In an episode of “The Knight Podcast”, Rutgers star Ace Bailey shared the story of a turning point in high school basketball.
Three months ago, he hosted a podcast on the official Rutgers Men's Basketball YouTube channel. Jeremiah Williams and two of the top recruits in Rutgers history, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. They discussed their high school basketball careers, college recruiting, their favorites NBA players etc.
One of the highlights of the podcast is Ace Bailey's high school comeback moment. Ace recently transferred from Boyd-Buchanan School in Chattanooga, Tennessee to McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia and has received limited playing time.
“I started high school back home in Chattanooga … And then I transferred as a sophomore. My sophomore year … I only played like three or four games in transition” (24:43-24:58).
When asked the exact moment he started flying, Ace replied:
“My eighth grade year going into my freshman year, I went to a camp in Kansas. It was like a bunch of hoops over there, like Crossroads Elite. It made me grow. I mean, carrying what I did at that camp into school ball. It really blew up from there” (25:11- 25:36).
Ace also touched on how he's adjusting to college life:
“I mean, it's been great. Summer workouts have been fun. We've been working out in the weight room, on the court, off the court…everything has been fun, it's been great. So keep building it” (1:20- 1:33).
6-foot-10 Ace Bailey has committed to play college basketball at Rutgers as a five-star recruit and one of the top players in the Class of 2024. As a senior, the 18-year-old shooting guard averaged 32.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. His stellar performances earned him a selection to the 2024 McDonald's All-America Game and earned him the 2024 Mr. Georgia Basketball Award.
What to Make of Ace Bailey's College Career at Rutgers to Date
The 18-year-old shooting guard is quickly making a name for himself in college basketball. In just nine games for Rutgers, he's already showing impressive skills. Bailey is currently averaging 17.9 points per game and has proven to be a formidable presence on the court this season, recording ten steals and seven blocks.
Although he still has room to grow, his performance so far shows that he is well on his way to becoming a great player. As he continues to develop, Rutgers fans can look forward to even more dominant performances reminiscent of his high school days.
Edited by Nadim El Kak