Brendan Bailey has taken his game to the next level at American Fork.
Photo by Dave Argyle
has followed the same routine every morning since he was little.
Sleeping in late or lounging around watching cartoons were never on the agenda. His father woke him early and they immediately got to work on polishing basketball fundamentals like shooting, dribbling and passing.
"He's always in the gym with me working on my strengths and weaknesses," the
American Fork forward said. "He just teaches life skills mostly through basketball, how it can build your character and make you a better person."
Signs of Bailey's continued basketball evolution are everywhere during his junior season. He ranks second for American Fork in scoring at 15.0 points per game and rebounding with 6.0 rebounds per game.
This has occurred even as the 6-foot-7 forward has moved inside this season after playing as a guard for most of his life. Bailey has adjusted to life around the basket quite well.
"He has a lot of expectations and goals," American Fork coach Doug Meacham said. "This year he's made an effort to be a leader on the floor and even off the floor. He's got a good ethic. He puts in time with shooting and strength conditioning. He really wants to get better."
Bailey's progress is mirrored by the increased defensive attention he has drawn this season. When other teams face the Cavemen, they make a point to blanket the junior with double teams whenever possible.
Brendan Bailey, American Fork
Photo by Dave Argyle
It has helped Bailey become more of a leader as he's looked to get his teammates more involved in the offense to exploit that added defensive pressure.
"You just have to be able to be a playmaker for other players," Bailey said. "If you get the ball, and you get double-teamed, you have to know somebody else is open. If you're getting face guarded, you have to set a screen for someone and get them open. It's not always going to be my night. I'm going to need to give the ball to my teammates and be able to facilitate the offense when they add pressure."
How much potential does Bailey possess? His talent and athleticism is already good enough that plenty of schools pursued him after his sophomore season. Bailey drew recruiting attention from Arizona State, California, Gonzaga, BYU and Utah.
He committed to the Sun Devils before the start of his junior season. Bailey chose Arizona State, in part, because his older sister BreElle already plays volleyball for the Sun Devils.
It helped that Bailey felt like the things Arizona State offered as a basketball program fit well with what he wants at the next level. He liked the coaching staff and the style of play. More importantly, he felt like committing early allowed him to focus on preparing for college earlier.
"It takes off a lot of pressure from a school standpoint and a basketball standpoint," Bailey said. "I can focus more on school and my individual game. I can also work on what ASU wants me to work on to become a better player and fit into their program more. It helps my future a little bit more so I can be able to fit in to their program."
As he progresses in his basketball career, Brendan is destined to draw inevitable comparisons with his father Thurl Bailey.
Thurl was a star forward at North Carolina State and led the Wolfpack to an NCAA Championship in 1983. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 1983 NBA Draft a few months later. His NBA career spanned 13 seasons with the Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves and he averaged 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds over his career.
Meacham already sees similarities passed from father to son. He believes Brendan has the tools he needs to make an impact in college like Thurl once did.
"He's a player who has a lot of ability," Meacham said. "He's very intelligent in terms of how he sees the floor. He's a competitor. He's a player that, each year, has gotten incrementally better."
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports.
