WATCH: Amari Bailey Talks Fitting in at UCLA, Veterans Helping Out

The McDonald's All-American and preseason award darling will play his first game in blue and gold when the Bruins face Concordia in an exhibition Wednesday.

UCLA men's basketball guard Amari Bailey spoke with the media ahead of Monday morning's practice session at the Mo Ostin Basketball Center. Bailey talked about his performance in the secret scrimmage versus San Diego State, how college has measured up to his expectations, which veterans have helped him the most, his fit in the offensive and defensive scheme, getting cut from his AAU team and how the Bruins' coaching staff will help him develop into an NBA player.

Coach was talking about your highlight rebound in SDSU scrimmage?

All I remember is really just crashing from the corner, high side to the middle. No one blocked out and I was able to get the rebound.

Did you put it back in?

Yeah, I laid it back in.

Tougher as the game gets tougher... pride yourself on rising to the moment?

For sure, just because, like, knowing all the time that they put in an empty gym, or like, I don't really want to put that into words, you know. As a kid, you dream of those moments. This is a dream school of mine. So just being able to have some pride while I'm wearing the four letters, really.

Experience versus what you thought it'd be like?

I'm loving the early morning practice schedule, to be honest. I'm the baby on the team, so I'm really just still getting acclimated. Coaches in practice tell the guys all the time, 'He's a freshman.' So that helped me. And I'm really just trying to soak up as much as I can, being a sponge to a team that has been really far already. And learning how to win.

Kind of a baby, are you still 18?

Yeah, I'm still 18.

Birthday's in February?

Yeah, February 17.

Veterans helping you?

They've helped me tremendously, honestly. On the court and off the floor, really just like how to conduct yourself off the floor. Like where to be, how to get to my spots. Tyger told me early that in college, the space closes up way quicker than it would in high school and that was something I had to get adjusted to. But really just picking my spots. Jaime's dog mentality and leadership, like that's something that you come into the facility every day and you're grateful to have a guy like that, that's just gonna go out every day.

How do you feel like you've fit in on the offensive and defensive scheme?

I mean defensively, it's still a work in progress, I will say. Learning to just take angles to cut my man off and keep them in front, because that's what we're... that's what's being taught. But offensively, really just being able to rebound and push, giving us more transition maybe than... this year we have athletes and we're way more athletic. So using that as an advantage. Open court, just making reads off the pick and roll, and being able to shoot like that when it gets killed.

Process of assimilating to new team/school?

Honestly, I would say watching (inaudible, door closing) and kind of know who I am and knowing myself as an individual, like how I like to conduct myself. I'm really like a laid back dude, I don't really do too much. So probably just honestly staying in the gym. Like that'll really just keep everything at ease for me.

Tyger biggest veteran influence?

Tyger has definitely been a big key. Just because, you know, we used to play AAU, back on the same AAU team, like years back. I was in like fourth grade, it was actually the team I ended up getting cut from, and he was like on the eighth grade team. I used to always watch him when he was playing with Marvin Bagley and Darius Garland, guys that are at the level that I'm trying to reach. So I've learned a lot from like, that's a point guard I've been watching over the years. So to actually get to share the floor, that's like, really a cool moment for me.

Did you have to remind him of that?

No, no. We remember. Like we would always kick it at Dave and Busters, cooling it. We were all like on one AAU team, but there were a lot of different age groups. So we were just like off, kicking it and stuff.

Did the coach who cut you get fired?

Nah, but I definitely appreciate him to this day because I definitely say that gave me more of a hunger. (inaudible) that you could be replaced at any given time, so that when you come – I don't call this work, but people say work – come to work and you know you got to be ready and prepared and ready to go, honestly.

What was the name of that team?

WACG. We All Can Go.

Where was it based out of?

Nashville, Tennessee.

Deeper dive into your skill at UCLA because you want to get to the NBA?

For sure, because I know what I did in high school doesn't matter. I'm starting from square one again and really just learning the game. Some great vets – Dave Singleton right behind – that are really just like getting me right, getting me prepared for what's to come. This is my first time, these guys have been in the fire, been in the fire with coach Cronin and the rest of the coaching staff.

Nervous playing against SDSU since first game at this level?

Not to be ignorant, but not really so much, honestlty. I've always grown up playing... like I've always prided myself on not being the best person in the gym. So like even when we do have these runs, having the experience to play against pros. You know, guys that are like where I'm trying to be.

Over the summer?

Over the summer, for sure. 

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