Two Wildcats Earn Post-Season Honors
Jerryd Bayless
Bret Brielmaier
Jerryd Bayless was selected as an All-American and Bret Brielmaier was named to the Pacific-10 Conference’s All-Academic team.
Two Arizona men's basketball players earned post-season accolades last week as Jerryd Bayless was selected to two All-America teams and Bret Brielmaier was named to the Pacific-10 Conference’s All-Academic team.
Bayless was a third team All-America selection by Rivals.com and a fourth-team pick by Collegehoops.net. Bayless also was voted a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated earlier in March.
He averaged 19.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4 assists per game in 30 appearances this season. Bayless shot 45.8 percent from the field and a team-leading 83.9 percent from the free throw line. He finished in double figures 27 times this year, including 12 20-point and four 30-point games.
Bayless scored 592 points this season – more than any other freshman in Arizona history. Additionally, he became the first player in Arizona history to score 30 or more points in three consecutive games when he accomplished the feat Feb. 10-16.
Bayless is the 22nd player in Arizona history to earn All-America honors and the first freshman since Jason Gardner in 2000.
Brielmaier was one of five players selected to the Pac-10's All-Acadmic first team. He carries a 3.09 grade point average and is majoring in interdisciplinary studies.
It is the first time that Brielmaier has been honored by the conference. He averaged 2.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game in 21 appearances this season. Brielmaier earned a career-high nine starts in 2007-08 and shot 71.4 percent from the field. He committed just four turnovers in 306 minutes played. Brielmaier missed 13 games this season following a separated shoulder on Dec. 22.
Brielmaier is the 10th Wildcat to earn Pac-10 All-Academic honors since 1985-86. He is the first to be selected to the team since Jason Ranne and Andre Iguodala in 2003-04. To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average and be either a starter or significant contributor.