DePaul Basketball: Class of 2022 recruit Amari Bailey commits

Even though he is just entering the 8th grade, 6’2″ Amari Bailey has committed to play for DePaul basketball once he reaches the collegiate level.

Amari Bailey might be just entering the eighth grade, but he is ready to make his college decision. Regarded as one of the best eighth graders in the country, Bailey verbally committed to play for the DePaul Blue Demons on August 11th, per his Instagram. Already 6’2″ with a fluid game, Bailey could turn out to be an outstanding recruit for the Blue Demons.

Obviously, it is still very early in the basketball career of the young Amari, but he could be a difference maker for the Blue Demons a few years down the road. For the last several years, DePaul has been rebuilding their program and working to make their team relevant in the Big East. The hope would be that the team is competing for a NCAA Tournament bid prior to the arrival of Bailey, and maybe his commitment can stir up some loyalty from other Chicago recruits, even if they are closer to college age.

Bailey is from Chicago and is reportedly excited at the possibility of “staying home” to play in front of his hometown. For the class of 2018, DePaul has signed a four-star recruit (#59 by 247Sports) in Tyger Campbell, their first major recruit in a long time. Prior to Campbell committing, the last two times that DePaul secured a top-100 recruit was in 2013 when Billy Garrett committed and Dar Tucker in in the class of 2007. Surely, it is really early to start ranking eighth graders, but by the time Bailey gets into high school, maybe he will be a top-100 level recruit.

As a player, Bailey has a lot of developing to do over the next five years before he is ready for college ball, but his shooting and passing ability are outstanding at his age. He already is showing remarkable court vision and understands where he should pass the ball. It certainly helps that he is able to see over the majority of his defenders, but his vision is still something to note.

In addition, he is already shooting the ball with solid form and from a decent range. This will hopefully progress well as he finishes eighth grade and moves into high school ball.

This scholarship is certainly a bold move due to how early in the process it is for the class of 2022. For DePaul, they are hoping that he can come in several years down the road for an established program in the Big East with the opportunity to do some damage. Bailey has a lot of development left, but the tools are there at this point in his career. Here’s to hoping that he can have a good high school career and join DePaul in 2022.

Next: Way-too-early Big East Power Rankings

The commitment of a player this young is not very common in college basketball, and when it happens, it is always interesting. Will Bailey ever suit up for the Blue Demons? Will he be a star? What is going to happen over the next five years? There are a lot of questions surrounding the fate of such a young player, and his development will be interesting to follow.