Ace Bailey shares special bond with Rutgers’ teammate Dylan Harper, going beyond their college careers

Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are days away from fulfilling their childhood dream of joining the NBA. The league's Instagram page posted an interview with Bailey on Friday, ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, where the former Rutgers big man discussed his special bond with Harper.

Bailey, in a game called Get to Know, was asked some fun facts about himself by host Jamiersen Green. He was asked whether he and Harper played together before teaming up at Rutgers.

"We played in tournaments together," Bailey said. "So we played at Rutgers like our full season, but we played in some tournaments together."

Ace Bailey played a part in recruiting Dylan Harper to Rutgers, regularly calling him during their high school days to convince him to join the Scarlet Knights ahead of the 2024-25 season. Bailey had committed to join Rutgers in January 2023.

Harper decided to test his partnership with Bailey on the court before committing to Rutgers. He joined forces with Bailey on the AAU circuit in April 2023, with the talented duo playing together in the Athletes of Tomorrow team.

Harper enjoyed teaming up with Bailey before joining the Scarlet Knights in December 2023. Harper's arrival sent Rutgers fans into a frenzy, as it was the first time the school landed a pair of potential top-five talents in their freshman class.

Despite posting impressive individual numbers for Rutgers in the 2024-25 season, Bailey and Harper failed to lead the Scarlet Knights to this year's March Madness, finishing the season with a 15-17 overall record. Rutgers finished 11th in the Big Ten Conference, posting a disappointing 8-12 slate.

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How Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper fared for Rutgers in the 2024-25 NCAA season

Rutgers players Dylan Harper (#2) and Ace Bailey (4) look on during the second half against Minnesota at Jersey Mike's Arena. Photo: Imagn

Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey cemented their status as lottery picks in this year's NBA draft after bailing out in their freshman seasons at Rutgers. Harper, who's projected to be picked second by the San Antonio Spurs, led the Scarlet Knights in scoring, steals and assists in the 2024-25 NCAA season.

Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.0 dimes and 1.4 steals through 29 games in his first year with Rutgers. He was also the team's second-leading rebounder, averaging 4.6 boards per contest.

Bailey ended his first season with the Rutgers as their leading rebounder and shot blocker, with 7.2 boards and 1.3 blocks per game. He was also the Scarlet Knights' second-leading scorer, averaging 17.6 points.

Edited by Bhargav