UCLA freshman Amari Bailey leaves court with apparent leg injury in first half

The UCLA Bruins trailed the Oregon Ducks 33-30 at halftime of Saturday night’s game. Unfortunately, the Bruins might have suffered a major loss, as freshman Amari Bailey appeared to twist his right ankle late in the first half. He was seen on the ESPN broadcast hobbling back to the visitors’ locker room with the Bruins’ medical staff with 1:09 left in the first half.

The freshman guard has made an instant impact this season for the Bruins, averaging 10.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He’s also connected on 50.3% of his shots from the field. On Saturday night against Oregon, Bailey had already scored eight points and grabbed two rebounds, before leaving the floor with his injury towards the end of the first half.

He was trying to block a three-point shot attempt on the right wing by Oregon’s Rivaldo Soares, but Bailey seemed to come down on his right foot very awkwardly when he landed back on the floor.

Right at the beginning of the second half, ESPN’s play-by-play man Dave Pasch said on the television broadcast that Bailey is “good to go”. The freshman was on the floor to start the second half for the Bruins.

UCLA ended up defeating Oregon on Saturday night, 70-63. They got a big-time performance in the second half from their superstar, Jaime Jaquez, Jr. He poured in 25 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out three assists in the win.

Amari Bailey was one of the most highly rated players in America

Bailey was one of the most highly rated prospects in America coming out of Sierra Canyon High School (Chatsworth, California). He was ranked as the No. 12 overall player in the country in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings. He was named a McDonald’s All-American. His senior season at Sierra Canyon, Bailey averaged 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 15 games. As a junior, he averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game.