Ranking the best Big Ten basketball players at midway point

2. Ace Bailey, G, Rutgers

It’s not often a freshman challenges for a scoring title in any conference, let alone the Big Ten. However, that’s what Bailey is doing through the first half of the conference season as he has lived up to the hype that followed him to Rutgers. Bailey is averaging a Big Ten-leading 20.2 points in 2024-25 and has been a relatively efficient scorer, shooting 46.8% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range. The 6-foot-10, 200-pound guard has come on as of late with three games with 30 points or more in January. Bailey also averages 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals as his length and athleticism allow him to impact the game in multiple facets. Rutgers has had a disappointing season overall, but Bailey and fellow freshman Dylan Harper still make it a tough opponent down the stretch.