Ace Bailey drops 2-word reaction to Dylan Harper’s NBA Draft decision

Ace Bailey showed his support for Dylan Harper after the Rutgers star announced on Monday that he would be entering the 2025 NBA draft. Bailey and Harper became close friends after spending their freshman seasons together at Rutgers.

Bailey shared a post from Bleacher Report Hoops about Harper's draft decision on his Instagram story and dropped a two-word reaction

"My shortyyyy," Bailey wrote.

Ace Bailey showed his support for Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper on his Instagram story on Monday after the latter declared for the 2025 NBA draft. Source: Instagram/@acebailey

Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are both projected to land inside the top five of the upcoming draft, which will be held in June. Cooper Flagg is expected to be the No. 1 pick after living up to the hype in his freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils. He led Duke to the Final Four, averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in this year's NCAA Tournament.

Comparing Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper's numbers for Rutgers

Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper failed to lead the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Tournament, but they still put up impressive numbers this season.

Harper led the team in scoring and assists, averaging 19.4 points and 4.0 dimes through 29 games for the Scarlet Knights, who finished the season with a 15-17 overall record. He also displayed his defensive prowess, averaging a team-best 1.4 steals per contest.

Harper scored at least 30 points three times this season, including a career-high 37-point explosion against Alabama on Nov. 27. He wreaked havoc against the Crimson Tide defense, shooting 11-for-19 from the field and 15-for-16 from the free-throw line.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (#2) celebrates in front of guard Ace Bailey (#4) during the second half of their game against the UCLA Bruins at Jersey Mike's Arena. Photo: Imagn

Bailey finished his freshman season as the team's leading rebounder, averaging 7.2 boards per contest. He also led the team in shot blocks, averaging 1.3 per game. Bailey was Rutgers' second-leading scorer behind Harper, averaging 17.6 points through 30 games.

Bailey's best offensive performance of the season came against the Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 2, when he dropped a career-high 39 points. He shot 16-for-29 from the floor in that 84-74 loss, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Bailey also had eight rebounds and four blocks in that contest.