When Dji Bailey committed to LSU on May 1, it marked the relieving end of a thoroughly nerve-wracking transfer portal recruiting process.
Early on, Bailey, formerly at Richmond for four years, was in regular contact with Creighton University and assistant coach Jalen Courtney-Williams.
Talking to Courtney-Williams was comfortable, like talking to someone he’d known for a long time, said Bailey. There was an instant, genuine connection and mutual interest in Bailey playing for the Blue Jays.
And then there was radio silence.
Bailey stopped hearing from Courtney-Williams in March, which was disappointing and frustrating given the relationship they’d built.
“It was definitely like, agh,” Bailey said. “It was tough.”
The dead end was equally worrying for Bailey’s parents, Hart and Sharon Bailey, given that their son, in entering the transfer portal, had left what was known to pursue the unknown.
One day while driving, Hart said the two asked for the Lord to give them a sign.
A few minutes later, while scrolling on X (formerly known as Twitter), Hart saw that Courtney-Williams was no longer at Creighton: he’d taken a job at LSU.
Old Dominion forward Kalu Ezikpe (22) shoots over Richmond guard Dji Bailey (24) during an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, at Robins Center in Richmond, Va. (Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Shortly after, Courtney-Williams and the Baileys were on the phone once again. They were back in business, and Bailey became more and more comfortable with the idea of going to LSU over the next month.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Bailey said. “See where I’m at?”
Opportunity
Ranked as the No. 261 player in the transfer portal by On3, Dji was attractive to schools because of the senior year leap he’d taken at Richmond.
He was a do-it-all player, averaging 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals (fourth-most in the Atlantic-10 Conference). He was named the A-10’s most improved player and helped Richmond become the regular season conference champion.
“Once I had the opportunity, everything just comes together, everything shows up,” Bailey said.
The biggest thing that changed, Bailey said, was just that: opportunity.
During his time on campus, COVID had allowed older players to stay longer and supplant some of his minutes. By his senior year, he was one of the players with the most experience on the team and with the most knowledge of its Princeton-style system.
He also suffered minor injuries in each of his first three years that limited his ability to get into a groove and carve out a role on the team.
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To help with that, Bailey consulted former NBA player David West, who’d been his AAU coach for the Garner Road Bulldogs. West recommended he change his diet, take certain supplements and spend more time in the gym.
It culminated in a productive senior year in which Bailey was the model role player: someone who made winning plays and elevated the team as a whole.
Richmond was bounced from the A-10 Tournament in its first game and passed over for the NCAA Tournament, instead being invited to the National Invitation Tournament where it fell in the first round.
For his final year of eligibility, Bailey decided he wanted to transfer to a place that gave him a legitimate chance to make the NCAA Tournament and play basketball professionally.
Thus, his challenging and rewarding time at Richmond came to an end, which opened the door for his tense time in the transfer portal and, ultimately, a new chapter at LSU.
Throughout it all, Dji has leaned on his relationship with his parents, a uniquely close and special bond. He confides in his mom and has a “best friend” relationship with his dad. The family FaceTimes every night, Bailey said.
Hart helped cultivate Bailey’s passion for basketball and was his coach in middle school, instilling toughness and confidence in him.
“Having your dad as your coach is as tough as it is,” Bailey said. “They’re going to be extra hard on you, they’re going to always nitpick you.”
“I couldn’t ask for a better son,” Hart said.
Colorado guard KJ Simpson (2) celebrates after scoring in front of Richmond guard Dji Bailey (4) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
“The ultimate team player”
In convincing Bailey to come to LSU, head coach Matt McMahon emphasized his history with developing players, from now-NBA star Ja Morant to current Tiger Tyrell Ward, who took a great leap last year, particularly in shooting the ball.
Improving his own shooting from 3-point range is the emphasis now for Bailey, who made 31.6% of his shots from there last year.
As the team begins to get more organized with its offseason workouts, he’s focusing on getting more shooting reps and, particularly, putting a more upward path on the ball.
However, just as important to McMahon and LSU in persuading Bailey were the skills he already possessed.
“My toughness defensively, my attitude towards the game, my leadership,” Bailey said. “We both can bring value to each other.”
He’s also an adept finisher at the rim, which contributed to his 59.4% field goal percentage last season that led the A-10 and was the fourth-highest mark in Richmond history.
Most significantly, though, Bailey’s game is centered on making the team better.
“Dji’s the ultimate team player, like, to a fault,” Hart said. “He’s going to always make the right basketball play even if it takes away from him.”
When he entered the transfer portal, what Bailey wanted was a consistent role. It remains to be seen what exactly that role at LSU will be: with so much roster shakeup, he could be a starter, a leading scorer, a star player.
That would be unexpected – not because he isn’t capable of it, but because he’s committed to unselfish basketball. From middle school with his dad, to Richmond and now with McMahon, coaches have always encouraged Bailey to be more aggressive.
Even as he’s heard that and become a more involved and impactful player, he still isn’t hunting for accolades.
“I don’t really feel like I have an ego to where I need to be selfish or anything like that,” he said. “I want to win games.”
That won’t change, not even in his last year when making a case to those at the pro level is paramount.
In fact, Bailey believes making winning plays is what’ll demonstrate his value to scouts.
His maturity could also be the element that pushes an LSU team that he believes is capable of contending over the top.
“I just play my game the way I’ve always played, and that’s what’s helped me be the best version of me,” Bailey said.
