Arizona Wildcats: Top 30 athletes in school history

Nov 7, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless (19) takes a shot against Brooklyn Nets forward Thomas Robinson (41) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Jerryd Bayless currently plays point guard and shooting guard in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jerryd Bayless has been making a statement with his play that was recognized late last season and helped the Bucks greatly in the playoffs. The Bucks are a young team coached by Jason Kidd.

During his eight-season NBA career, Bayless has played for six different teams for no more than two seasons. The teams in order are the Portland Trailblazers, the New Orleans Hornets, the Toronto Raptors, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Boston Celtics and in 2014 he signed with his current team, the Milwaukee Bucks. The moves from team to team were the result of trades except the move to the Bucks.

So far in his NBA career, Bayless has racked up 3,894 points, 1,374 assists, 987 rebounds, 299 steals and 342 3-pointers in 427 games, and he’s not done yet.

Bayless, a McDonald’s All-American and top-10 recruit, only played for the Wildcats for one year, 2007-2008, and what a season it was. Lute Olson had three future NBA players on the team that year, along with Bayless was Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger. There are so many highlights to write about, but we will give you a few of the most impressive:

• Became the first player in Arizona history to score 30 or more points in three straight games, Feb. 10-16
• No Pac-10 player made as many free throws per game (6.2 FT/game) or got to the free throw line as often (7.4 FT/game)
• Hit 10-of-10 FTs to finish with 20 points, four assists, and a career-best three steals on 3/6 at Oregon State
• Scored all 20 points in the second half (6-of-9 FG) to go with four assists in 40 minutes at Washington State on 2/23
• Started in all 30 games, he played in, scoring 562 points, recording 121 assists, three blocks, and 29 steals.
• Final averages for the season: a team-high 19.7 points, (45.8 FG%, 40.7 3PT%), four assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Arizona earned a No. 10 seed and would play West Virginia in the first round; the Wildcats lost to the Mountaineers, 75-65.

Bayless was selected No. 11 in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers traded rights to the Portland Trailblazers on draft day.

Bayless is active in the AAU community managing ‘TeamBayless‘ under the Compton Magic umbrella of teams and also run basketball camps and showcases.

Bayless still bleeds Wildcat blue and cardinal red, he recently re-tweeted this post followed by a tweet ‘BearDown.’

Bayless shares his thoughts in a blog he writes and posts on his website, JarrydBayless.com, here’s an excerpt from one of his posts titled ‘A CHANCE TO SHINE‘:

"I’ve put in a lot of work on my game, in-season and in the off season, throughout my career and throughout my life, to prepare myself for opportunities like this. I’m just very happy that it’s kind of come to fruition. Opportunities don’t come often in this league. I’ve experienced that first-hand, which makes me appreciate each one I get a lot more. It’s hard to make it in the NBA. From outside looking in, you might think it’s a lot easier than it is, but this league is unforgiving, and it’s very hard to get those types of opportunities. That’s just the way it works."

Bayless is a busy man; he also runs the ‘Bayless foundation.’ Taken from his website, the foundation mission is, “To enhance the well-being of youth through community programs and events that focus on literacy education, holiday giving to disadvantaged families and children, and fitness initiatives.”

Good luck to Jarryd and his Bucks this NBA season!

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