It is very rare for two of the NBA's top draft picks to come from the same college, especially when that school is not named Duke or Kentucky. In the 2025 NBA Draft, two of the top prospects came from Rutgers, a year after the pair of top high school recruits shocked the world by choosing the Scarlet Knights.
Dylan Harper was drafted second overall by the San Antonio Spurs after an incredible season at Rutgers, while Ace Bailey was taken fifth overall by the Utah Jazz. As college teammates, even the two five-star freshmen could not save the Rutgers basketball program, finishing with a 15-17 record overall and 8-12 in Big Ten play.
From Rutgers to the NBA...
Ace Bailey & Dylan Harper π pic.twitter.com/fuwMx4RTGi
β NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2025
Regardless of how successful their team was in college, the two incoming rookies are set to make a huge difference for their respective teams, and are both very young with plenty of room to improve.
On Wednesday, Jazz rookie Ace Bailey turned 19 years old, so his former teammate and new Spurs guard shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram story with a picture of the two at the 2025 NBA Draft together and another of them at Rutgers.
"My brotherrrrr happy bday π©Έ yk what time it is we made it family love you β€οΈ," Harper posted. "Gone miss playing with you slime it aint never going to be the same π€¦πΎπ€¦πΎπ€¦πΎπ€¦πΎπ€¦πΎπ€¦πΎπ€¦πΎπ€¦πΎ"
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2)
Jul 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) looks on in the third quarter of their game against the Dallas Mavericks at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images
The Spurs seemed to luck out when they landed the second overall pick in this year's draft, allowing them to select the consensus second-best prospect in Harper. The 6-foot-6 guard has all the necessary tools to be a future NBA All-Star, and it is only a matter of time and opportunity amid a loaded guard room in San Antonio.
Bailey, on the other hand, is walking into a much different situation in Utah. There were initial talks of the possibility of Bailey not reporting to Salt Lake City after he reportedly did not want to get drafted by the Jazz, but the young forward seems to have shifted his mindset in a positive way.
No. 5 pick Ace Bailey was impressive in the @utahjazz Salt Lake City Summer League W π
18 PTS
7 REB
3 AST
3 3PM pic.twitter.com/AYYuqJcZ75
β NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2025
Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes ranked both Harper and Bailey as top-four NBA Rookie of the Year candidates heading into the 2025-26 season, both trailing first-overall pick and Dallas Mavericks standout Cooper Flagg. Regardless of how much success either of them sees immediately, they both have star potential and should make a lasting impact in the NBA.