Latest Ace Bailey masterclass saves Rutgers, but exposes greatest flaw as NBA Draft prospect

Ace Bailey will be a top-five pick in an exceptionally deep NBA Draft about five months from now; if you watched him score 37 points on 13-20 shooting with 6 rebounds and 3 blocks last night in a Scarlet Knights win against Northwestern, you certainly understand why.

Bailey's shot-creation (and shot-making) ability, mixed with his extreme smoothness, potentially good handle and defensive versatility at 6-foot-10, has NBA scouts dreaming of a cornerstone wing scorer who can light up defenses in the league.

And Bailey pretty obviously can be that; but you likely noticed that I didn't mention Bailey's passing ability up there because...uh, that's a work in progress. Well, maybe "in progress" is even a stretch. Bailey recorded 0 assists last night, and is averaging 0.8 assists per game this season. He hasn't recorded an assist in three games, and has recorded over one assist just three times in 19 games.

Ace Bailey is almost fully formed

I don't want to sound too critical of Bailey; he's averaging over 20 points, shooting over 41 percent from 3-point, and collecting over a block and a steal per game in a major conference in college hoops. That, alone, is enough to justify him as a top-ten pick.

Plus, Bailey isn't out there to create for others. He's out there to score, and he's done that pretty dang well.

So while the almost complete lack of passing isn't reason to be scared off from Bailey, it's something to monitor in his growth. He hasn't been asked to pass, so why would he? Often, he's the best option to get a basket on the floor for Rutgers.

Bailey is impossible to guard in college, and he'll be pretty tough to guard in the NBA, too; but NBA coaches and defenses are so advanced that eventually, Bailey might need to really develop his facilitation chops if he wants to live up to the clear star potential he possesses.