5-Star SG Prospect Amari Bailey Commits to UCLA over Kansas, More

One of the most coveted backcourt recruits in the 2022 class made his decision Wednesday as Amari Bailey committed to UCLA, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.

Bailey is the No. 3 overall player and No. 1 combo guard in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

At least for casual observers of high school basketball, Sierra Canyon School became an overnight sensation thanks to the arrivals of Zaire Wade and Bronny James. Bailey's skills would have shone through no matter where he played, but the added attention paid to Sierra Canyon allowed his profile to increase.

Jerry Meyer of 247Sports evaluated Bailey in November and compared him to Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson:

"Has good length for a combo guard. Plays with strength. A quality functional athlete with a blend of fluid and explosive athleticism. Handles with vision and a feel for the game. Adept at changing direction and changing speeds. Can score at all three levels. Versatile defender who is disciplined and opportunistic. Is a dangerous offensive rebounder and solid defensive rebounder."

The Chicago native originally committed to DePaul before he entered high school, walking back that decision in March 2018. He then committed to UCLA in December 2018, explaining at the time how suiting up for the Bruins is a dream for him dating back to when he was younger. Once again, though, he had second thoughts and reopened his recruitment.

"I've learned to just take my time," Bailey said to Rivals.com's Eric Bossi in December 2019. "I felt good about both of the decisions, and I don't regret either one of them. So now I'm taking my time and getting to know coaches a little bit more but I was fine with both. Just sometimes stuff happens."

Given how highly he's regarded, adopting a more deliberate approach and allowing his high school career to unfold was the sensible decision.

Bailey has put together an impressive highlight reel.

ESPN's Paul Biancardi also made the point that Bailey would be required to shoulder a larger load for Sierra Canyon during his junior season, with the school having a pair of top-10 talents in BJ Boston (No. 5) and Ziaire Williams (No. 6), per 247Sports' composite rankings, move on in 2020:

Athleticism can take a player far, and Bailey is an incredible athlete. At 6'4" and 170 pounds, he also has the size to defend both guard positions, which is becoming increasingly necessary with the trends in basketball.

More than just Bailey's measurements is what he can do with his physical gifts. As Meyer outlined, he's a good scorer who can distribute while also being a plus defender.

Bailey will make an immediate impact for UCLA in 2022-23 before presumably moving on to the NBA in 2023.