One NBA scout told The Athletic's Tobias Bass that he believes Rutgers' Ace Bailey, not Duke's Cooper Flagg, is the most promising 2024 graduate.
The scout ranked Bailey, Flagg, Baylor's VJ Edgecomb, Rutgers' Dylan Harper and Texas' Tre Johnson in the top five, praising the overall strength of the group.
“I don't think this class is bad at all. First of all, it offers much more potential and size than last year, and it's a great way for NBA teams to be ready to put their chips in the draft.” There's a couple of players that you can see.'' There are some hidden, less talked about names like Liam McNeely, Derion Reed, Donnie Freeman, but they're some kind of upper echelon and first-round players. Boasts a translatable game and skillset that could make him a worthy player. And, consistent with Flagg/Bailey/Edgecomb, looks to me like one of the best groups in recent years. ”
Flagg is the most highly anticipated player in the group and is considered the top overall candidate for 2024 in 247Sports' overall rankings. However, Bailey is not far behind in second place, with Harper in third, Edgecombe in fourth and Johnson in fifth.
So it looks like a clear top five has emerged. It wouldn't be surprising if that group represented the top of the draft lottery a year from now.
