Things can change pretty fast in college basketball. One day, a prospect might look like a superstar in the making, just to look like a mere mortal in his very next outing.
Unfortunately, that was the case with Rutgers star Ace Bailey in his latest game. With Dylan Harper still out with an injury, the Scarlet Knights, and especially Bailey, struggled to get much going.
Basketball analyst Troy Finnegan shed some light on Baileyâs struggles, pointing out how Michiganâs physicality often forced him to take tough shots in the 66-63 defeat.
Ace Baileyâs inefficiency worries NBA analyst
âAce Bailey did not have a very good day for Rutgers basketball against Michigan, as the Wolverines forced him into tough shots consistently and made things difficult for him on the offensive end. The result was one of his most inefficient nights of the entire season: 10 points on 3-for-15 shooting and 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Bailey added six rebounds and three assists with a block and a steal, but his scoring efficiency was the most concerning part,â wrote Finnegan.
Ace Bailey #4 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Despite his long frame and scoring prowess, Bailey has often struggled to create separation against physical opposition, and that trend could be a major concern at the next level:
âMichigan did a great job limiting Bailey to tough shots with a hand in his face, which forced a lot of the misses that he was struggling with throughout the day. However, that is becoming a bit of a concerning theme with Bailey. At times, he struggles to get separation and space to shoot both on and off the ball, which forces him into those contested looks,â he added.
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At the end of the day, Bailey is just too physically gifted and talented not to be worth a risk early in the first round. Then again, he clearly still has a long way to go.
