8th Grader Commits to DePaul, Definitely Won't Change Mind Over Next 5 Years

Amari Bailey is one of the top recruits in the class of 2022. That makes him one of the best 8th graders in the country. And he is just starting 8th grade. And he’s given a verbal commitment to his hometown DePaul University. Feel free to put down a deposit on your 2022-2023 season tickets because there’s no way this changes.

DePaul went 9-23 under first year coach Dave Leitao last season. The men’s basketball team hasn’t finished above .500 since 2006-2007 and hasn’t made an NCAA tournament since ’03-’04. The good news is the program could be completely turned around by the time Bailey is old enough to enroll because a lot can happen in 5 years. DePaul having a good basketball team is certainly within the realm of possibilities, right?

As the Chicago Sun-Times points out, Chicago native Ryan Boatright committed to Tim Floyd and USC as an 8th grader. Boatright then flipped to West Virginia where he was officially committed for a day before again flipping to UConn after Bob Huggins signed another point guard. Amazing a 13-year old couldn’t anticipate what an 18-year old would want.

As for Bailey, he and his mother are featured on the Lifetime show “Bringing Up Ballers.” Why else would it make sense for a 13-year old to commit to a college?