The arrival of Dylan Harper and Airāious āAceā Baileź¦y has changed so much for Rutgers.
There is the potential of a preseason top-25 rankingš, and already there is significant hype rarely attached to the New Jersey state school.
NBA scouts will flock to Jersey Mikeāš s Arena to see the two five-star ą¹prospects and projected one-and-done lottery picks.
Along with thš °at comes pressure, the weight of expectations before a game is even played.
Rutgers will be aš¦ national story, eyeballs fixed on these Scarlet Knights.
Much is expected.
Thatās just fine with Steve Pikiell.
He loves it.
āFrom Day 1, the first year I got here, Iāve been trying to win a national championship,ā the ninth-year Rutgers coach said Tuesday as the school held media day. āExpectations? Bring āem on. Weāšve always had high expectations.ā
Pikiell has accomplished a series of firsts at Rutgers,š most notably the schoolās first NCAA Tournament berth and win in 30 years back in 2021.
Still, this is new territory for him, coaching tšøwo players like Bailey š¼and Harper.
They were ranked second and third in the country among high school seniors lasą“t year by 247Sports.com and are viešwed as future NBA players.
In a practice open to the media, the two showcased their world-class ability, sinking long jumpers, getting to the basket at will and finding openš„ teammates.
If not for Dukeās freshman phenom Cooper Flagg, the sweet-shootišÆng, 6-foot-10 Bailey from Chattanooga, Tenn., would be ią²n consideration as the potential top pick in next yearās NBA draft.
āTheyāre not sleepers, thatās for sure,ā Pikiell said jokingly. āWhat you saw is theyāre elite passers, theyāre great kids frź¦om great families. Thankful that theyāre here. ā¦ Theyāre really talented players, but they work. Theyāre gooą¦d workers and theyāre good teammates.ā
Addāed Duquesne transfer guard Tyson Acuff: āEvery day they amaze me. From shotmaking to dunks to communicating to playing defense ā everything. Theyāre really talented people.ā
Afterward, the two did their best to include everyone, turning questions about themselves into answers aboutܫ their teammates.
Itās nošÆt about what Harper or Bailey can do this coming season, they both said, but how Rutgers can perform as one unit.ā¤
All that matters is winning.
āAt the end of the day, youāre not going to remember stats and stuff like that,ā said the 6-foot-6 Harper, whoās š„older brother Ron Jr. starred for Pikiell from 2018-22. āYouāre going to remember wins and losses, what team did this and what team did that. Just knowing, you canāt win alone, you have to win with a whole group of guys.ā
Pikiell did his best to surround the duo with complementary pieļ·ŗces.
He brought in experienced transfers like Princeton forward Zach Martini, San Diego sharpshooter PJ Hayes IV and Merrimack guard Jordan Derkack, the reigninšg NEC Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
He was able to retź¦æain talented guards Jamichaeź¦l Davis and Jeremiah Williams.
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Iļ·½t has led to significant hype this winter in Pāiscataway.
The entire season has been sold out for quiļ潚¹ļæ½te some time.
āWeāve got Final Four plans, weš½āve got Big 10 championship goals,ā Martini said. āWeāre going to work hard every day to reach those goals.ā
Harper andź§ Baileyās presence has Rutgers and itsš ° fans thinking big.
The two have been close for some time, since Bailey took his first visit to Rutgers a fšew years ago.
They became close friends off the court and now ź¦°they will get to play together for at least thisš one year on it.
Harper canāt wait.
He saw his older ą²brother win at Rutgers and get the Scarlet Knights cloź¦Æse to the Sweet 16 in 2021.
Now itās the Franklin Lakes, N.J., nativeās turn.
āItās surreal,ā Harper said. āThe guys who came before us, that team with Rš on, Geo Baker, Caleb McConnell, Cliff [Omoruyi], Mawot [Mag], I always had the look in my eye,ā like I want to be there one day. I want to be on the court and play.
āNow having the opportunity to play and knowing I can make something haā±ppen here and something great for Rutgers nation, is special.ā