“Best player in this draft”: Fans impressed as Rutgers’ Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper flex their speeds at the NBA Draft Combine

Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are showing off their speed at the NBA Draft Combine. The Rutgers phenoms posted impressive times in the three-quarter sprint. NBA Future Starts Now announced on Tuesday that Bailey's 3.12-second sprint and Harper's 3.16 seconds were the two fastest in the Combine.

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The three-quarter sprint measures how quickly a player can run 75 feet, the typical distance from the baseline to the opposite free throw line. The NBA offers combine stats, including three-quarter sprint leaders, on its website.

Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears beat Bailey with 3.05 seconds. Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier tied Bailey's 3.12 seconds and a 3.14-second three-quarter sprint by Florida star Walter Clayton Jr. bumped Harper into fifth place for the drill.

Still, the two Scarlet Knights put up impressive times, and fans shared their reactions in the replies of the X post. Many hyped up the freshman phenoms.

"Ace Bailey is the best player in the draft," one fan commented.

An X user calls Bailey the best player in the 2025 NBA draft

"RUTGERS taking over the speed charts! Ace and Dylan moving like lightning!⚡🔥 Let's goooo!🚀⛹️‍♂️ Can't wait to see what's next!"

A Rutgers fans shows support for Bailey and Harper

"Amazing," another wrote.

A reply calls Bailey and Harper's times amazing

"Woah so quick," another added.

An X user comments on Bailey and Harper's speed

One fan expressed surprise that Bailey is faster than Harper:

"Ace Bailey is faster than Dylan Harper???"

A reply questions the fact that Bailey is faster than Harper

"Bailey quicker than Harper" another said.

An X user points out that Bailey is faster than Harper

Rutgers' Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper NBA draft projections

Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are projected as first-round picks in the 2025 NBA draft. Rutgers has not had a player selected in the NBA draft since 2010 and hasn't had teammates selected in the same draft since 1985.

Harper is widely projected as the No. 2 pick behind Duke star Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-6 guard led the Scarlet Knights in points (19.4 ppg), assists (4.0 apg) and steals (1.4 spg) last season. His scoring average was 30th in the nation.

The San Antonio Spurs have the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft lottery and will benefit from Harper's shot creation and versatile combo guard skills if they choose to draft him.

NCAA Basketball: UCLA at Rutgers - Source: Imagn

Harper and Bailey might be drafted back-to-back, as many mock drafts show the Philadelphia 76ers selecting Bailey third overall. Bailey is a great rebounder, with 7.2 rebounds per game this season, leading Rutgers. He led the squad with 1.3 blocks per game, demonstrating his defensive depth. The 6-foot-10 guard was the team's second-leading scorer and had an impressive all-around skill set.

Both Bailey and Harper will aim to make Rutgers fans proud in the NBA next season.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Krutik Jain