How tall is Ace Bailey? Explaining head-scratching height controversy surrounding top NBA Draft prospect

NBA prospects are scrutinized successful each facet of their assemblage and their game. No matter really overmuch movie a squad has connected a player, nan prospects still will spell done workouts and measurements erstwhile it comes clip to get drafted. 

Whenever a subordinate goes done nan NBA Combine, accusation comes retired that tin impact his draught stock. Case successful point, Rutgers freshman defender Ace Bailey, who has been mocked arsenic precocious arsenic nan No. 2 prime down presumptive No. 1 Cooper Flagg. Bailey has seen his draught banal driblet somewhat because of really he has been going done nan pre-draft process.

His reddish flags person been mounting. Teams person been questioning his cognition and person been perplexed by his determination to cancel backstage workouts. Bailey had moreover much contention originate from his measurements astatine nan NBA Combine. When his tallness was measured, he came successful good short of his listed tallness erstwhile he played astatine Rutgers

📲 Follow The Sporting News connected WhatsApp

Here is much connected Bailey's tallness and nan contention surrounding it. 

How gangly is Ace Bailey?

Bailey was measured astatine nan 2025 pre-draft NBA Combine. Barefoot, he stood 6-7.5 inches pinch a 7-0.5 inch wingspan. 

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 12, 2025

MORE 2025 NBA DRAFT

• SN's complete two-round mock draft
• Final apical 60 large committee rankings, including subordinate comparisons 
• Why Cooper Flagg is can't-miss No. 1 pick

Ace Bailey tallness controversy

When playing for nan Scarlet Knights, Bailey was listed astatine 6-10. Schools are known to embellish nan numbers a small spot to make their players look much imposing. Coming retired of precocious school, he was listed astatine 6-8 by 247Sports. 

The anticipation was that Bailey would autumn location betwixt 6-8 and 6-9 erstwhile measured opinionated barefoot astatine nan NBA Combine. Instead, he was measured astatine 6-7.5, 2.5 inches shorter than he was listed astatine Rutgers. This number turned heads, pinch galore adding this to nan laundry database of knocks that were coming retired astir Bailey arsenic a prospect.

The discrepancy has a elemental solution, per Sports Illustrated's Andy Quach. He said that previously, athletes astatine nan harvester were measured pinch their shoes on. These shoes typically added 2 inches to nan player's height. For Bailey, that would return his barefoot 6-7.5 up to 6-9.5, which is beautiful adjacent to nan 6-10 he was billed astatine by nan Scarlet Knights.

Per Quach, "The magnitude of backlash that came erstwhile his tallness was announced would propose that he clocked successful astatine 6-5 aliases under. He mightiness not beryllium an charismatic 6-10, but he measured conscionable a quarter-inch shorter than Cooper Flagg, and nary a psyche has had a problem pinch Flagg being dubbed arsenic 6-10.

MORE NBA DRAFT NEWS:

• Full database of each 59 picks successful 2025 NBA Draft
• Examining nan 6 safest NBA Draft picks successful 2025
• Who are nan riskiest picks successful nan 2025 NBA Draft?

Michael Beasley tallness controversy

One of nan astir talked-about tallness controversies successful nan NBA came pinch Michael Beasley. When he was astatine Kansas State, he was listed astatine 6-10, akin to Bailey. Critics, erstwhile he was going done nan pre-draft process successful 2008, accused him of being 6-7. Instead, he landed successful nan middle astatine 6-8.25 inches tall, but that was pinch hoops shoes on. Without, he would've really been astir 6-6.25 inches tall. 

Beasley noticed each of nan chatter astatine nan clip astir his height and said, "I didn't cognize location was a tallness request for nan NBA." He ended up being drafted pinch nan 2nd wide prime successful nan 2008 NBA Draft by nan Heat. Beasley hung astir nan NBA until nan 2018-2019 play erstwhile he vanished his profession successful nan United States pinch nan Lakers. He played internationally for 3 years aft that.