Greenfield’s Bailey picks Richmond as new home
By Jimmy Lewis jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
Greenfield School senior Dji Bailey is now climbing up the waterspout.
After being granted a release from his National Letter of Intent from Wake Forest upon the dismissal of head coach Danny Manning, Bailey re-opened his recruitment and concluded a two-week search late Monday night by announcing via Twitter that he has committed to the University of Richmond.
A 6-foot-6 guard and the 2019-20 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independent Conference Player of the Year, Bailey chose the Spiders of the Atlantic 10 Conference over offers from Northeastern and Iona College, now guided by former Kentucky and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino.
“We had about two or three Zoom meetings and I built a relationship with the staff really, really fast,” Bailey said in a telephone interview shortly after his announcement. “I looked at some of the facilities they’ve got on Zoom, and they showed me little pictures and stuff.”
An intended business major, Bailey cited the academics at Richmond as aligning with what he was seeking in a new home.
A Wilson Times All-Area selection as a senior, Bailey flirted with a triple-double in his final season with the Knights, netting an average of 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists per game. Helping guide Greenfield to the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association 1-A championship as a junior, the Knights produced a 108-32 record over the last four seasons.
The Spiders are led by veteran head coach Chris Mooney, who concluded his 15th season on the Richmond bench in 2019-20. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic that ultimately led to the cancellation of the NCAA tournament, the Spiders were a healthy 24-7 and situated at No. 38 in the NET rankings, making them a viable at-large candidate.
However, the Atlantic 10 tournament itself never opened for the Spiders prior to the shutdown.
Mooney, who played his college basketball at Princeton, has brought the principles of the shot-clock chewing offense to Richmond. In some respects, it is a departure from the grab-it-and-go style enjoyed at Greenfield, where shooters spaced the floor with a limited rotation and attempted to wear the opponent down over four quarters. Associate head coach Marcus Jenkins played at Air Force, another program that embraces the Princeton dictation of pace.
But Bailey sees no issues in probing a bit more for quality shots.
“I think I can work with it a lot actually,” Bailey said of Richmond’s offensive tempo. “During the summer in AAU, that’s how we played a little bit. We just moved the ball a lot, so we got the best shot possible no matter who took the shot. We still get the best shot possible.”
Richmond had no seniors on its roster from last season, and as many as seven players could step into that role in time for 2020-21. That brings the long game into focus for Bailey.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity,” Bailey said. “It’s a senior-heavy group and a lot of seniors are coming back. But I have the opportunity to learn from those guys and also compete for playing time as well and learn from them for the next year.”
Initially overwhelmed with the process after getting the release from his letter of intent from the Demon Deacons, Bailey emerged satisfied with the end result.
“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I guess I wasn’t meant to be there and I think this is a bigger opportunity, maybe.”
By Jimmy Lewis jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
Greenfield School senior Dji Bailey is now climbing up the waterspout.
After being granted a release from his National Letter of Intent from Wake Forest upon the dismissal of head coach Danny Manning, Bailey re-opened his recruitment and concluded a two-week search late Monday night by announcing via Twitter that he has committed to the University of Richmond.
A 6-foot-6 guard and the 2019-20 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independent Conference Player of the Year, Bailey chose the Spiders of the Atlantic 10 Conference over offers from Northeastern and Iona College, now guided by former Kentucky and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino.
“We had about two or three Zoom meetings and I built a relationship with the staff really, really fast,” Bailey said in a telephone interview shortly after his announcement. “I looked at some of the facilities they’ve got on Zoom, and they showed me little pictures and stuff.”
An intended business major, Bailey cited the academics at Richmond as aligning with what he was seeking in a new home.
A Wilson Times All-Area selection as a senior, Bailey flirted with a triple-double in his final season with the Knights, netting an average of 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists per game. Helping guide Greenfield to the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association 1-A championship as a junior, the Knights produced a 108-32 record over the last four seasons.
The Spiders are led by veteran head coach Chris Mooney, who concluded his 15th season on the Richmond bench in 2019-20. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic that ultimately led to the cancellation of the NCAA tournament, the Spiders were a healthy 24-7 and situated at No. 38 in the NET rankings, making them a viable at-large candidate.
However, the Atlantic 10 tournament itself never opened for the Spiders prior to the shutdown.
Mooney, who played his college basketball at Princeton, has brought the principles of the shot-clock chewing offense to Richmond. In some respects, it is a departure from the grab-it-and-go style enjoyed at Greenfield, where shooters spaced the floor with a limited rotation and attempted to wear the opponent down over four quarters. Associate head coach Marcus Jenkins played at Air Force, another program that embraces the Princeton dictation of pace.
But Bailey sees no issues in probing a bit more for quality shots.
“I think I can work with it a lot actually,” Bailey said of Richmond’s offensive tempo. “During the summer in AAU, that’s how we played a little bit. We just moved the ball a lot, so we got the best shot possible no matter who took the shot. We still get the best shot possible.”
Richmond had no seniors on its roster from last season, and as many as seven players could step into that role in time for 2020-21. That brings the long game into focus for Bailey.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity,” Bailey said. “It’s a senior-heavy group and a lot of seniors are coming back. But I have the opportunity to learn from those guys and also compete for playing time as well and learn from them for the next year.”
Initially overwhelmed with the process after getting the release from his letter of intent from the Demon Deacons, Bailey emerged satisfied with the end result.
“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I guess I wasn’t meant to be there and I think this is a bigger opportunity, maybe.”
