When Rutgers freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey arrived on campus as the two highest-ranked recruits in program history, there was immediate optimism that the Scarlet Knights could not only reach the NCAA Tournament for the third time this century. High-end projections had them making a run deep into March behind two potential top-five NBA Draft picks.
At 15-17 and projected well outside the bubble, Rutgers’ tournament hopes were dashed following a 97-89 loss to USC in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday, putting the final touches on one of the biggest what-ifs of the one-and-done era. Lots of teams with top picks have missed the NCAA Tournament over the years. Recent examples include LSU with Ben Simmons, Washington with Markelle Fultz and Georgia with Anthony Edwards (there was no NCAA Tournament in 2020, but the Bulldogs would have been left out had it taken place).
Ten teams in the modern recruiting era have landed two high school prospects ranked in the top five of their respective class. Nine of those squads reached the NCAA Tournament (Duke’s 2024-25 team is the other). Kentucky scored two in John Calipari’s final year with the program last season and lost in the first round of the Big Dance.
Harper and Bailey were both fantastic individually this season, and their draft stock held firm despite the team’s lack of success. However, the talent around the superstar duo wasn’t enough, as Rutgers finished 15-17 overall and 8-12 in Big Ten play.
Behind Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach, Duke could become only the second program in the modern recruiting era — after Kentucky — to win a national championship with two top-five recruits.
With Duke still in action, here’s how the other teams that signed two top-five prospects finished their respective seasons.
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