Watch: Rutgers' Bailey delivers one of the best dunks of the year

Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey. John Jones-Imagn Images

Watch: Rutgers' Ace Bailey delivers one of the best dunks of the year

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 8:52 PM ET

It has not been a great year for the Rutgers men's basketball team. But for as underwhelming as the results have been on a team level, it does have a pair of players that are expected to be among the top-five picks in the 2025 NBA Draft in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.

Both players are must-see on most nights, and Bailey demonstrated why on Tuesday night when he delivered one of the best dunks of the college basketball season against Purdue.

ACE BAILEY HOOKS IT! What a jam! @AiriousB x @RutgersMBB pic.twitter.com/tlJatR9iPc
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 5, 2025

That is an impressive dunk, and the type of play that has Bailey near the top of most draft boards.

Bailey and Harper also made some history on Tuesday night by becoming the first set of Big Ten freshman teammates to each record 500 points in a season since Chris Webber and Jalen Rose did it for Michigan.

Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are the first Big Ten freshman duo to score 500+ in a season since Chris Webber and Jalen Rose pic.twitter.com/SJkzV63vpA
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 5, 2025

Unfortunately for Rutgers, having two players of that caliber has done nothing to make the program competitive in the Big Ten this season. After the 100-71 loss, the Scarlet Knights are 14-16 overall on the season and only 7-12 in conference play.

Usually when a college basketball team has two elite players like this the minimum expectation is an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Barring a miracle run in the conference tournament, the Scarlet Knights will not come close to that this season.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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