NBA Draft: Ace Bailey got grilled while Dylan Harper got softballs before big night

Yahoo

8 hours ago

NEW YORK – Dylan Harper stepped to the dais for NBA Draft media day and fielded questions about the first player jersey he ever owned ('besides my father's, Paul George'), whether he's in touch with his Filipino side ('I would like get out there sometime and rep') and what he thinks of Southwestern cuisine ('I've had a breakfast taco, it's not as good as a bagel, egg and cheese but it's close').
There were more questions, but you get the idea. The softballs kept coming, and Harper was having a blast swinging away.
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A few minutes later, Ace Bailey entered the room for his media session and the gloves came off. He was grilled, fastball after fastball, and although Bailey tried his best to be good natured, it seemed like torture.
Mar 9, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) and Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
On canceling a pre-draft workout for the Philadelphia 76ers:
'I'm just working on basketball,' he said. 'That's all I'm working on.'
On perceptions that he's difficult to deal with because he didn't do any pre-draft workouts and ESPN's reporting that he's made a poor impression with NBA executives:
'I can only control what I can control – me playing basketball,' he said. 'People are going to think what they think.'
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On the dynamics of his inner circle:
'They control what they control,' he said. 'I control what I control – the basketball. They control the other things.'
On his message to critics who think his shot selection is poor:
'I don't really got no message,' he said. 'I control what I control.'
There were about a dozen more exchanges like that until the media throng dwindled and Bailey got to discuss some other things, but you get the idea.
This was a tale of two Rutgers alums heading into the 2025 NBA Draft: One a feel-good story about the son of five-time NBA champ Ron Harper taking the reins of the family business, the other about a generally likable young guy who's been painted as a villain – with even the governor of Pennsylvania referring to him as bad news – because of the way his representatives have handled the pre-draft process.
Harper defended Bailey
Dylan Harper speaks during a Media Availability session prior to the 2025 NBA Draft at Lotte New York Palace on June 24, 2025 in New York City.
One person who spoke up on Bailey's behalf was Harper, the Don Bosco Prep grad and Bergen County native who developed a bond with Bailey as fellow freshmen at Rutgers this past season.
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'Ace is a great kid,' Harper said. 'Whatever team takes him is going to be very happy, very lucky. For both of us, this is a dream come true.'
Asked about the way Bailey's camp has handled the pre-draft process, Harper replied, 'I'm not going to get too deep into it, but for him, he just wants to play basketball. He's going to make his way – however he has to get there.'
Harper was thoroughly prepared for his pre-draft close-up. The point guard was asked several questions about the San Antonio Spurs, who are widely expected to select him with the No. 2 overall pick despite being already guard-rich.
'Positionless basketball is a thing in this league,' he said. 'The way to be the best is play with the best players – being one of those guy who fits in even if you have to sacrifice.'
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He tipped his cap to his family. His big brother Ron Harper Jr., also a former Rutgers standout, has been by his side for most of the pre-draft process and was staying with him in New York City during draft week. His mom Maria Harper 'coached me from first grade to senior year of high school' and his father instilled a sense of what it took to play at the highest level.
He also nodded to his time at Rutgers.
'It probably didn't go as everybody expected, but it shaped me to be a better man off the court and a better player on the court, with the coaching staff pouring it all into me for that one year,' he said. 'Obviously what matters most is winning and we didn't do a lot of winning, but from the beginning of the season me and Ace developed a lot. Just playing on the same court as him, I'll miss that, but it was special.'
Bailey repped the Block R
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 24: Ace Bailey speaks during a Media Availability session prior to the 2025 NBA Draft at Lotte New York Palace on June 24, 2025 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by)
Ace Bailey walked out in a Rutgers basketball hoodie, the block R on his chest – one of the few players to don college gear at the pre-draft interview session.
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'I love Rutgers – I'm supporting the home team,' he said when asked about the attire. 'I grew a lot mentally, physically and IQ-wise there. Rutgers fans are the best. They were so supportive of me. I felt the love everywhere we went.'
He called Harper 'my best friend' and said of him, 'he's going to put people in position to succeed' on any NBA team.
Bailey talked about how he taught himself to Yo-Yo as a kid, how he wants to give back to his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee and how much energy he's going to bring wherever he goes.
Where that is, no one knows. He could go as high as No. 3 or drop several spots. It's the biggest wild card in the draft, largely because of the way he's been handled, and a situation he did not want to discuss.
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'It's a blessing to play basketball every day,' he said, fending off questions about his interest in playing for the Nets, the Wizards and seemingly half the teams in the draft. 'I'll be blessed wherever I go.'
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NBA Draft: Ace Bailey. Dylan Harper face totally different questions