Utah product Brendan Bailey, son of Jazz broadcaster Thurl, to turn pro 2 years early

AMERICAN FORK, Utah (KSL.com) — Former Utah prep star Brendan Bailey is leaving his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility on the table.

The 6-foot-8 wing who prepped at American Fork announced Friday that he is leaving Marquette to fully commit to the NBA draft and a professional career.

“This has always been a dream of mine, and Marquette has helped prepare me to make this dream a reality,” Bailey said in a statement from the university.

The son of former Utah Jazz forward and current team broadcaster Thurl Bailey will turn 23 in June. Bailey was one of two players to start all 30 games for the Golden Eagles in 2019-20, averaging 7.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game as a sophomore. A journalism major, Bailey is just two years removed from serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington, D.C.

“We are thankful for his contributions to our program the last two seasons and will do all we can to assist him with the process,” Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said in a statement. “His best basketball is ahead of him, and we can’t wait to see where his journey takes him next.”

Bailey, who graduated from high school in 2016, averaged 20.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game in a dynamic Cavemen offense as a senior.

This story was first published by KSL.com. It is used here with permission.