NCAAB News: Expert explains why Ace Bailey shouldn't be the first-overall NBA pick

For most of the college basketball season, Cooper Flagg has been the consensus first-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, we’ve seen how quickly things can change.

Some believe that Rutgers star Ace Bailey actually has a higher ceiling. Judging by the tape, there’s a case to be made for him being the No. 1 selection in almost every class.

Nevertheless, that’s not how Wynston Wilcox of FanSided feels. In his latest column, he shed light on Bailey’s early-season shortcomings and how he doesn’t compare to Cooper Flagg.

Analyst says Cooper Flagg is still the top prospect

“Bailey is a good player, but he showed a lot of flaws early on in his one year at Rutgers. For one, he’s a volume shooter. There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, but he has to take a lot of shots to get into a rhythm and they aren’t always good looks,” wrote Wilcox. “To me, that’s his biggest flaw and why he won’t get drafted over Cooper Flagg and certainly won’t be the No. 1 pick. Flagg’s game can translate to the NBA right now. Bailey needs to fine tune his game more to be elite like a No. 1 overall pick.”

Ace Bailey #4 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Bailey isn’t an elite prospect or that he can’t end up being a superstar at the next level. He could even turn out to be better than Flagg.

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Then again, at this point in their developments, it seems like Bailey’s flaws are bigger and more evident than Flagg’s, and he’s not as complete as a player, either. You couldn’t go wrong either way, though.