Amari Bailey Reaffirms UCLA Commitment Ahead of McDonald's All-American Game
The last time the Bruins earned the commitment – and even the national signing day signature – of a five-star guard, he never stepped foot on campus.
Daishen Nix backed off his word and signed a contract with G League Ignite back in April 2020, going for the one-year, $300K deal over attending UCLA in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two years later, UCLA men's basketball has signed another five-star guard, this time in Sierra Canyon (CA) star Amari Bailey. As one of the four McDonald's All-Americans coming to Westwood next fall – alongside center Adem Bona and women's basketball standouts Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez – Bailey had a press conference with the media on Monday in which he discussed his future.
Tracy Pierson of 247Sports' Bruin Report Online asked Bailey if he was considering any other options besides joining the Bruins, such as the G League or other professional routes.
Bailey's answer was short and – for coach Mick Cronin and the entire UCLA fanbase – sweet.
"No sir," Bailey said.
Bailey is the consensus No. 2 recruit in his class with unanimous five-star ratings, leading the high-profile Sierra Canyon with 29.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game as a junior en route to 2021 California Mr. Basketball honors. Coming in at 6-foot-5 with elite all-around talent and athleticism, further cementing his reputation his senior year, Bailey is the highest-rated recruit to join the Bruins since Shabazz Muhammad in 2012.
That includes Nix, who was the first commitment under Cronin before becoming one of the first high school players to skip college in favor of the G League.
Nix went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, though, and while he did wind up playing for the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer league and eventually signing a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets, he is far from the one-and-down star he was widely expected to be when he committed to UCLA.
Bailey has decided to follow the more traditional path, moving out west from Chicago to Los Angeles for high school and then following through on his word to join the local Bruins.
Having been committed for over a year, Bailey said he has managed to spend a lot of time on campus and get really close with guard Jaylen Clark and guard/forward Peyton Watson. Bailey said he can fit with any players no matter their current play style, and that he's looking forward to showing people what he can bring to the team.
"Honestly, just my dog mentality," Bailey said. "I'm crazy about this game – I'm already telling my coaches I need ... film of every practice, film of every game, break down with the head coach."
Bailey will take center stage back in his hometown during the McDonald's All-American Boys Game on Tuesday, which tips off in Chicago at 6 p.m., in what stands to be one of his final pre-UCLA outings.
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