"My god he's so advanced": Kevin Durant left in disbelief as "special" Ace Bailey drops 37 points on 65% shooting

Ace Bailey seemed to have turned into prime Klay Thompson against Northwestern University. In Dylan Harper's absence on Wednesday, the Rutgers guard stepped up and dropped 37 points on the Wildcats and a majority of his possessions were two dribbles or less.

This jaw-dropping performance caught Kevin Durant's attention on Instagram.

The 2x NBA champion seemed thoroughly impressed with the Rutgers guard's game as Rutgers beat the Wildcats 79-74. Kevin Durant loves to follow the Rutgers basketball program. He has previously stated how much he loves to watch the Scarlet Knights. Durant took to the comment section of the post and penned down his thoughts on Bailey.

"Special special special. My god he’s so advanced", he said.

Kevin Durant's comment on Ace Bailey [via IG/@swishcultures]

This was Bailey's third 30+point game of the season. Bailey has become a highly in-demand prospect due to his offensive talent. A microwave scorer, Ace Bailey could potentially be a top 5 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft if he decides to declare after the season. He and Dylan Harper have constantly been pitted against Cooper Flagg in the race for being the #1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Comparing Ace Bailey, Cooper Flagg, and Dylan Harper for the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Ace Bailey celebrates after making a three vs Northwestern. [NCAA Basketball: Rutgers at Northwestern - Source: Imagn]

Ace Bailey currently averages 20.7 points per game (10th among all players), and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Meanwhile, Cooper Flagg is averaging similar numbers but contributing significantly more in the playmaking scheme of Duke. He's currently averaging 19.9 points per game, 8 rebounds per game, and 4.1 assists per game (48.7 FG%).

Cooper Flagg dunks the ball during Duke vs Boston [NCAA Basketball: Duke at Boston College - Source: Imagn]

However, another guard from Rutgers is a wildcard in this race, Dylan Harper. While the Rutgers star is sidelined with an ankle injury, he is gunning to return back to action soon. Dylan Harper is averaging 18.6 points per game (48.8 FG%) with 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

Dylan Harper in action during Michigan State vs Rutgers [NCAA Basketball: Michigan State at Rutgers - Source: Imagn]

What does this mean for Rutgers?

While Rutgers may not be among the favorites to win it all this season, they could pull off some upsets if they qualify for the NCAA Tournament. While they are 11-10 for the season, they are 4-6 in the Big 10 conference. Therefore it seems unlikely that they will make it to the tournament, especially without Dylan Harper for the foreseeable future, in a conference against opponents like Michigan State and Purdue.