Proud of his past
Nation’s No. 2 prospect is a Chattanooga native
POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — Ace Bailey wants to make something very clear every time he talks to the media: He’s from Chattanooga.
A lot of people may not know that, but Bailey grew up on Brainerd Road before moving to the East Lake community. Midway through his sophomore year of high school at BoydBuchanan, though, he made the decision to move to Atlanta and play for basketball factory McEachern in suburban Cobb County, where the 6-foot-8 wing has blossomed into the consensus No. 2 prospect in the country as a senior.
“I’m sad that I couldn’t finish it out in Chattanooga, but I still held it down, still continued to work my butt off and play as hard as I can to be in the position that I am now,” Bailey said after totaling 21 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in a recent postseason win. “That’s where I grew up, where I was raised. Everything I know is Chattanooga, Tennessee. That’s where I grew up and I learned all my tools and all this was started.”
His decision was not universally lauded in his hometown, where many local fans wanted to be able to flock to gyms to watch him play and possibly bring back some of the Scenic City hoops tradition that has faded. The last signee to a power conference in men’s college basketball produced by a Chattanooga high school was Tyner’s Michael Bradley in 2010 with Connecticut.
It does sting a bit as the departure of the McDonald’s All-American — Bailey will be the first player from the Chattanooga area in the prestigious high school showcase since Cleveland wing Vincent Yarbrough in 1998 — created one of the bigger what-if situations for the area in recent memory.
“He can put Chattanooga back on the map, because he’s a Chattanooga kid,” said Jay Price, a basketball legend for the city in his own right as a prep AllAmerica guard who helped Brainerd win the 1988 TSSAA Class AAA state title. “He’ll shortly be forgotten in Atlanta, and we’ll claim him. Chattanooga will claim him like we do Usher and all the people that have went on to do great.
“But Ace is going to be special. If he stays injury free, he’s going to be a top-five draft pick (in 2025) and have a 10-, 12-year NBA career because he’s Kevin Garnett’s size, has the same dawg mentality. He plays hard, which is really rare for great athletes now, and I think he has a chance to be real special.”
When Price was asked where Bailey stands as a prospect coming out of the area, he thought for a moment.
“I don’t see anybody who has been better,” was the answer. “The athletic ability, the length. It’s hard to say somebody’s been better, but we’ll have to see how he finishes out.”
Adam Finkelstein, the director of scouting for 247Sports.com, wrote about Bailey’s “terrific size and effortless athleticism on the wing” back in August.
“He covers the court fluidly, plays way above the rim, and can move laterally as well,” Finkelstein said. “Because his physical tools can be so glaring, it’s easy to underestimate his skill-set, which includes a goodlooking shooting stroke. On top of all that, Bailey has also shown signs of a real passing instinct. That overlap of physical tools along with under-rated skill and feel, makes him a uniquely talented wing prospect in the national class. He’ll only continue to ascend as he develops his body, his ability to create his own shot off the dribble, and proves himself against top competition.”
Although he remains proud of Chattanooga, Bailey is about making his own name, too. That led him to McEachern, which was playing for the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state title against Grayson on Saturday night in Macon.
Most top prospects choose shoe-circuit AAU programs in hopes of playing with the sort of talent that can help one get noticed, but Bailey instead chose to play for AOT, a Georgia-based program that plays on independent circuits and is coached by family friend and Brainerd alum Cedric Dozier. Even his college choice — he signed with Rutgers last fall — isn’t the path chosen by the elite prospects, but that’s fine with Bailey, who believes he can carve out his own path at the Big Ten school.
And with a nickname like “Ace” (his given name is Airious), the standard for excellence should be high, as one of the definitions of the word is “a person who excels at a particular sport or other activity.”
Bailey’s game and a national ranking have been built off hard work: early morning skill development sessions and late night lifts in the weight room. That’s the part that doesn’t get as much attention, but it’s as important as the on-court accolades.
When asked about the difference between basketball in Chattanooga and basketball in Atlanta, Bailey pointed to that work ethic.
“Parents are dedicated,” he said. “Atlanta basketball, everybody’s focused, everybody’s got a goal, nobody is playing around. If you want it, you’re going to do it, and I like that. It’s hard work, it’s training, everybody’s putting in the time, making sacrifices for you to get better, for your child to get better.”
It’s a big part of why he left. It wasn’t about what he was losing by not having this success in his hometown; it was about what he’s been able to gain by making a move that he believes is in the best interest of the future for himself and his family.
“I understand that you might not have the people surrounding you, but you still have to take the time out of your day, lock in and realize you can change lives,” Bailey said. “You may not like the situation you’re in, but God’s given you a gift and you have to use that gift.
“I love this sport, so I’m going to take care of my family with the sport.”