Recruiting insider Jonathan Givony remains 'bullish' on Rutgers guard Ace Bailey despite 'red flag' buzz ahead of 2025 NBA Draft

Recruiting insider Jonathan Givony believes Rutgers guard/forward Ace Bailey remains a potential top-three pick in this year’s NBA Draft, despite an inconsistent showing with the Scarlet Knights during the 2024–25 college basketball season.

Givony graced the "Dunc'd On" podcast with Nate Duncan, where the ESPN NBA Draft analyst was bullish on the 6-foot-9 wing’s upside heading into the 2025 NBA Draft, amid widespread skepticism following Bailey’s lone season at Rutgers.

"I've watched him enough to be bullish about his upside and what he brings to the table and the level of competitor that he is and his talent," Givony said (Timestamp: 24:50). "But I understand all the skepticism and all the red flags that people have and and so it's going to be very fascinating to see how it turns out."

Givony emphasized Bailey’s age, length and shot-creation ability, noting those traits could outweigh his current inconsistencies.

"He can play three. He can play four. You can even play some jumbo lineups with him at the two," Givony said (Timestamp: 23:13). "I just think that his floor is going to end up being pretty high And I think he's got a very very high ceiling."

Duncan added that Bailey's athleticism, skill level and scoring ability would cancel out the weird statistical quirks he had last season.

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Ace Bailey stands out at Rutgers amid an up-and-down season

Ace Bailey showed his potential during his only season with Rutgers. Playing alongside fellow top-three NBA draft prospect Dylan Harper, the 6-foot-10 Chattanooga native used his height to make shots despite a lean frame.

He averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game under coach Steve Pikiell in 30 games. He scored a career-high 39 points in a loss against Indiana on Jan. 2 and put up 37 points in a win over Northwestern on Jan. 29.

Following that scoring explosion against the Wildcats, Bailey’s production declined, never scoring higher than 18 points again. He was limited to four points in the Scarlet Knights’ game against Maryland, six against Minnesota and eight against Oregon.

The promising guard ended his season with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block in an overtime loss to USC in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Bailey's potential was evident in his stint with the Scarlet Knights, but he will need to show more consistency in the NBA to gain exposure and secure a more lucrative deal in the future.