LAS VEGAS — Since he was hired in 2019, Nate Oats has coached three freshmen who eventually became first-round NBA draft picks, including Brandon Millerformer SEC Player of the Year and No. 2 pick in 2023.
After picking the projected top five Dylan Harper And Ace Bailey Combined with 59 points for RutgersIn a 95-90 loss at No. 9 though Alabama At the Players’ Era Festival on Wednesday, Oates said he’s convinced the two belong in the same conversation he’s seen in college basketball.
“We’ve made a couple ourselves, and these guys are right there,” the Alabama coach said.
Harper, a 6-foot-6 guard, scored a career-high 37 points, becoming the first Big Ten freshman to score 94 points in a three-game span in the past 20 seasons and the first Division I in that span. Became the newest person. According to ESPN Research, back-to-back attempts of more than 35 points.
Harper, who shot 11 of 19 from the field and 15 of 16 from the free throw line, now sits courtside at MGM Grand Garden Arena as his father, former NBA standout Ron Harper Sr. He played his best game. .
Oates said he couldn’t find a formula to slow down Harper, whose layup with 2:23 left cut Alabama’s lead to one before the Tide tied the game at the free throw line. .
“[Harper]I mean, he gets to the rim pretty much whenever he wants,” he said. “We didn’t have anybody that could get in front of him on ball screens. We didn’t do very well. I mean he’s got some power, some physicality, some power coming down the hill.”
Bailey, a 6-foot-10 talent who can challenge. DukeOf Cooper Flag For the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Wednesday also excelled, mostly with high-arcing jump shots that were unblockable.
Bailey finished the first half with a fast-break dunk that inspired the Rutgers fans who made the trip. Bailey pushed on his chest and poured in 22 points on 18-of-18 shooting from the field.
“He’s the best midrange shot maker I’ve ever seen,” Oates said of Bailey. “He just kind of rises above guys. Floater with the touch, he’s tough. We didn’t do a good job. We needed more size on him. He’s a guy that if you have his size. If not, he is. Just shooting 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 guards and he’s going to cause some problems.”
Rutgers head coach Steve Pickel said early tough tests will help his team later in the season. For now, he said, he has a group that is still learning, relying on some elite first-year talent.
“I think it’s like anything, the journey,” he said. “You grow through your seasons and you grow through games and this is as talented a team as we’re probably going to face. This is definitely the deepest team.”
Harper said he was more focused on the loss than his individual efforts. But he also said the growing pains his team endured Wednesday will be worthwhile as he and Bailey continue to progress through their first seasons of college basketball.
“I think we just showed we can compete with anybody in the country,” he said after the game. “I mean, obviously we fell short, but I think as a team, sometimes you have to fall short to get the season you want.”
Despite the win, Otis spoke like a coach who believed his team had lost. Alabama, which ranks No. 3 in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency on KenPom, had 20 turnovers and snapped a long scoring drought in the second half.
Oates said Rutgers will continue to improve, especially as Harper and Bailey develop. And that fact will create problems for the rest of the teams in their schedule.
“If they play like they did tonight, they’re one of the best teams in the country,” Oates said. “They’ve got two very talented players regardless of class.”