Freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper made the correct decision committing to Rutgers, claims HC Steve Pikiell

Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell expressed his gratitude towards five-star freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper for choosing the Scarlet Knights over other schools vying for their talents for the 2024-25 college basketball season.

In an interview with CBS Sports senior writer Matt Norlander during the Big Ten Media Days event, Pikiell revealed what he felt after securing the commitment of Bailey and Harper — the No. 2- and No. 3-ranked freshmen in the 2024 class per 247 Sports.

He claimed that the duo made the correct decision to commit to Rutgers due to its track record as one of the best public universities in the nation and the other perks that come with attending Rutgers.

"I'm thankful. They could have went anywhere and they picked Rutgers. They picked it for all the right reasons. They love the sellouts. They love that we're one of the best public universities in the country. They like the fact that we've graduated everyone since we've been there," Pikiell said. [3:25-3:40]

Pikiell also commended the work ethic Harper and Bailey have displayed during the offseason. He pointed out that they're also excited about the idea of helping the Scarlet Knights become a top-notch destination for incoming college basketball prospects in the future.

The Scarlet Knights also added four-star recruits Dylan Grant and Lathan Sommerville and three-star prospect Bryan Dortch. Their regular-season campaign begins on Nov. 6 against Wagner.

---

Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell searched for scorers and free-throw specialists during the offseason

In the same interview with Norlander, Steve Pikiell said his offseason recruitment strategy was to acquire scorers and free-throw specialists who have the confidence to make their attempts at any given moment.

"I think all the kids we brought in out of the portal were proven scorers and more importantly guys who make free throws and guys that can make threes," Pikiell said [2:23-2:31].

Now in his 10th year coaching the Scarlet Knights, Pikiell said he looks forward to mixing returning players Jamichael Williams and Emmanuel Ogbole with their impressive freshmen haul led by Harper and Bailey and their transfer portal pickups Tyson Acuff and Jordan Derkack.

Acuff is coming off an excellent season with Eastern Michigan, averaging 21.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Derkack, meanwhile, sizzled for Merrimack this past season, tallying 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Rutgers had the ninth-best recruitment class in 2024, significantly bolstered by its freshman group that ranked fourth in the nation.