Evaluating Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and Mark Sears in the Alabama-Rutgers Game
November 28th, 2024
By Alan Lu
Yesterday, I took the time to watch Rutgers’ phenomenal freshman duo Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey take on a very deep and talented Alabama team. Both Harper and Bailey played well, and Harper put forth a dominant individual performance, but Alabama was able to hold off an upstart Rutgers team to get a close win, as they received a tremendous showing from Mark Sears. Here are my thoughts on how Harper, Bailey, Sears, and other various prospects fared in this game.
Rutgers’ 6-6 freshman point guard, Dylan Harper scored 37 points on 11 of 19 shooting, and he made 15 of 16 free throws, and he put forth avery impressive performance in his team’s 95-90 loss to Alabama.
(Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images, via Deadspin)
Dylan Harper turned in a tremendous showing in his team’s tough loss to Alabama. He is a strong, very athletic point guard that showed a knack for scoring on strong drives to the hoop, as he would get to the rim at will to score and get a plethora of free throws.
Harper was excellent at scoring on strong drives to the hoop. He has great strength and an underrated first step to the hoop, and he would frequently overpower his defenders to score and get free throws around the basket. Harper also was able to quickly split a double team, and drive hard to his left to score on a thunderous dunk.
(Source: X/@MarchMadnessMBB)
He also can score on speedy drives in transition, and he also can utilize a spin move to get around defenders. He also was able to score on a smooth, high-arcing floater. On the downside, Harper didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well from the outside. He was able to make a step-back midrange jumper, but he struggled more to make mid-range shots, and Harper missed all of the threes he took from beyond the arc.
In this game, Harper showcased fairly average playmaking skills. For the positives, he showed that he can generate his own offense at will, and he also was able to make some solid passes off the dribble to create scoring chances for his teammates. On the downside, he would tend to over-dribble at times, which would lead him to get balls ripped away from him or commit passing turnovers. He also was called for setting a moving screen another time.
Also, Harper did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. He also played satisfactory defense in this game. Harper would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections, and he also jumped on a loose ball to help his team get a steal once. On the downside, sometimes he would be late on his rotations when defending opponents off the dribble, which led him to commit a goaltend, as well as to commit a foul another time.
In general, Dylan Harper was fantastic in this game against Alabama, and he is a powerful scorer that did a great job of scoring on strong, downhill drives to the hoop. He’s proven to be in the mix to be the top pick of the 2025 draft, and he could be even better once he adds a reliable outside shot to his arsenal. It would help if he could play with better shooters around him, as there would be times where he would kick balls out to open teammates, but his teammates would tend to miss wide open three-point shots, which would take potential assists off the board from him. Still, Harper had a tremendous showing in this game, and he looks to be a solid candidate to be the top pick of the 2025 draft, as he has the skills to develop into being a star player in the NBA in the future.
Rutgers’ freshman forward, Ace Bailey scored 22 points in his team’s 95-90 loss to Alabama.
(Photo: Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Ace Bailey had a solid showing, and he had a nice bounce back game in his team’s tough loss to Alabama. Bailey is a tall, very athletic forward that excelled as a shooter, scorer, and defender, and he showed off an old-school feel by making a barrage of mid-range jumpers throughout the night.
Bailey shot the ball well, especially from the mid-range. He showed a knack for making tough, pull-up mid-range jumpers. He has great size, footwork, and shooting ability, as he could maneuver around to score on smooth turnaround jumpers, would elevate and rise up to score on a bevy of pull-up mid-range jumpers, and he also showed the touch to score on floaters. Though he didn’t take as many threes as expected, he also was able to make an open corner three to showcase that he can make those shots.
(Source: X/@MarchMadnessMBB)
He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Bailey did a good job of scoring on speedy drives in transition, and he also was able to quickly intercept a pass to get a steal and drive up court to score on a high-flying breakaway dunk while getting fouled. Sometimes though, he would take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses, but Bailey especially did a very good job of making mid-range jumpers on offense.
Also, Bailey showed off decent playmaking skills in this game. While he predominantly looked for his own offense for much of the game, he was able to make some good passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates. He was able to swing the ball to find the open man to notch an assist, and he also found a teammate ahead on the break another time. On the other hand, he didn’t really look to pass the ball that often, but his shot was going in.
Plus, he also was able to get his fair share of boards, and he would sometimes bring the ball up after getting defensive rebounds. He also defended well. Bailey showed a knack for jumping passes quickly to get steals, and he would use his length, athleticism, and instincts to force passing turnovers. He also was able to hustle back and poke a ball off of an opposing ball handler out of bounds to get a steal early on. Plus, he also did a good job of staying in front of his man, and he was able to contest a three to force a miss. On the downside, sometimes he would sometimes be out of position, which would lead his team to commit fouls and allow scores.
In summary, Ace Bailey played well, and he showed off a diverse, versatile skill set as he excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor. He is a shot maker that consistently made shots to keep his team in the game, and he also defended well. While his penchant for taking tough shots can sometimes lead to inconsistent results, Bailey is a very talented player who has the talent to be a top 5 pick in the 2025 draft.
Mark Sears scored 24 points and dished out 5 assists to help Alabama get a 95-90 win over Rutgers yesterday in the Players Era Festival – Impact Tournament.
(Photo: Crimson Tide Photos/UA Athletics, via 1819 News)
Mark Sears also turned in a strong showing, as his tremendous play and superb ability to make shots helped him lead Alabama to get a close win over Rutgers. Sears shot the ball very well, as he would often score on quick, crafty drives, and he also made key three-pointers to help his team get the victory.
Sears did a very good job of scoring off the dribble. He has an agile, crafty ball handler that would use a series of moves to get past his man, and he would consistently score and draw free throws in traffic. He showed a quicker first step than anticipated, and he was able to consistently score around the basket. Sears also showed a satisfactory ability to knock down threes, as he was able to make a pair of open spot-up threes, and he also made a nice step-back three in transition.
He also showcased adequate playmaking skills in this game. Sears is an unselfish player that did a solid job of making a variety of passes off the dribble to set up scoring chances for his teammates. He also consistently created shots for both himself and his teammates. However, he also was quite turnover prone on offense. Sometimes, he would throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would get intercepted. Other times, he would over-dribble and commit ball-handling turnovers. Another time, he ran into an opponent off the ball and was called for setting a moving screen once.
Also, Sears was able to get a board on each end of the floor to chip in on the glass. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. Sears was able to rotate to. Poke a ball away from an opposing ball handler to get a steal. On the downside, his lack of size made it tough for him to defend in the post or off the dribble, as he would get outmuscled, and it would lead him to commit fouls when matched up against taller opponents.
Overall, Mark Sears played very well in his team’s win over Rutgers, and he made a bevy of strong plays down the stretch, as he excelled as a shooter and scorer to help get his team the victory. He is a poised playmaker that did a good job of making big shots down the stretch, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team, especially if he is available for them to select in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft.
Grant Nelson also had a decent showing to help lead Alabama to a win over Rutgers. He is an athletic, skilled big man that played well in the first half, and he is a skilled, versatile scorer that was able to make some solid plays on both ends of the floor.
Nelson did a good job of scoring off the dribble. He would score on aggressive drives to the hoop, as he was able to score on an emphatic jam, as well as on a floater. He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Nelson ran the floor and caught a lob pass to score on a nice, alley-oop dunk. He also managed to score on a quick put back. Also, Nelson was able to score on an jump hook out of the post while getting fouled to showcase some low post scoring skills. On the downside, sometimes he would miss on some easy shots around the basket, and he also was unable to make any of the threes that he took from beyond the arc.
He also passed the ball very well. Nelson showed good patience, as he would often find open teammates, and he would make drive and kick passes and find teammates on the move to set up numerous scoring chances for his teammates. On one play though, he tried to drive to the hoop but was called for traveling after using a shot fake.
Also, Nelson did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He also played satisfactory defense in this game. Nelson is an active defender that was able to make some plays on the defensive end. He was able to rotate to block a shot off of a drive, and Nelson was active in contesting shots around the basket to force misses. He also poked a ball away to nearly get a steal. On the downside, sometimes he would get beat off the dribble by quicker ball-handlers, which would lead his team to give up baskets.
Overall, Nelson played well in his team’s win over Rutgers. He is an athletic, skilled big man that has being playing very well this season and he is a versatile player that can help teams in a variety of ways, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft.
Derrion Reid also played well to help Alabama get a win over Rutgers. He especially shot the ball well in the early going, as he made two quick open threes to provide floor spacing for his team on offense. He also excelled at drawing many free throws on hustle plays. He also utilized a pump fake to score on a running layup off the dribble to showcase his ability to score on isolation plays. On the downside, sometimes he would over-dribble, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.
Also, he did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. He also played satisfactory defense. Reid would poke balls away to get steals and deflections. On the other hand, he also committed a foul off the ball once in an attempt to deny an opponent from getting the ball off of a pin down. Overall, Reid played well in his team’s win over Rutgers, and he is a strong, mobile forward that could end up being selected in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft, as he could end up being a solid 3 and D role player in the NBA.
Jarin Stevenson had a satisfactory showing to help lead Alabama to a close win over Rutgers. The 6-11 sophomore big man shot the ball very well from deep, as he showed a knack for making open corner threes to help his team on offense. On the downside, he was a bit turnover prone. When driving to the hoop once, he collided with a defender and was called for a charging foul. He also tried to make a quick drive and kick pass, but threw a wildly inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds another time.
He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. He was active defensively. On the other hand, sometimes he would get outmuscled when defending opponents off the dribble, and it led him to allow a score once. Overall, Stevenson is an athletic, skilled big man that can shoot and score the basketball, and he is a talented prospect that may have considerable upside. He’s struggled to break out at times as he is on a deep and loaded Alabama team, but Stevenson has the size, athleticism, skills, and upside to be worth a selection in the mid to late second round range for the 2025 draft.
Alabama’s 6-7 sophomore forward, Mouhamed Dioubate also had a terrific showing in his team’s win over Rutgers. Dioubate showed a knack for scoring on quick, skillful drives to the hoop. He has a series of moves that he can use to evade defenders, and he also would score on dunks and layups. He also passed the ball well, as he can make passes off the dribble and out of the post, and Dioubate was able to throw a lob to set up a score for a teammate on the break.
He also rebounded the ball really well. He also played satisfactory defense. Dioubate did a good job of rotating to block shots to help his team protect the paint. He also would run in to intercept passes to get steals. On the downside, sometimes he would struggle to defend out on the perimeter, which would lead him to be foul prone. Overall, Dioubate is an athletic, energetic swingman that excelled as a scorer and at making hustle plays. While he will need to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal, his high compete level and ability to make plays on both ends of the floor could enable him to be an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the second round range of the 2025 draft.
Cliff Omoruyi had a decent showing to help lead Alabama to a win against his former team, Rutgers. He’s an athletic, energetic big man that excelled as a finisher around the basket. He scored on a goaltend off of a post-up play. He also thrived at scoring on put backs, as he managed to score on a thunderous tip slam once. He also passed the ball well. Omoruyi did a good job of making passes out of the post to find the open man, which netted him a pair of assists. On one play though, he drove too quickly and collided into a defender, as he was called for a charging foul that time.
He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Surprisingly though, Omoruyi did not block a single shot in this game, and he struggled to defend opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Overall, Omoruyi played well on offense, and while he struggled a bit on the defensive end, his solid play on the offensive end helped his team get the win. He is an athletic, energetic big man that showed that he can make plays on the interior, and he could project to be a rotational big man in the NBA.
Labaron Philon didn’t really stand out in his team’s win over Rutgers. After having a terrific game against Illinois, he performed poorly in a win over Houston, and he was almost a non-factor in his team’s win against Rutgers in this game.
Philon didn’t look to shoot or score very often, but he was efficient in the limited amount of touches he had on offense. Philon showed a knack for scoring on quick drives to the hoop, and he was able to score on a floater once. He didn’t look to take many outside shots, and he didn’t take a single three-point shot on offense.
On the downside, he was quite turnover prone. For the positives, Philon is a fleet-footed playmaker that can make passes off the dribble and in transition due to possessing good foot speed and solid court vision. On the downside, he tended to throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would get intercepted. He also drove but slipped in transition and lost the ball to commit another turnover.
Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, Philon was able to get a board once in this game. Defensively, he struggled in this game. He would tend to play too aggressively, which would lead him to be out of position, causing him to commit fouls and allow scores. Other times, he would get outmuscled when defending stronger opponents off the dribble. Overall, this wasn’t Philon’s best game, and he will definitely need to add a reliable outside shot to the mix, but his athleticism, playmaking skills, and potential to develop into a point-of-attack defender could enable him to be a solid pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft. Also, Philon could move back up draft boards again if he can prove that he can replicate his strong performance against Illinois, and have less forgettable performances like he had against Houston and Rutgers this week.
All in all, those are my thoughts on how Harper, Bailey, Sears, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.