"An aerial assault waiting to happen": Conflicted college hoops fans draw Ace Bailey comparisons to Cooper Flagg, Jabari Smith Jr

The debut of No. 2-ranked freshman Ace Bailey for Rutgers on Friday night against Monmouth drew mixed reactions from college basketball fans on social media.

Bailey, who tallied 17 points, six rebounds, two steals and one block in 30 minutes for the No. 24 Scarlet Knights' 98-81 win over the Hawks, had basketball followers on X comparing him to his Duke counterpart Cooper Flagg and former Auburn superstar and current Houston Rockets player Jabari Smith Jr.

A college basketball fan was in awe with Bailey's highlight-reel plays, which included a fadeaway jumper and a fastbreak dunk off a Dylan Harper handoff.

"Ace Bailey is an aerial assault waiting to happen. this is elite athleticism," the fan wrote on X.

Another X user isn't buying into his lofty ranking, pointing out he is far beyond the skills of Duke superstar Cooper Flagg.

"Check out Ace Bailey, it ain’t just Cooper," the NCAA fan opined.

Some fans, however, aren't amazed at Bailey's body of work in his debut. One fan compared him to former Missouri star and Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. and Houston's Jabari Smith Jr.

"Definitely starting to see the mpj/jabari smith comps. He has no type of functional handle," the user noted.

"I see a lot of similarities to Jabari Smith Jr in Ace Bailey’s game," the fan said.

Another user expressed disappointment in Bailey's performance, pointing out a legitimate concern about his inability to create space, forcing him to hit tough shots.

"As someone who is high on Ace Bailey, this is a legit concern don’t let them silence you," the fan pointed out.

One college basketball fan believes Bailey is still a raw talent like Cooper Flagg. They were also amazed at what next year's NBA draft would look like with these freshmen being the top five picks.

"Yup, believe it or not, Ace Bailey is still pretty raw. Like Cooper Flagg is only 17 still lol. The projected top 5 draft picks for this year are all freshmen," he pointed out.

Before his regular season debut, Bailey showed promise in Rutgers' lone exhibition game against St. John's. He finished with 25 points on 8-of-18 shooting in a 91-85 loss to the Red Storm.

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Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper combine in Rutgers' win over Monmouth

The highly-awaited debut of Ace Bailey came to fruition on Friday, joining forces with Dylan Harper in a 17-point victory over Monmouth.

Harper and Bailey proved to be too much for the Hawks defense to handle, scoring a combined 37 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks. The duo combined for 11 of 19 from the field, including 3 of 6 from the 3-point line.

Harper and Bailey also made 12 of 14 shots from the free-throw line for their first regular season game together in a Rutgers uniform.

The Scarlet Knights had three other players in double figures, with Zach Martini scoring 18 points, PJ Hayes IV and Lathan Sommerville adding 11 and 10 markers, respectively.

Rutgers will aim for its fourth straight win against Merrimack on Nov. 20 at the Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey.