Bailey entering NBA draft, shares Rutgers ‘love’

• Jonathan GivonyApr 23, 2025, 08:45 AM ET

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  NBA draft analyst and writer
  Joined ESPN.com in July 2017
  Founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private searching and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and global groups

Rutgers freshman Ace Bailey, the predicted No. 3 pick, will state for the 2025 NBA draft and sign with Omar Cooper of Lifestyle Sports Agency, he told ESPN on Wednesday.

“I wish to thank everyone at Rutgers,” Bailey stated. “The neighborhood for supporting us and taking a trip throughout the nation to enjoy us. My teammates, coaches and support personnel. The donors. The strength and conditioning coach, nutritional expert, supervisors and likewise the security guards, Rob and Julio, for keeping us safe. Everyone pushed me to improve every day, to be the best variation of myself. I am glad for whatever they provided for me. I felt a lot of love from everyone.Editor’s Picks 2 Related”I enjoyed

being in college and playing college basketball. The student area, the chants, the blackout games, the wins and losses. All of it.”

Bailey was called to the Big 10 All-Freshman Team and was third-team All-Big Ten after balancing 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He goes into the draft after coupling with freshman guard Dylan Harper, the projected No. 2 choice, to lead a Scarlet Knights group that didn’t have much skill beyond the star duo and ended up 15-17.

“I did great,” Bailey stated. “I might have done way much better, but I developed this season. The game decreased for me. My IQ got greater. I got much faster and method more powerful. My ballhandling and shooting tightened up. Rutgers had me safeguarding everybody from point guards to power forwards. I found out a lot.”

At 6-foot-10, Bailey boasts exceptional shotmaking expertise. He hit 47 3-pointers in 30 games and erupted 3 times for 30-plus points in Huge 10 play. He is among the youngest potential customers in this draft, not turning 19 up until August, and brings insatiable aggressiveness and high-level intensity defensively to match his impressive scoring instincts.

“I’m nowhere near to reaching my capacity,” Bailey said. “I’m still young, still learning, however I’m working every day. My playmaking is enhancing. NBA teams will get an energetic player ready to talk, lead and put people in the right positions. I can take an excellent group to a better level.”

Bailey is currently in Atlanta, preparing for the predraft procedure. He said he enjoys NBA games nighttime and research studies Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander closely.The NBA draft

combine will be held May 11-18 in Chicago, and the draft will be June 25-26 in New York.Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft professional and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a personal searching and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and worldwide groups.