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USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
The alarming reasons why Ace Bailey's NBA draft stock is plummeting
The alarming reasons why Ace Bailey's NBA draft stock is plummeting Rutgers freshman forward Ace Bailey was long considered one of the top prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft. But things are not trending his direction. Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists with 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steal per game. Those are exciting numbers, especially considering he attempted 4.5 shots per game from beyond the arc and was listed by the school at 6-foot-10. However, during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, he had disappointing physical measurements standing just above 6-foot-7 barefoot. None of his athletic testing seemed to jump off the page for evaluators, either. As noted by league insider Jake Fischer, for example, Bailey is "no longer seen as the top-three lock" in the 2025 NBA Draft. More: How tall is Ace Bailey? Here are his measurements from the 2025 NBA Draft Combine. Bailey was ranked No. 3 overall in our first consensus mock draft, but over the past few days, the reports are not looking great. A ccording to Jeff Goofman from The Field of 68, Bailey's camp has "rubbed a lot of people the wrong way" during the pre-draft process. Here is Jonathan Givony discussing why Bailey is no longer projected at No. 3 overall to the 76ers, now giving the nod to V.J. Edgecombe from Baylor instead (via ESPN): "[Edgecombe] appears to be "the leader in the clubhouse" currently, with Bailey losing momentum after refusing to visit, initially unsatisfied with his search for a proven pathway to development. However, Bailey is scheduled to work out in Philadelphia at the end of this week, and we'll see if he's able to sway the tides in his favor. The feedback from his interviews at the draft combine in Chicago was not all that positive, with some teams expressing concern about his lack of preparation and focus. NBA executives say Bailey has been polarizing in internal front office conversations because of questions about his feel for the game and lack of polish, creating a wider draft range than initially anticipated." Givony elaborated later about why he now has Bailey falling all the way to No. 6 overall: "Bailey's predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date, having declined invitations from several teams within his draft range. Sources say Bailey's camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom, perhaps feeling comfortable that a team will trade up to get him at Nos. 3 or 4, should he drop. Some teams question whether Bailey has received assurances of being selected by a team currently outside the top five, to a situation deemed more advantageous from a geographic and playing time perspective." Jonathan Wasserman, another draft insider, also had Bailey projected at No. 6 overall in his latest mock draft. Here is what Wasserman said about why he had him slated a bit lower as well (via Bleacher Report): "With the buzz around Jeremiah Fears ultra positive, Ace Bailey could slip a few spots to No. 6. The Washington Wizards could get a surprise opportunity to draft a special shotmaker who won't turn 19 until August. His shot selection and answers to certain questions at the NBA combine have raised some questions." Kevin O'Connor from Yahoo speculated that "there is chance" Bailey could fall all the way to No. 7 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans, who reportedly have some interest in the former Rutgers standout. Rafael Barlowe, another draft insider, tried to unravel why this is happening. Here is what he wrote (via NBA Big Board): "Bailey is one of the more divisive names in this draft, but not because of talent. There's no debate there. Bailey is a gifted shot-maker and when he's on—capable of putting up some ridiculously efficient scoring outbursts. But he'll also mix in those nights with some ice-cold shooting performances and head-scratching shot selection. The tools are there, no question, but consistency has been the big issue that keeps resurfacing. The concerns are less about talent and more centered on his feel for the game and overall decision-making. One scout even mentioned the optics of two projected top-three picks—Bailey and Dylan Harper—failing to win consistently together at Rutgers. And honestly, that's a fair point. Still, from a pure talent standpoint, Bailey should not fall past Charlotte at No. 4. But I've been hearing for months that a drop was possible. If Charlotte passes on him, and Utah at No. 5 does the same, then things could get a little chaotic." As noted by Barlowe, things could indeed get "chaotic" for Bailey on the night of the draft. Looks like the public today is catching up to the front office split league wide that I've been trying to explain for literally months now on Ace Bailey. This has absolutely been a thing for a long while. — Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) June 17, 2025 As noted by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, however, none of these concerns are particularly new. Beyond everything discussed above, some of the stats are plainly concerning. Bailey finished the season with a relatively poor box plus-minus, per Bart Torvik, scoring a 3.5 BPM. The only players to finish with a BPM below 4.0 while in college who were still picked in top-10 in the NBA Draft: Ziaire Williams, Jaylen Brown, Cody Williams, Cam Reddish, and Austin Rivers. Brown is the only player from that group to have had a successful pro career, but perhaps Bailey can change the trajectory and have a similar impact as the Boston Celtics star in the NBA.
Indianapolis Star
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
How Indiana basketball coach Darian DeVries handles having his son, Tucker, on his team
Indiana basketball coach Darian DeVries has plenty experience coaching his son, Tucker. How they handle the situation, however, goes back even further than Tucker playing for his dad at Drake. "Doug McDermott said, 'You guys can rip on my dad because I'm going to do it too,'" DeVries said on the Field of 68 with Jeff Goodman of McDermott playing for his father, Greg, at Creighton where DeVries was an assistant. "Coach McDermott was the same. "(I told Tucker), 'You're one of the guys. That's your time, your space, that has to be a place you can go and be like everybody else.' When we're together off the floor, we go back to that father-son relationship.' On the floor, in the locker room, you want to make it as seamless as possible with teammates. I thought Greg and Doug McDermott did a tremendous job of that." Tucker DeVries, a 6-foot-7 guard, has averaged 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds during his career at Drake and West Virginia. He is returning to workouts after dealing with a right shoulder injury he suffered at West Virginia last season. He had surgery on the same shoulder in March 2024. Our book on legendary IU coach Bob Knight is the perfect Father's Day gift Darian DeVries recently said he expects Tucker to be available for IU's game in Puerto Rico in August. "With this troop, part of (Tucker's role) is going to be teacher," Darian DeVries said. "He's the one guy familiar with the terminology, being a leader, being able to answer questions about what the coaches are looking for. His role (on the court) will evolve over the course of time as we figure out how to best utilize everybody on the roster."
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PJ Haggerty, nation's third-leading scorer, transfers to Kansas State and withdraws from 2025 NBA Draft
Former Memphis guard PJ Haggerty has withdrawn from the 2025 NBA Draft and will transfer to Kansas State, according to reports. The nation's third-leading scorer last season for Memphis, Haggerty entered the transfer portal on April 17. Last season, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 21.7 points for the Tigers, shooting 36% on 107 3-point attempts while averaging 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals. With that production, he earned him AAC player of the year and second-team All-America honors. Haggerty, 21, will be a redshirt junior and play for his fourth program in four seasons. He redshirted as a freshman at TCU before transferring to Tulsa for one season and then joining Penny Hardaway's program at Memphis. Memphis finished 29-8 and won the AAC regular-season and conference tournament titles with Haggerty leading the way. The Tigers lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Colorado State, 78-70. Haggerty scored 18 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in that defeat. Haggerty's father was seeking $4 million in NIL compensation from his next college basketball program, according to Field of 68 reporter Jeff Goodman. Yet he apparently had to settle for much less on the open market. Playing primarily at point guard was also a major consideration for Haggerty, which he did not do at Memphis. Yahoo Sports NBA Draft analyst Kevin O'Connor did not list Haggerty among the top 62 prospects on his big board, which explains his decision to withdraw from draft consideration and return to college. However, he reportedly made a good showing at the NBA Draft Combine. He hit 73% of his shots in individual drills, one of the top five shooters among the invited prospects. Additionally, Haggerty scored 18 points with seven rebounds in a scrimmage. Early entrants for the NBA Draft have until May 28 to withdraw if they want to keep their NCAA eligibility.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PJ Haggerty, nation's 3rd-leading scorer, transfers to Kansas State and withdraws from 2025 NBA Draft
Former Memphis guard PJ Haggerty has withdrawn from the 2025 NBA Draft and will transfer to Kansas State, according to reports. The nation's third-leading scorer last season for Memphis, Haggerty entered the transfer portal on April 17. Last season, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 21.7 points for the Tigers, shooting 36% on 107 3-point attempts while averaging 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals. With that production, he earned him AAC player of the year and second-team All-America honors. Haggerty, 21, will be a redshirt junior and play for his fourth program in four seasons. He redshirted as a freshman at TCU before transferring to Tulsa for one season and then joining Penny Hardaway's program at Memphis. Memphis finished 29-8 and won the AAC regular-season and conference tournament titles with Haggerty leading the way. The Tigers lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Colorado State, 78-70. Haggerty scored 18 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in that defeat. Haggerty's father was seeking $4 million in NIL compensation from his next college basketball program, according to Field of 68 reporter Jeff Goodman. Yet he apparently had to settle for much less on the open market. Playing primarily at point guard was also a major consideration for Haggerty, which he did not do at Memphis. Yahoo Sports NBA Draft analyst Kevin O'Connor did not list Haggerty among the top 62 prospects on his big board, which explains his decision to withdraw from draft consideration and return to college. However, he reportedly made a good showing at the NBA draft combine. He hit 73% of his shots in individual drills, one of the top five shooters among the invited prospects. Additionally, Haggerty scored 18 points with seven rebounds in a scrimmage. Early entrants for the NBA Draft have until May 28 to withdraw if they want to keep their NCAA eligibility.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How will McNeese State's Will Wade handle being huge Clemson fan if he takes NC State job?
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Coach Will Wade said McNeese State's first-round March Madness victory over Clemson basketball will rank high in his career. The No. 12 seed Cowboys upset the fifth-seeded Tigers on Thursday, winning 69-67 at Amica Mutual Pavilion. McNeese State (28-6) will face No. 4 Purdue in the second round Saturday (12:10 p.m. ET, CBS). "I don't want to be a prisoner of the moment and just say, 'Oh, it's the best win,' but it's close to one if it ain't one," Wade said Friday during his NCAA tournament availability. Wade said beating Clemson didn't make the win sweeter even though it was against his and assistant coach Vernon Hamilton's alma mater. Wade graduated from Clemson in 2005 and spent three seasons on former Clemson coaches Larry Shyatt and Oliver Purnell's staffs. Hamilton played guard for Clemson from 2003 through 2007 and served as a graduate assistant under Tigers coach Brad Brownell from 2014-16. Wade ended Clemson basketball's season, but he bleeds orange and purple for its football program. So much so, he doesn't allow his team to practice on Saturdays when Clemson plays because he has to watch the games. "They got these three hours on a Saturday," Wade said Wednesday. "They all know. They joke with me about it." When McNeese played LeTourneau, a Division III program, in the afternoon on Dec. 7, its game fell on the same day of Clemson faced SMU in the ACC championship. The high-stakes game altered McNeese's pre- and post-game schedule. "Took them too long to kick the damn field goal," Wade said of kicker Nolan Hauser's game-winning 56-yard field goal. 'THIS HURTS': How Clemson basketball proved unready for March Madness in upset loss to McNeese State Wade is so tapped into Clemson football that he followed its huge recruiting weekend earlier this month when it landed seven commitments in the 2026 class, including six four-star recruits. He isn't critical of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney though, acknowledging how difficult coaching is. Still, that doesn't stop his nerves from getting to him when watching. Although Wade is a fan of Clemson's football program, he said Friday Swinney didn't reach out after McNeese's win. Still, many of Wade's college friends sent messages before and after the bracket-busting win. Wade's Clemson football adoration may get dicey as he is reportedly in line to join the ACC as NC State's next coach. He did not deny the report either during a postgame interview on the Field of 68 podcast after Thursday's win. "Half the kids I recruit, the goal is to go Power 5 after this year, and some of you guys can go with me," Wade said. "We all know what's up." Wade is a coaching tactician, showcasing his ingenuity against Clemson by unveiling a modified 2-3 zone defense he said McNeese hasn't played all season. Cowboys guard Quadir Copeland said the scheme was something the team learned earlier in the season but never knew when Wade would enact it. "They are very aggressive, but there's a method to their madness," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "They play very hard. They have rules to what they're doing." Wade has reinvented himself with McNeese, helping it reach back-to-back NCAA tournaments. He had made March Madness in four straight seasons, excluding 2022-23 when he was out of coaching, dating back to his tenure at LSU. Wade has worked on rebuilding his image to be a potential candidate this offseason for other basketball jobs after LSU fired him in 2022 after five seasons. He was fired after receiving a two-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA amid the school receiving a Notice of Allegations stemming from multiple rules violations after a federal corruption investigation into the sport. He also had to serve a 10-game suspension in his first season with McNeese State. Wade isn't shy about talking about his future but hopes to continue McNeese's magical run with another upset win Saturday. Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00 This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Will Wade: McNeese coach likely headed to NC State is huge Clemson fan
