Top NBA Draft prospect measures significantly shorter than college height

While Cooper Flagg is the talk of the town ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, he isn't the only star prospect set to make the jump to the pros. One of the other top prospects available is Ace Bailey, but a surprising revelation at the 2025 NBA draft combine could hurt his stock.

Bailey starred for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during his lone collegiate season, averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 46% from the floor. Standing a 6'10, Bailey is a phenom given that he plays as an oversized guard, rather than a forward like many folks his height would.

However, during the draft combine, an eye-opening revelation was made about Bailey that could impact how teams view him. While he was listed as 6'10 by Rutgers for the 2024-25 campaign, he ended up measuring in at 6'7 1/2 while standing barefoot, which is a significant decrease from the height many teams initially believed him to be.

"Rutgers’ Ace Bailey’s official measurements from the NBA Draft Combine: 6’7 1/2 barefoot, 202.8 lbs with a 7’0 ½" wingspan and 8’11" standing reach," Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported on Monday.

Despite this, Bailey remains one of the top prospects in the 2025 draft class, as he's widely believed to be in line to be the No. 3 overall pick behind Flagg and his fellow Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper. The 2025 NBA draft order will be set during the 2025 draft lottery, which is set to take place at 7 p.m. ET on Monday night.