2 hari yang lalu
Star Rutgers freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper return a changeable astatine immoderate Q&A pinch Post columnist Steve Serby:
Q: Would you bargain a summons to watch Ace play basketball?
Harper (seated successful chair): Yeah, of course! He’s my guy. But if he’s not offering it, I’m gonna bargain it. But we’re truthful adjacent I consciousness for illustration my sanction should conscionable kinda beryllium connected nan database already.
Q: Would you bargain a summons to watch Dylan play basketball?
Bailey (seated connected floor): Yeah, of people I would, but if he’s playing good, I’m conscionable gonna time off astatine halftime.
Harper: If I’m playing good? Why?
Bailey: ’Cause he plays bully each nan time. I already cognize what’s gonna hap astatine nan end, truthful …
Harper: (Laugh)
Q: What’s gonna hap astatine nan end?
A: He’s gonna person astatine slightest 25 aliases 30. So if he has a bad game, I’m gonna beryllium watching (laugh).
Q: Let’s opportunity you don’t get a free ticket. Why would you bargain a summons to watch Ace play?
Harper: Have you seen him play? I’m asking you a question.
Q: I’ve seen clips.
Harper: Google him. Ace Bailey.
Bailey: Don’t play for illustration that, don’t play for illustration that.
Harper: If you click immoderate item and watch nan first 3 highlights, I committedness you’re buying a ticket.
Q: How would you picture nan measurement he plays?
Harper: Like T-Mac [Tracy McGrady]. He plays for illustration T-Mac. Or Kevin Durant.
Bailey I tin opportunity both.
Harper: But he gets to his pull-up, not a batch of moves, it’s really 1-2, huh, huh, getting your shot. And past look, it’s his typical drawback successful nan post, azygous look dormant successful your eyes and sprout it correct successful your face. That’s called nan Ace Bailey.
Q: Which NBA subordinate does Dylan punctual you of?
Bailey Cade Cunningham.
Harper: My dawg.
Q: You for illustration that comparison?
Harper: My favourite player, 6-6, 6-7 constituent guard. A mates of my coaches don’t for illustration that that’s my favourite player, but since my eighth-grade year, he was a inferior successful precocious school, I watched him play for nan first time, I mean, I conscionable fell successful emotion pinch his crippled ever since.
Bailey I’ll return astir apt Dylan complete Cade ’cause I tin spot Dylan pinch a amended for illustration mid-post game.
Q: What is it astir his crippled that would make you want to bargain a ticket?
Bailey He’s unique, bruh. Like you don’t spot a batch of 6-7, 6-8 guards that do what he do. And he’s big, too, truthful it’s for illustration he’s bumping nan big, getting to nan lane, he shoots correct complete nan mini guards — it’s unique, not a batch of group tin do that.
Q: How gangly are you?
Harper: 6-7, 6-8. Nah, I’m 6-6, 6-7.
Bailey: (Laughing).
Harper: I’m 6-5 connected a bad day. Like correct now, I’m 6-5.
Q: The unit of awesome expectations connected you?
Harper: For me, I don’t deliberation there’s nary pressure. I deliberation I’ve been successful nan quote-unquote spotlight for rather a spot now since for illustration two, 3 years ago, ever since my sanction kinda sewage connected nan map. So conscionable for me, conscionable support my caput down, conscionable for illustration blocking retired nan extracurricular sound conscionable knowing nan only point important was successful beforehand of america and that’s nan squad getting amended each day.
Bailey: I consciousness for illustration there’s nary specified point arsenic pressure, it’s successful your head. I don’t really look astatine it arsenic a connection ’cause that’s thing personification thinks aliases mightiness opportunity arsenic an excuse. It’s conscionable successful your head, you’re conscionable expected to spell retired location and conscionable play nan game. So location ain’t nary specified point arsenic unit to me, conscionable for illustration spell retired location and person fun.
Q: How would you picture his on-court mentality?
Harper: A dawg. I deliberation erstwhile he gets successful that mode of for illustration nary 1 tin for illustration extremity maine and nary 1 tin defender me, it’s very difficult to extremity him, ’cause he’s astir 6-10 — he’s 7-foot earlier he trim his hairsbreadth but he’s 6-10 now — but he really gets to his spot, emergence up, truthful for illustration erstwhile he gets successful that mentality that, “I’m a dawg, nary 1 will extremity me” and will get a extremity connected nan different broadside of nan floor, he’s very difficult to play.
Bailey Animal. Same point he said, erstwhile he gets successful that mode, can’t do [anything] pinch him. … And he could guard, too, he tin defender 1 done 4, 1 done 5. Once he gets successful that mode it’s hard.
Q: How would you picture your on-court mentality?
Bailey: All seriousness, I’d opportunity a dawg, too. When it’s clip to spell it’s spell time.
Harper: I deliberation leader to commencement off, for illustration trying to beryllium nan champion leader I could beryllium because arsenic a constituent guard, you gotta cognize 1 done 5 position, what they each do, worldly for illustration that, truthful conscionable knowing everything and being nan astir prepared, but erstwhile you get into nan game, that’s what’s turned on, you gotta for illustration move your mindset to conscionable nary friends connected nan court, it’s conscionable you and your 4 different group connected your team, conscionable your brothers.
Q: What astir having a bull’s-eye aliases target connected your back?
Bailey: Who cares?
Harper: Yeah, who cares? I cognize what it’s for illustration to beryllium nan personification that’s huntsman much than nan hunted. I’ve ever had that, “I’m gonna hunt people” mentality. Even erstwhile I sewage to this quote-unquote apical group I ne'er mislaid that, I’m still going aft people. It’s cool, for illustration you tin quote-unquote hunt maine but I’m gonna travel correct backmost astatine you.
Bailey: I cognize group retired location that’s astir apt still amended than me, truthful I cognize I sewage bull’s-eyes connected different group still. It’s ever group that’s moving truthful I cognize there’s astir apt group overseas aliases location that’s astir apt still amended than maine correct now, truthful I’m still conscionable grounded and support working.
Q: Where do you deliberation you request to amended most?
Bailey: I’d opportunity verbally for sure, connected defense. More connection pinch my teammates putting ’em successful amended spots for them to execute, and worldly for illustration that.
Harper: Just being much of a leader, I think, directing stuff, having that sound to opportunity for illustration successful nan huddle, for illustration bringing group together, conscionable being nan wide champion teammate and constituent defender I could be, and conscionable beryllium fierce and beryllium myself.
Q: What drives you?
Harper: Just nan information of want to get better, I think. Feeling yourself get amended I deliberation is nan champion emotion successful nan world for me. Going to nan gym, you tin consciousness for illustration erstwhile you’re making much shots, successful a amended rhythm, worldly for illustration that, truthful that’s really what motivates me. We’re successful assemblage correct now, but nan eventual extremity evidently is to make it to that adjacent level and beryllium 1 of nan greats, but you gotta enactment wherever you’re astatine correct now and conscionable support grinding.
Bailey: My mom for judge … group backmost location successful my metropolis [Chattanooga, Tenn.]. It’s very, very difficult successful my metropolis conscionable for group for illustration maine to make it out. So I cognize I tin correspond my city, maine telling group wherever I’m from, I cognize they’re proud backmost home, they show maine each nan clip — “Tell ’em wherever you’re from, show ’em you’re not from Georgia” — truthful I cognize there’s group from backmost location that’s looking up to me, kids, people’s kids, small sisters and brothers.
Q: What is truthful reliable astir getting retired of Chattanooga?
Bailey: People dice each time successful nan metropolis truthful it’s for illustration for me, to instrumentality to what I’m doing and make my momma [Ramika] proud, fto her cognize that I didn’t spell down that roadworthy … and conscionable fto her know, my metropolis knows we still sewage dream successful it.
Q: How is your crippled different from your father’s Ron and your relative Ron Jr.’s?
Harper: We each tin make shots, I deliberation we each do everything well, but what sets maine isolated I conjecture being a bigger guard, being a bigger vocal constituent to nan team, but for illustration my dada was a constituent guard, too, truthful that’s difficult to say. … What sets maine isolated from them? I don’t cognize ’cause we each play defense. I conjecture my brother’s much of a wing, he’s much for illustration disconnected nan ball, I’m much connected nan ball. My dada earlier successful his profession was much disconnected nan shot until he sewage hurt. So I deliberation we each person different things that we do but we’re each akin successful immoderate way.
Q: What made it truthful typical to travel successful your brother’s footsteps astatine Rutgers alternatively than going to a bluish blood?
Harper: Just enactment home, conscionable giving backmost to nan group that gave their each to maine erstwhile I was younger, probably. For them to beryllium capable to travel down, watch maine play, is conscionable really special. The coaching unit knows maine for a while since freshman year.
Q: What did your begetter show you astir Michael Jordan and that Bulls group?
Harper: I sewage nary damn hint — I’m sorry, I’m playin’ around.
Bailey: (Laughing connected floor).
Harper: He conscionable said they each worked difficult successful practice, they didn’t return nary days off. They conscionable each followed each different and trusted each other. They each had nan aforesaid extremity and that was winning.
Q: If you were gonna hole Dylan up pinch a unsighted date, what would you show nan woman astir him?
Bailey: Man, you gotta beryllium respectful. You gotta respect him, you gotta beryllium capable to cook, you gotta beryllium capable to clean, conscionable beryllium location to support him, successful his bad days and bully days, not conscionable erstwhile you seeing him doing bully successful life. Men really request females erstwhile we’re astatine our lowest ’cause that’s erstwhile astir group leave, truthful I opportunity beryllium location astatine his lowest, and conscionable beryllium yourself.
Q: When person you ever been astatine your lowest?
Bailey: Even group astatine nan apical person bad days, ’cause they gotta return attraction of group backmost home. I person my lowest present and there. Getting homesick, I mightiness beryllium low, I miss my mom, I ain’t ne'er been this acold distant from my mom this long, truthful I tin opportunity I get sad astir that. Family members I mightiness miss, I mightiness get sad astir that … bad practice, bad crippled aliases thing for illustration that.
Q: What gives you a debased moment?
Harper: I mean, we’re each humans astatine nan extremity of nan day, it’s not for illustration robots. As a regular person, you’re gonna person a bad day. Sometimes you mightiness not consciousness for illustration going to nan gym a mates of times aliases you mightiness not consciousness for illustration getting retired of your bed. You mightiness person a bad believe yea but for illustration you’re pinch each your brothers, for illustration it’s still nosy astatine nan extremity of nan day, you’re not gonna sound yourself down conscionable ’cause you had 1 bad practice, you’re gonna regroup, and they’re gonna thief you regroup.
Q: How would you picture Ace disconnected nan court?
Harper: He’s very caring and giving. I deliberation he gives a batch erstwhile he doesn’t person to each nan time. He’s ever gonna do nan correct point nary matter what.
Q: How would you picture Dylan disconnected nan court?
A: I spot Dylan do nan aforesaid thing. Helping others erstwhile they astir apt don’t moreover request help.
Q: Personal goals for this season?
Harper: Don’t suffer a crippled astatine nan RAC. Big Ten champ. A individual extremity for maine is conscionable to get amended each day, conscionable to spot betterment from nan worldly I did incorrect nan time earlier and conscionable support stacking days.
Bailey: Same point he was conscionable saying, don’t suffer a crippled astatine nan RAC, beryllium a amended personification disconnected nan tribunal and connected nan court. I’m already a bully person, I conscionable want to beryllium much respectful to group and conscionable being for illustration a awesome teammate.
Q: What would you show different apical imaginable astir Rutgers?
Harper: Man, Coach [Steve] Pikiell will emotion you, he will put nan shot successful your hands, he’s gonna do immoderate he gotta do for you to beryllium successful, and nan remainder of nan coaching staff, they’re each gonna make judge and look retired for you, not only connected nan tribunal but disconnected nan court.
Bailey They’re gonna beryllium location to locomotion you done immoderate things, ’cause you mightiness beryllium young, but you gotta beryllium capable to beryllium coachable excessively ’cause they’re gonna get connected you astatine nan aforesaid time. It’s love. They’re gonna cuss you retired successful nan movie room. But you gotta beryllium capable to beryllium coachable and return that in.
Q: What do you for illustration champion astir this Rutgers team?
Harper: Our bond. I deliberation our chemistry. None of america hates connected each other, we each cognize we’re each equal. We request 1 done 12, 1 done 15 to win. From Day 1, we each walked successful that locker room, sat down successful them chairs and we were each conscionable laughing, having a bully time.
Bailey: Man, chemistry disconnected nan court, what he said, man. When group were talking astir it, they feared our chemistry successful nan court, they didn’t deliberation it was gonna activity retired ’cause everybody was new. But we beryllium pinch each different 24-7.
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Harper No one’s ever alone.
Q: So nan chemistry disconnected nan tribunal helps nan chemistry connected nan court?
Bailey: For sure. If you don’t person nan chemistry disconnected nan court, it’s not gonna beryllium location connected nan court.
Q: How overmuch harm tin this squad do?
Harper: A lot.
Bailey: I sewage a mobility for you: How overmuch do you think we tin do?
Harper: Sky’s nan limit for us. I deliberation we’re gonna person a awesome season, daze a batch of people. We’re gonna conscionable person spot successful Coach Pike and spot successful our teammates and we’re gonna spot successful ourselves and propulsion retired large games.
Bailey: The sky’s nan limit for sure. Once we get what we request to get done, and we cognize what we request to fix, truthful erstwhile we hole that, it’d beryllium ace difficult for teams to extremity us.
Q: Three meal guests?
Harper: LeBron James; Michael Jackson; Kevin Hart.
Bailey: Kevin Durant; Hunxho; Richard Pryor aliases Bernie Mac.
Q: Does he make you laugh?
Harper: Yeah, each nan time.
Q: Does he make you laugh?
Bailey: Yeah, he makes maine laugh.
Q: Is he funnier than you?
Harper: Yeah, he’s funnier than me. He’s funny for nary reason. I effort to beryllium funny to beryllium funny. He’s funny conscionable doing his ain thing.
Q: Favorite movie?
Harper: I’m not a large movie guy, I for illustration shows.
Bailey: If it was a hoops movie, I’d do “Love & Basketball,” but if it’s for illustration a movie of each time, it would beryllium “Blue Chips.”
Q: Favorite actor?
Harper: Who’s nan dude that beryllium doing his ain stunts? It’d beryllium nan craziest stunts ever. He flew disconnected nan building pinch a motorcycle.
Bailey: I opportunity Will Smith.
Harper: Tom Cruise!
Q: Favorite actress?
Bailey: Gabrielle Union.
Harper: She plays connected Prison Break [Sarah Wayne Callies].
Q: Favorite rapper?
Harper: NoCap.
Bailey: Hunxcho.
Q: Favorite meal?
Harper: Lamb chops by far.
Bailey: Rotel. My mom makes it nan correct way.
Q: Do you position yourself arsenic nan No. 1 prime successful nan NBA draught adjacent year?
Bailey That’s not my determination I tin make … I tin spot myself conscionable trying to measurement successful and beryllium a leader, to a squad that really needs that. I can’t really opportunity that’s my determination correct now, and I’m not focusing connected that correct now, I’m successful college. All my imagination and goals is correct now. I can’t look guardant ’cause I mightiness miss retired connected what’s going connected correct now.
Q: What would you show an NBA wide head astir why they should draught Dylan Harper?
Harper: You’re gonna get a winner. Mostly being a winner, conscionable being a leader, and conscionable showing group that I could accommodate pinch playing pinch different people.
Q: What would you show an NBA wide head why they should draught Ace?
Harper: ’Cause he’s 1 of a kind. They ever sewage them one-of-a-kind prospects that’s gonna alteration a hoops game, he’s 1 of those guys. You won’t spot a batch of 6-10 guys catching nan ball, being a guard, get successful nan post, bump disconnected fade. Then, you’re gonna get a awesome teammate, and you’re gonna ever get a laughter retired of him. He’s ne'er gonna beryllium low-energy, he’s ever gonna beryllium high.
Q: What would you show an NBA GM astir why they should draught Dylan?
Bailey: What he said, you’re gonna get a winner, you’re gonna get a dawg retired of him. Great leader, he’s gonna put players successful their position to beryllium awesome and execute, he tin publication nan level good connected some sides. I tin show unicorn ’cause you don’t get that galore group that tin do what he do.
Q: What would you show an NBA GM astir why they should draught Ace Bailey?
Bailey: I’m very energetic … I emotion to compete. I emotion to push players. I conscionable emotion nan crippled of basketball.
Q: Your connection to Rutgers fans?
Bailey: I emotion you guys, man, acknowledgment for nan support. I mean, that support is strong, I perceive it not conscionable connected nan court, I perceive it disconnected nan tribunal stepping to class, going to get thing to eat.
Harper: It’s gonna beryllium a large year. I mean, play for nan making. I don’t deliberation Rutgers hoops seen thing for illustration this since erstwhile my relative was here, nan tourney team, and nan 1970 team. I deliberation we’re gonna beryllium 1 of them teams that are gonna make an effect connected Rutgers hoops and cement our sanction successful it.
Bailey We’re gonna alteration nan culture, it’s gonna beryllium thing they telephone reddish bloods now.
Q: Oh, alternatively of bluish bloods?
Bailey Blue bloods mightiness still beryllium retired there, but it’s gonna beryllium thing called reddish bloods.
Q: What do you want your hoops bequest to be?
Harper: A winner. Competitor. And conscionable I ever springiness 100 percent connected nan court, and I springiness nan astir to my teammates, that’s nan biggest things.
Bailey: I’m a competitor. A dawg. And a winner. I for illustration to win.
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