Five-Star Plus+ SF Ace Bailey signs with Rutgers

Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern Five-Star Plus+ small forward Ace Bailey has signed with Rutgers.

The 6-foot-9, 210-pounder is the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Bailey is the highest-ranked prospect to ever pledge to the Scarlet Knights. He committed on Jan. 15 and is currently one of four recruits in Steve Pikiell’s 2024 class — which ranks inside the top 25 of the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

“There is a clear upside here. When you see Ace Bailey play, you see the positional size, the appropriate length, and unique athleticism. The ball skills are developing along with the body control. While still showing some inconsistencies, there is clear and continued development over the past 12 months,” On3’s Jamie Shaw wrote of Bailey.

“Bailey has the tools and top-end upside to dominate the competition every time he steps on the court. The flashes continue to impress.”

He has an On3 NIL Valuation of $540K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Ace Bailey Scouting Summary

“Ace Bailey has good size, great length, and plays with a lot of explosive pop. His game is at the rim as he gets up high in traffic and looks to get on the rim at any time. He is at his best when he is attacking the front of the rim. He has perimeter skills, some handles, some range, and a nice release on the jumper. The perimeter aspect needs to tighten up, as it is raw at this point. He also needs to go through some time to figure out who he is. He is at his best, playing 15 feet and heading toward the rim. The upside here is high, a lot of natural tools that many just don’t have. There is some upside on defense; he is twitchy and is explosive with nice timing.

…Currently a combo forward, Bailey has more than adequate positional size and length if his long-term play is at either forward position. Watching his progression over the past 12 months, you can see his perimeter skills developing. Bailey has always had touch on his jump shot, but the balance and the footwork getting into his shot are getting cleaner. He is still organizing the shot mechanics off the bounce, but the shot off the catch is a weapon.”