Bayless brings it to the next level
By: Bryan Roy
Issue date: 6/25/08 Section: Sports
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NBA Draft Preview
Using his quickness, strength and all-around athleticism, Bayless displayed the required tangibles not only to excel through rigorous Pacific 10 Conference basketball, but also to prove attractive to the next level.
Now as a protected high-lottery pick - within the top six - in Thursday's 2008 NBA Draft, which will be televised live on ESPN at 4 p.m., Bayless can only hope his physical credentials impressed general managers on paper.
One of his greatest assets, however, can't be found as a ranking or value on a 1-to-10 scale. In fact, it can't even be described.
Simply put - but not so simple to distinguish - Bayless has the "it" factor.
"He's just a great competitor - he loves to play," said former UA interim head coach Kevin O'Neill in a phone interview. "He'll want to improve and get better every day. He'll be a guy you can count on every day. Those kind of things really translate well in NBA success, and that's why I think that guy will be successful in the NBA."
O'Neill said the "it" intangible never appears on a scoreboard, resume or SportsCenter highlight. Instead, Bayless was born with the ideal chemical combination of competitiveness, mental intensity and relentlessness.
"I think Jerryd worked very hard all year long in a difficult situation," O'Neill said. "He made great, great strides and he probably won't realize that until he looks back on it a few years from now.
"I thought he learned the game better and worked really hard to make his teammates better," O'Neill added. "That year experience at Arizona will really help him as he moves along."
And who better to gauge NBA readiness than O'Neill, the Wildcats' interim head coach last season who currently serves as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies after years of other experiences at every level in the NBA.
O'Neill guided Bayless' development during the freshman's season in Tucson, much to the contrary of what Bayless, a Phoenix native, originally signed up for. UA head coach Lute Olson recruited Bayless to play in his fast-paced, explosive offense. Olson's season-long leave of absence, however, shifted the style of play after O'Neill implemented a slower style of set plays on offense.
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posted 6/25/08 @ 8:27 AM MST
I saw Bayless play several times during his high school career. It was a little hard to gauge some things because of the greater talent he had and not playing against someone close to his level. (Continued…)
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posted 6/30/08 @ 9:54 AM MST
Bayless might be one of the best in this years crop over the long haul. He is such a competitive person. And I am including Beasley and Rose in that conversation. (Continued…)
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