NBA Scout: Rutgers' Ace Bailey Has Most Upside in Class, Above Duke's Cooper Flagg

An NBA scout told The Athletic's Tobias Bass they believe Rutgers commit Ace Bailey has the most upside in the Class of 2024, not Duke commit Cooper Flagg.

The scout ranked Bailey, Flagg, Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe, Rutgers commit Dylan Harper and Texas commit Tre Johnson in the top five, and praised the overall strength of the group:

"Don't see this class being bad whatsoever. It offers a whole lot more potential and size compared to last year, first off, and has two to three guys that I could see NBA teams gearing up toward placing some chips in to draft a year from now. There are a couple of hidden, less talked about names like Liam McNeeley, Derrion Reid and Donnie Freeman, that boast a higher floor of sorts and a translatable game and skill set that could make them worthy of first-round looks, and, coinciding with Flagg/Bailey/Edgecombe, looks to me like one of the better groups in recent years."

Flagg has been the most hyped prospect of the group and is considered the top overall recruit in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports' Composite Rankings. Bailey isn't far off, however, ranking second, while Harper comes in third, Edgecombe fourth and Johnson fifth.

It would appear, then, that a clear top five has emerged. It wouldn't be shocking if that group represented the top of the draft lottery in a year from now.