UCLA's Amari Bailey Makes Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List
The anticipation continues to build for the Bruins' top freshman to make his collegiate debut, and that excitement has spread all the way to Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame revealed the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award preseason watch list Tuesday, and UCLA men's basketball's Amari Bailey made the cut. Bailey was a five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American coming out of Sierra Canyon (CA) last season.
Joining Bailey on the 20-man 2022 preseason watch list were Arkansas' Nick Smith, Baylor's Adam Flagler, Duke's Tyrese Proctor, Gonzaga's Malachi Smith, Gonzaga's Rasir Bolton, Houston's Marcus Sasser, Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr., Kansas' Kevin McCullar Jr., Kentucky's Antonio Reeves, Kentucky's Cason Wallace, Marshall's Taevion Kinsey, Miami's Isaiah Wong, Missouri's Isiaih Mosley, North Carolina State's Terquavion Smith, North Carolina's R.J. Davis, Notre Dame's Dane Goodwin, San Diego State's Matt Bradley, Syracuse's Joseph Girard III and Tennessee's Santiago Vescovi.
Nick Smith, Proctor, Wallace and Bailey are the only freshmen who appeared on the preseason watch list. Since the award was introduced in 2015, three freshmen have won it – Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell, Kentucky's Malik Monk and Duke's RJ Barrett.
Bailey was the consensus No. 1 recruit in California in the class of 2022, and he came in at No. 9 in 247Sports' Composite rankings nationally.
In his senior year at Sierra Canyon, Bailey averaged 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists after returning from a foot injury. As a junior, Bailey averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists while stringing together three triple-doubles.
Bailey has been practicing with the Bruins since the summer, and he apparently stood out as a high-level athlete, slasher and distributor in UCLA's secret scrimmage against San Diego State on Sunday.
The 6-foot-5 freshman is projected to be a starter for coach Mick Cronin right off the bat, playing alongside veteran Tyger Campbell, but Bailey is also slated to handle occasional point guard duties himself.
Campbell was named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year preseason watch list on Monday. Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA are the only schools with players are each of the first two preseason watch lists released.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. was a semifinalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award last year, and he is a candidate to make the preseason watch list for that honor Wednesday.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JAN KIM LIM/UCLA ATHLETICS
