Whenever and wherever Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey were playing basketball, be it during the high school season or on the AAU circuit, they could just about always count on one person being in the stands for them.
Rutgers men’s basketball head coach Steve Pikiell.
Pikiell and others from the Rutgers program were a mainstay in gyms for each of them throughout the years. They could’ve been playing a game on the moon and Pikiell would’ve found a way to be there.
Loyalty has always mattered for Bailey, and Rutgers was one of the first programs to reach out to him. As he soared in the recruiting rankings and offers poured in from the likes of Kentucky and Kansas, Pikiell and Rutgers were still there, as they’d always been.
It stood out, so he committed to join the Scarlet Knights in January of 2023, well over a year before his high school graduation. Following an overtime win over Ohio State, Bailey entered the Rutgers locker room to tell Pikiell he was committing.
Pikeill threw his arms around him and pointed at his team, which showered Bailey with cheers and ruffled his hair after they realized what had happened.
“He’s a very genuine guy,” Bailey says of Pikiell. “He cares. Not just on the court but off the court, he’s gonna make sure you’re fine off the court also.”
Pikiell is entering his ninth season leading a Rutgers program he’s brought from the Big Ten’s basement to top half finishes and NCAA tournament appearances. He’s taken down AP No. 1 ranked teams and taken the Knights to back-to-back March Madness berths for the first time since the 1970s.
He says the waiting list to get tickets at the Rutgers Athletic Center, now known as Jersey Mike’s Arena, is about 1,400 people. When he arrived at Rutgers, he’s not sure they could’ve gotten 1,400 students in the stands.
But he’s the last guy to take credit for that change.
“The head coach gets way too much credit,” Pikiell says. “We have the Riot Squad, we have a marketing team, our band is awesome and they’re into it. We have cheerleaders and dance teams and their families come. It takes everyone, really.”
That mentality extends when he’s asked about recruiting Bailey and Harper, the two five-star freshmen that will hope to lead the Scarlet Knights to new heights this upcoming season. He took time to emphasize the other three freshmen, praising Lathan Sommerville’s approach, Bryce Dortch’s motor and Dylan Grant’s athleticism.
“My staff did a fantastic job,” Pikiell said of the recruiting process. “They all wanted to play with each other.”
That rise played a part in Rutgers landing Bailey and Harper, two five-star freshmen with potential futures in the NBA. The program already had a path to Harper after his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., spent multiple years starring in Piscataway.
The family aspect played a big role with Harper and Pikiell takes time to emphasize how great the Harper family has been in his program. Harper Jr. spends plenty of time around Piscataway and still uses Rutgers’ facilities when he needs to get a workout in, as do plenty of other Scarlet Knights alumni.
“We wanted him to know that we would take care of him the same way we took care of his brother,” Pikiell said. “Blessed that he gave us that opportunity.”
With Bailey and Harper around, NBA scouts have been spending plenty of time at the RAC to take in practices and scrimmages. The two even spent a day working out with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo at a Nike Basketball event in New York City.
Bailey lists Antetokounmpo as being among his NBA role models along with Kevin Durant, Paul George and Jayson Tatum.
The two will be at the next level, each is projected as a lottery pick as high as the top-5 range for the 2025 NBA draft. But before that, they’ll look to have a season to remember with Rutgers.
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