NBA Draft: Expert's take on Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, Kadary Richmond, Cliff Omoruyi
For anyone who follows New Jersey college basketball closely, the 2025 NBA Draft will have some extra juice June 25-26 as questions abound about prospects who played in the Garden State.
How has Rutgers wing Ace Bailey become such a polarizing figure?
Why is Rutgers point guard and Don Bosco Prep grad Dylan Harper a lock at the No. 2 pick?
Is former Seton Hall and St. John’s point guard Kadary Richmond a candidate to stick in the league?
Did Cliff Omoruyi improve his stock after leaving Rutgers for a postgrad season at Alabama?
Dec 14, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) and guard Ace Bailey (4) celebrate after defeating the Seton Hall Pirates at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
We posed these questions to a guy who knows both the Jersey college scene and the ways of NBA front offices – Somerset County native Daniel Marks, formerly the Milwaukee Bucks’ manager of prospect information, currently the chief program strategist for Howard University men’s basketball. Marks spent nine years with the Bucks as they built an NBA championship roster; he was a strong influence behind them drafting former Seton Hall standout Sandro Mamukelashvili, who is now holding his own with the San Antonio Spurs.
Here's what he had to say.
On Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper
After a mercurial season at Rutgers – a mix of spectacular showings and wildly inefficient ones – Bailey peaked as a source of intrigue this week. ESPN NBA Draft insider Jonathan Givony dropped him from the projected third pick to sixth while reporting on front office executives “expressing concern about his lack of preparation and focus” during interviews at the NBA Draft combine and Bailey’s refusal to participate in individual workouts with teams.
“People I’ve talked to seem to think he’s going to be either really, really good or a big bust, and has probably the widest range of outcomes within the top seven or eight picks,” Marks said. “So much of his ability is taking and making tough shots at his size, but those shots he was making (at Rutgers) are going to be a lot harder against NBA defenders. If he’s not making those shots at an elite level, is he going to do enough in other areas of the game to actually impact winning, or is he just a taller version of a Zach LaVine or a Bradley Beal, where he could put up a lot of points but doesn’t actually contribute to winning at a high level?”
It’s worth noting that Givony has a working relationship with Bailey’s agent, Omar Cooper, to the point where Givony actually broke the news of a much lower-profile Cooper client, Tariq Francis, committing to Rutgers in April. Could Cooper be intentionally engineering a drop in the draft so Bailey winds up with a team that he believes is a better fit?
“There are agents that will say ‘I’m not working (the player) out because I want you to go at (Pick No.) 7 because that’s a better situation' – that’s definitely happened,” Marks said. “I don’t know what the game plan is here. It kind of reminds me of when Jaylen Brown was coming out.”
Brown was the third overall pick by the Boston Celtics in 2016 after a lone mercurial season at Cal.
“A top-five pick, didn’t hire an agent, was trying to do things differently in the draft process, people thought he was a little bit aloof,” Marks said. “He had an up and down year at Cal, was very inefficient toward the end of the season. A big wing, athletic, but what’s he going to be? We (the Bucks) had the 10th pick that year and we thought Jaylen might slip to 10 because of the stuff that was going on pre-draft and the way he ended up the season at Cal. Obviously a lot of those concerns were overblown – Jaylen was the second-best player on a (Celtics) championship team last year.”
As Marks noted, Cal did win 23 games and make the NCAA Tournament in Brown’s season there. Rutgers finished 15-17 this past season. But his larger point is that Brown delivered on his upside and Bailey could well do the same despite all the hand-wringing of the moment.
“There are a lot of people (in the league) that are worried about: You had Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey and you couldn’t get a winning season,” Marks said. “Dylan does more things than just shoot. He can get to the basket, he can create for others, he has the (family) pedigree. Some of those questions with Dylan are not as high as they are with Ace."
Mar 9, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) slaps hands with fans after the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
If Bailey is the draft’s biggest wild card, Harper is a model of consensus: He’s everyone’s pick to go No. 2 behind Duke superstar Cooper Flagg.
“He’s got size at 6-6 and a strong body, is a pretty good athlete, can score at all three levels,” Marks said. “Obviously he has the pedigree with his dad's career (five-time NBA champion Ron Harper), so he’s been around the (pro) game. Having those lead guards that can anchor a team offensively is so valuable. The ability to play both positions, the scoring instincts – he’s just a natural.”
There has been some speculation that the team holding the No. 2 pick, guard-heavy San Antonio, might trade it. Marks would be surprised.
“He’s incredibly talented,” he said. “I think they’ll worry about the fit a little bit later.”
On Kadary Richmond's NBA Draft prospects
Richmond has been on Marks’ radar as an NBA prospect since before the New York City native transferred from Syracuse to Seton Hall in 2021. He foresees Richmond getting signed to a two-way free-agent contract after the second round, which means he would split time between an NBA squad and its G League affiliate.
Dec 20, 2023; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Seton Hall Pirates guard Dre Davis (14) and Connecticut Huskies guard Cam Spencer (12) are separated by an official during the second half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
“He’s probably not going to get drafted, being an older prospect (he turns 24 in August) and the fact that his shooting hasn’t improved at all,” Marks said. “(Shooting) is the biggest thing holding him back. He’s super talented, impacts the game in every other way – other than shooting. He’s got great vision, he can play passing lanes, he can guard multiple positions, he’s an elite rebounder for his position. He’s got feel, size, strength, and can finish through contact. He’s not uber quick, but he knows how to get to his spots.”
Richmond shot just 30.7 percent from 3-point range over his five-year college career.
“Teams are just going to guard him inside of 15 feet,” Marks said. “You can’t really play him off the ball, but still, as a point guard teams will go under him on pick-and-rolls and force him to take jump shots.”
During his postgrad season at St. John’s, Richmond shot .333 from deep after shooting .345 and .444 in his final two years at Seton Hall.
“The fact that from Syracuse to Seton Hall to St. John’s there was no tangible improvement on that issue, I think is a concern,” Marks said. “Think about the coaches he had: Jim Boeheim, Kevin Willard, Sha (Shaheen Holloway) and Rick Pitino. Four high-level coaches, and none of them could fix the shot. So I think that probably contributes to where he ends up.”
Marks said Richmond’s leadership while helping St. John’s win the Big East quelled any simmering concerns about his work ethic and attitude as a teammate.
“He’s a guy someone will take a chance on because he’s a 6-6 point guard with great feel who impacts a game,” Marks said. “But for him to stick he’ll have to be really, really good at the things he’s already good at, or develop some semblance of capable shooting.”
On Cliff Omoruyi's NBA draft prospects
After four years of manning the post at Rutgers, the Roselle Catholic High School alum did his postgraduate season at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide reach the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in March.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Clifford Omoruyi (11) dunks in the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center.
“I personally wouldn’t have him as a two-way guy; I’d have him as a summer league Exhibit 10 (free agent),” Marks said. “You know what you’re getting, the things he does well – he protects the rim, he can finish within three feet of the goal, he’s a good screener. It’s just that his feel for the game, his offensive limitations, are going to be what they are. He’s going to have to be absolutely elite defensively to have a chance of sticking. Offensively, he’s a great lob threat and can finish around the rim, but he clogs up your spacing. He’s going to have to be a defensive specialist.”
Did Omoruyi improve his pro prospects at Alabama?
“I don’t think so,” Marks said. “He got less post touches than he did at Rutgers. Everyone already knew he could run the floor and catch lobs. I don’t think he showed anything at Alabama that (NBA) teams weren’t aware he could already do.”
Two more to monitor: Thomas Sorber, Dre Davis
Feb 8, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Georgetown Hoyas forward Thomas Sorber (35) takes a shot over Seton Hall Pirates guard Isaiah Coleman (21) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Thomas Sorber, a 6-foot-10 forward who grew up in Trenton and attended Trenton Catholic as a freshman before transferring to Archbishop Ryan in Philadelphia, is projected as a mid-first round pick after an impressive but injury-shortened freshman campaign at Georgetown. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists with the Hoyas.
Dre Davis, who played two years at Seton Hall and helped the Pirates win the 2024 NIT title, could get a post-draft call as a free-agent signing. The physical 6-6 wing’s production dipped as postgrad at Ole Miss after he averaged 15.0 points and 5.9 boards for the Hall in 2023-24.
Seton Hall Pirates guard Dre Davis (14) rushes up the court against Indiana State Sycamores guard Xavier Bledson (0) on Thursday, April 4, 2024, during the NIT championship game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Rutgers' draft watch party
Rutgers Athletics will hold an NBA Draft Watch Party (with free food) June 25, 7-9 p.m. at Tavern on George in New Brunswick. The athletic department also is offering discounted $50 tickets to the NBA Draft for seats in a Rutgers fan section that night at the Barclays Center.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NBA Draft: Expert's take on Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, Kadary Richmond, Cliff Omoruyi
