Arizona men’s basketball guard Jerryd Bayless was named the U.S. Bank Pacific 10 Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for Feb. 11-17, commissioner Tom Hansen announced yesterday.
Bayless averaged 32 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in games against California (33 points) and No. 7 Stanford (31 points) last week.
The freshman sank 16-of-36 shots from the floor and made 26-of-28 free throws, including all 16 of his charity tosses against Stanford,setting an Arizona record for single-game free throw percentage.
Bayless scored more than 30 points in the last three games, including a 39-point outing against ASU on Feb. 10, making him the first player in school history to post three straight 30-point games.
“”He’s obviously a very, very good player,”” UA interim head coach Kevin O’Neill said after Saturday’s game against the Cardinal. “”He played the full 40 minutes – didn’t get a break. They were rotating guys on him the whole night. I was really proud of the way he stepped up and played.””
With the conclusion of the three-game stretch, Bayless has now scored in double figures in 19 of his 21 games, eclipsing the 30-point mark four times.
Bayless, who averages 21.1 points, 2.8 boards and 4.4 assists per game on the season, is the second Wildcat to be named the conference’s player of the week this season, joining forward Jordan Hill (Dec. 10).