Ace Bailey hyped to see Dylan Harper return from injury as Rutgers pulls off major upset vs Illinois: "You can't double me"

Rutgers got its duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey back as the freshmen led the Scarlet Knights over No. 23 Illinois 82-73 on Wednesday. Harper had been struggling with a high ankle sprain for a few weeks and was questionable to play hours before the game.

Bailey had learned about the guard's availability during the pregame shootaround. He later expressed his initial reaction and thoughts to having Harper back in action during the postgame interview.

"It opens up a lot for us, I mean can't double me," Bailey said. "I mean once he gets downhill, he can attack the rim, put pressure on the rim any time, kick out.

"I mean he's 6-foot-6 and he can rebound, so just having another person out there to rebound, open up, playmaker, get us open, attack at the same time that's good," he added.

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Dylan Harper's return pushed Rutgers back to the winning bracket and gave the school its first-ranked win of the season.

He posted 28 points (second-high of his career), six rebounds, five assists and four steals on 46.7% shooting. The lefty guard consistently attacked the basket, collapsing the Fighting Illini's defenses and garnering 12 attempts from the charity stripe.

Shared offensive responsibilities enabled Ace Bailey to impact the game on both ends. The 6-foot-10 guard garnered 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks on 53.8% shooting for his seventh double-double. It was also his first game where he did not attempt a single 3-pointer.

Ace Bailey hypes PJ Hayes IV in postgame interview

At the end of his postgame interview, Ace Bailey said he was anticipating a big game from PJ Hayes IV, saying that the senior hardly missed shots in the last two practices.

"You should have seen him day before practice, oh my god, ask him, watch this – 'Hey, PJ, before the last two practices, before we just played, how many shots did he miss?,'" Bailey asked Harper who was sitting next to him at the podium.

"One," Harper replied.

"That's two practices, he making full-court one-handed shots," he added.

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PJ Hayes played only four minutes in the contest but made his presence felt. He sank a triple off an assist by Zach Martini, leveling the score to 55. He also grabbed a crucial offense rebound in the final minutes, helping Rutgers hold off Illinois.