BROOKLYN, N.Y. – After a disappointing basketball season in Piscataway last season, Rutgers fans had a reason to cheer during the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Barclays Center in Brooklyn was the scene as two of the most exciting players in the 2025 draft class, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, sat to hear their names called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
The Dallas Mavericks had the first pick in the draft and they took Cooper Flagg from Duke University. Soon after, the San Antonio Spurs were up to pick at number two. Although the Spurs have De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle on their roster as starting guards, they still decided to add Harper to that mix at number two and bolster their roster for next season.
The Spurs have had the Rookie of the Year for two years in a row with Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. In his press conference after being drafted, Harper said to reporters that winning the award is a goal of his.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine to make it three in a row. I think the coaching staff and the players are going to make it easy for me to go out there and showcase my talent, so definitely,” said Harper.
With the selection, Harper becomes the highest NBA draftee in Rutgers history.
After being projected to go to Philadelphia with the number three pick, Bailey was part of much noise before the draft after canceling his visits and workout with the team. Bailey and his representatives faced heavy criticism from reporters and former players.
It wasn’t long after that his teammate, Ace Bailey, was called with the fifth pick. The Utah Jazz adds Ace to their roster, where he’ll pair up with Lauri Markkanen and John Collins as they look to improve in the competitive Western Conference. In his press conference after being selected, Bailey gave reporters his thoughts on joining the team in Utah.
“Just a blessing. The little kid in me is smiling hard right now, because I know the hard work, the sacrifice, the blood, the sweat, the tears not just for me but my family put into this. The little kid in me is just smiling at me right now, so I’m just blessed to be here,” said Bailey. The forward also pointed out that he had “no idea” the Jazz had an interest in picking him with the number five pick.
Bailey also expressed his feelings for his teammate Harper getting picked with the number two pick. “I almost shed a tear when his name was called like it was mine. He’s a brother to me. That’s my day one. We’re brothers. Blood don’t make us brothers, but we’re brothers,” said Bailey.
With Harper going to San Antonio and Bailey heading to Utah, Scarlet Knight fans will have two new NBA teams to root for as the pair become the highest draft selections in school history.
It will be interesting to see how they pan out next season, as Harper is seen as a great playmaker and a threat in the pick-and-roll. On the other hand, Bailey is seen as one of the few pure scorers in this year’s draft, and it should be exciting to see how he grows into his own in Utah.
