The college basketball freshman class features Rutgers’ dynamic duo in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.

It’s not uncommon for blue-blood programs to have two five-star prospects come to campus in the same year.

This rarely happens in schools where there is no such tradition. And that’s what makes No. 25 Rutgers one of the most intriguing stories of the season as the Scarlet Knights welcome Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.

According to the composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports, Bailey was the No. 2 prospect in the country in his high school class and Harper was No. 3. The impact they can have as rookie teammates became evident on Oct. 17 when Rutgers met with St. John’s in a preseason exhibition. Rutgers lost 91-85, but Bailey scored 25 points and Harper added 20.

“Dylan, for a freshman, he has so much control,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said after the game. “He plays like a senior. He’s so in control. There’s a lot of Clyde Frazier in him, the way he plays. He was amazing. Ace is just a huge talent. They’re both great. I think they’re amazing. They obviously deserve the ratings they get.”

The 6-10 Bailey averaged 33.4 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.9 blocks while winning a state title his senior year at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Harper, the son of former NBA guard Ron Harper, scored 23 points per game his senior year at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey.

“First of all, they are great kids,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. “They are really good passers. They need to learn something. College defense is something they are going to continue to improve at. But they are exciting.”

247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein said Harper is more polished at the moment, but Bailey has more upside.

“I think it’s entirely possible that Harper will be a more productive college freshman and Bailey will be a higher draft pick,” Finkelstein said. “I think Bailey, having had a great year, could be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick. Harper, I wouldn’t be surprised if he can challenge (Duke’s) Cooper (Flagg) to be as dominant a college freshman as there is in the country.”

A few more freshmen who should make a big impact this season:

Jalil Bethea, defenseman, Miami

Bethea, ranked seventh in the 247Sports rankings, is a 6-5 guard from Philadelphia who averaged 22.7 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game during his senior year at Archbishop Wood. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania.

“He’s a dynamic shooter,” Finkelstein said. “Physically he’s not at the same level. But he’s a strong shooter who still manages to score at a very high percentage.”

Vijay Edgecombe, J., Baylor

Baylor’s No. 8 pick has drafted a rookie in the first round each of the last three years (Jeremy Sochan, 9th overall in 2022, Keyontae George, 16th in 2023, Ja’Kobe Walter, 19th in 2024). Edgecomb could be the next freshman to join that list. The 6-5 guard is ranked fourth in the 247Sports Composite. He is originally from the Bahamas but attended Lutheran High School on Long Island, New York.

“You’re talking about a truly elite athlete, truly competitive on both ends of the floor,” Finkelstein said.

Cooper Flagg, girlfriend, Duke

Flagg is the first freshman to make the cut. Associated Press All America Preseason Event after Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham in 2020, according to SportsRadar.

The 6-9 swingman, who wore No. 7 at Duke, was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith National Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American during his senior year at Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

Finkelstein says Flagg’s game is similar to that of former Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, but adds that the Duke freshman may have a higher ceiling. Kirilenko is a former All-Star who played for Utah from 2001 to 2011.

“Kirilenko, like Cooper, was an extremely effective defender despite not being 7 feet tall,” Finkelstein said. “I said Cooper is the best shot blocker I’ve ever seen who isn’t 7 feet tall, at least at this point. But offensively he also has enormous versatility and a real killer instinct.”

Tre Johnson, guard, Texas

Johnson ranked 19th in Texas with 2,563 points in four years of high school basketball and scored 17 points in 24 minutes at the McDonald’s All-American Game. Ranked fifth in the 247Sports rankings, the 6-6 guard is originally from Garland, Texas, but finished his high school career at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri.

“He loves to shoot the ball off the dribble,” Finkelstein said. “I expect he’ll be given the green light in Texas to really be able to continue that man-to-man offense, and it will be about whether he can show off that strong scoring ability and maintain his efficiency to contribute to winning.”

Liam McNealy, forward, UConn

McNeely expects to move straight into the starting lineup for the two-time defending national champions, as No. 3 UConn lost four starters from last year’s team. The 6-7 forward is ranked No. 17 in the 247Sports rankings. He played the last two seasons at Montverde Academy.

“He’s experienced,” Finkelstein said. “He has real size. He has real basketball IQ. He will move into a system where he can use all his best assets.”

Asa Newell, Forward, Georgia

The 6-11 forward from Montverde Academy scored a team-high 20 points in Georgia’s preseason exhibition win over Charlotte. Newell is ranked No. 15 by 247Sports. Finkelstein noted that Newell was not on the bench for most of his time at Montverde.

“He’s now entering a program at Georgia where he’ll probably be more noticed as a freshman in college than as a senior in high school,” Finkelstein said.