setting the tone for a team that hopes to leave a lasting legacy.
- Harper is averaging 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists through five games.
- Bailey, after missing the first two games due to injury, scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Merrimack.
- Rutgers has won 68 consecutive home games at Jersey Mike’s Arena, affectionately known as “The RAC.”
The Road Ahead
Despite their talent, the Scarlet Knights are learning that success won’t come easy. Their loss to Kennesaw State was a wake-up call. “Ace is a good player, and you got to live through these opportunities and live through some of these experiences,” Pikiell said after the game. “I have a lot of faith in him.”
Now, Rutgers faces a critical stretch of games that could define their season. The Players Era Festival in Las Vegas offers a chance to prove themselves on a national stage. But with tough opponents like Notre Dame and Alabama, the road won’t be easy.
“You got to get off the mat,” Pikiell said. “This is a big boy league, and we’re playing Notre Dame and Alabama and whoever else, so we don’t have a lot of time to feel sorry for ourselves.”
For Bailey and Harper, this is their moment to shine. “Me and Ace and the rest of the team, we can do something very big that people haven’t seen in New Jersey in a long time,” Harper said. “We can make this a school [where] people, not just from Jersey but out of Jersey, want to come here and do what we did.”
As Pikiell put it, “We’re blessed to have them here for a year. And we smile a lot more.”
Originally Written by: Jeff Borzello
