Amari Bailey Set to Return From Foot Injury For UCLA vs. USC
One of the Bruins' top young pieces is set to return to action.
UCLA men's basketball coach Mick Cronin was a guest on AM 570 LA Sports' Roggin and Rodney show Wednesday, and he said freshman guard Amari Bailey would be able play against USC at the Galen Center on Thursday night. Additional sources confirmed to the Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch that Bailey would be available against the Trojans.
Bailey has missed the Bruins' last seven games with a foot injury, and hasn't played since Dec. 17.
"It's gonna be tough for him, at USC in his first game in a month, for sure, so I don't know how much he'll be able to play," Cronin told Roggin and Rodney. "It'll be interesting to see how it goes, but we've gotta get him back in the mix."
Bailey appeared to be a full participant at Tuesday's practice, signaling that he would finally make his return to competition.
Back on Jan. 17, Cronin divulged that Bailey first sustained his injury during the Kentucky game on Dec. 17, when big man Oscar Tshiebwe accidentally stepped on his foot. Bailey played four days later against UC Davis, but Cronin said the injury was aggravated in that game.
Bailey was averaging 9.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game before he went down, starting in each of UCLA's first 13 games. He won back-to-back Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors in late November and early December, averaging 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists a night during a breakout four-game stretch.
The Bruins went 6-1 without Bailey, compared to their 11-2 record with him, but their offense has been sliding ever since he was forced to sit out. UCLA was averaging 80.3 points per game with Bailey, compared to 66.1 points per game without him.
Seven of the Bruins' 10 lowest-scoring games of the season have come without Bailey in the lineup.
The defense has allowed 4.9 fewer points per game in Bailey's absence, but even the defensive-minded Cronin said they would gladly welcome back the freshman's help on the offensive end of the floor.
"We've slipped a little bit offensively, and some of that is he's been out," Cronin said. "So getting fresh and healthy is big, but just strategically, getting our offense to where our defense has been and getting Amari incorporated – back in our flow and getting comfortable out there – is gonna be important for us."
It remains to be seen if Bailey will rejoin the starting lineup Thursday, or if super senior David Singleton will hold onto his spot for the time being.
Bailey was a five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American coming out of Sierra Canyon (CA). According to the 247Sports Composite, Bailey was the No. 9 prospect in the country, headlining a UCLA class that ranked No. 13 in the country.
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