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Arizona basketball: 30 Greatest Wildcats of all time

By Shereen Rayan

TUCSON, AZ - SEPTEMBER 22: Former Arizona Wildcats basketball coach Lute Olson waves to fans as he walks with wife Kelly Pugnea during the first half of the college football game against the Utah Utes at Arizona Stadium on September 22, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ - SEPTEMBER 22: Former Arizona Wildcats basketball coach Lute Olson waves to fans as he walks with wife Kelly Pugnea during the first half of the college football game against the Utah Utes at Arizona Stadium on September 22, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Arizona Basketball Greatest Player No. 16 – Jerryd Bayless

Position: Point Guard, Shooting guard

Years at Arizona: 2007-2008

College Stats: 19.7 pts, 2.7 reb, 4.0 Ast, 1.0 stl, .1 blk

College Awards: 

2007 McDonald’s All-American
2007 1st-team Parade All-American
2008 2nd-team All-Pac-10
2008 Wooden Award – Finalist

NBA Draft: 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Years in the NBA: Nine and counting

FIBA U18 Gold Medalist:  2006 

Jerryd Bayless scored career-high 52 points for St. Mary’s high school in Phoenix in a loss to eventual state champions. He averaged 37.9 points in his Junior year in high school. It’s no wonder Bayless was a McDonald’s All-American.

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Bayless spent one season playing for Kevin O’Neill instead of Lute Olson on the Arizona Wildcats. He was the first one-and-done player and the first freshman in University of Arizona Basketball history to lead in scoring (592 total points averaging 19.7 points per game with 45.8% shooting), well as the first freshman to win team MVP honors since Sean Elliott.

Bayless was the star on a team that struggled to win, ending his one season with a 19-15 overall and an 8-10 record in the Pac-10. O’Neill was extremely complimentary when it came to Bayless, telling media that the Wildcat was a very hard-working player.

According to Steve Rivera, Bayless was the first Wildcat to score 39 points against the Arizona State Sun Devils, the most ever. Rivera also wrote the both he and Olson were disappointed they didn’t get a chance to work together.

Drafted No. 11 overall in 2008, Bayless currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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