When it comes to developing young basketball players into legit NBA stars, some schools have been regular on the board. 11-time NCAA champion UCLA is one of them. With a rich history of talented stars like Reggie Miller, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lonzo Ball, UCLA always had a step ahead of their opponents. Recently they do have one of the best backcourt stars Amari Bailey, Tyger Campbell, and Jaylen Clark.
But the Bruins are on the verge of losing both their star starting backcourt pair earlier than expected. Freshman guard Amari Bailey is declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft, while junior guard Jaylen Clark already announced the same earlier this offseason.
Bailey’s mother cleared the air when she told ESPN that it is not just a testing decision but Bailey’s UCLA career is done. Amari also made his decision public over an Instagram post. He wrote, “Since I was 3 years old, basketball has been my first and only love. I have decided to bet on myself and turn my dreams into reality and enter the 2023 NBA Draft.”
Amari Bailey making buzz early in his career
The New Orleans-born star was raised by a single mother and made his impact on the game of basketball from the beginning. He played for Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth and won the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division state title as a freshman. Playing in his junior season, he averaged 29.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Bailey won many accolades in his High School career with California Mr. Basketball, Gold Coast League MVP, and All-Area Player of the Year.
The five-star recruit was a day-one starter for coach Mick Cronin. Though he struggled to find his feet early in his college career, Amari made massive improvements in his game. The coach praised him for his work ethic and even mentioned how he learned to use his skill and elite athleticism in an efficient manner.
Bouncing back from a foot injury, Amari delivered a 24-point performance against Oregon State in February. He later made a huge impact in the postseason, where the freshman poured 26 points into the Bruins’ first game of the Pac-12 tournament. He remained consistent in NCAA finishing with an average of 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and three assists per game. He scored at least 14 points in each of their three NCAA Tournament games.
In the Sweet 16 game against Gonzaga, Bailey drained a would-be game-winning 3 but failed to defend the lead, and was knocked out of the tournament. He scored 19 points in the 79-76 loss in the game.
The coach had all the positive words for the youngster from his offense to defense. Sending an emotional message, Bailey wrote, “This has been an incredible year. To my brothers, from the ucla runs to the sweet 16, I will never forget the moments we shared throughout the year.”
If the youngster gets picked in the 2023 NBA draft, it would be a second-round pick as projected by the experts.
FAQs
A. While Amari Bailey is declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, his mother cleared that despite the outcome, he will not return to the UCLA team in the future.
A. The guard Amari Bailey averaged 11.2 Points, 4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 30 games for UCLA.
A. No, playing just one season with the UCLA team, Amari Bailey reach the Sweet-16 stage of the tournament.
