Ace Bailey will miss the Rutgers basketball team's opening game due to injury

Freshman winger Ace Bailey, a candidate for the first overall pick in June's NBA draft, will miss tonight's opener against Wagner because of an injury he suffered in practice on Monday, the program announced.

Bailey's condition is current and his injury, the nature of which is not being disclosed, remains under investigation. Rutgers' next game is next Monday, November 11th against Saint Peter's.

The 6-foot-2 Georgia native shined in his collegiate debut, scoring 25 points in a 91-85 friendly loss to St. John's. His absence means at least 30 additional minutes for his teammates and should lead to larger roles for Princeton transfer forward Zach Martini, Merrimack transfer wing Jordan Derkack and San Diego transfer wing PJ Hayes, all of whom impressed head coach Steve Pikiell in the preseason.