Arizona Guard Jerryd Bayless Enters NBA Draft

Another day, another prospect. Arizona Wildcats guard Jerryd Bayless will enter the NBA Draft after his freshman season. Athletic department spokesman Tom Duddleston confirmed Bayless' decision Saturday.

Heading into college, Bayless was a McDonald's All-American and Rivals.com's second-ranked shooting guard. At Arizona, Bayless lived up to the lofty expectations, averaging a team-high 19.7 points to go along with 4.0 assists. The Wildcats--behind Bayless, but without coach Lute Olson--posted an 18-13 record before losing to West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Bayless is projected as a top-five selection by both DraftExpress (#3 overall) and NBADraft.net (#4 overall). Offensively, Bayless has everything NBA teams look for in a scoring guard: he is an outstanding shooter and a devastating slasher. Defensively, he shows a lot of potential due to his quickness and commitment on both ends of the floor. One of his biggest strengths is his "winner's mentality," a trait which has earned him comparisons to Gilbert Arenas. Like Arenas, Bayless is a combo guard at 6-foot-3 and will need to improve his point guard skills in the NBA.