Jerryd Bayless had walked through the McKale Center doors countless times before. Probably thousands of time if someone had kept count.
 
But he had never walked in like this. Not with his family, friends and agent close behind him. Not in a perfectly tailored suit with a white dress shirt and an Arizona red tie. And certainly, not as a college graduate.
 
But early last month, that was the scene.
 
Bayless, an 11-year NBA veteran, who played just one season at Arizona as a one-and-done star in the 2007-08 season, was back at McKale on May 9 to receive his bachelor's degree in Africana Studies. Eleven years after he declared for the NBA Draft and started a career that has now produced nearly 5,000 points, Bayless completed a promise he made to his parents when he left Tucson.
 
"My dad has his PhD, my mom worked at a college for a long time, and it has always been instilled in my family that you graduate," Bayless said. "It was always a point of emphasis. It was something I've been committed to since I left, and I knew I would eventually get my degree."
 
The first question, naturally, is, how did he do it?
 
It's very rare for a player to earn a degree after leaving college after one season. But Bayless never wondered if he would get it done, only questioning when exactly he would be done. After all, the 6-foot-3-inch guard from Phoenix was managing an NBA career while trying to complete his education.
 
"I had to commit to it, and stay committed the whole time," Bayless said. "I could never waver or get discouraged. I did a lot of it online, and I would Skype and FaceTime with my professors quite a bit. The professors were always great to work with, and wanted to help anyway they could.
 
"I don't want to sound arrogant; I always felt like I was going to do it, it was just a question of when."
 
The when was officially early May when Bayless participated in the University of Arizona Student-Athlete Convocation at McKale Center and was a keynote speaker through the "Cats Forever" program. His speech featured messages on persistence, organization, hard work and diligence.
 
It was a meaningful speech that lasted just under four minutes, and provided a connection from Bayless to the current crop of Arizona student-athletes.
 
"From his first day here as a freshman, Jerryd was committed to his student experience and always placed a priority on academics," said Marisol Quiorz, a Senior Associate Director of C.A.T.S. Academics, who worked with Bayless throughout his journey to graduation. "When he decided to enter the draft after one year,  I was not surprised by his commitment to finishing his degree because of the type of person that he is.  He viewed his commitment to finishing his degree equal to his commitment to being a professional basketball player, and I never doubted that he would not succeed in doing both. 
 
However, his story is extremely impressive because not every student has the same level of drive, determination, and focus to do this.  He did it the right way, and made sure that the course load that he registered for each time was something that he could feasibly balance with his professional career."
 
Early on in his NBA career, that meant sometimes taking one class a semester, while he focused on his adjustment to professional basketball. It took a high level of patience and confidence that this was the correct path for him, and that eventually graduation day would come.
 
"Although I am sure he could have wondered if there were any end in sight, he continued to persist and it was so exciting as we started to realize he could see the light at the end of the tunnel," Quiroz said. " I would imagine that many people would have given up if they didn't see an immediate end in sight.
 
"It has been extremely rewarding to be able to be a part of this journey, but I have to give him all of the credit for his hard work and persistence."
 
Bayless isn't sure exactly how he will put his degree to use and would like to extend his playing career for as long as possible. But when he is ready to make the transition to his post-athletic career, he is now armed with the tools he promised himself and his family he would achieve.
 
"I know the trials and tribulations that athletes go through toward the end of their careers," Bayless said. "I know they want to continue playing for as long as possible. But you need to figure out the path forward and move on it with it. That was one of my main messages when I spoke to the graduating class."
 
In addition to the accomplishment of receiving the degree, it also connects Bayless even deeper to Coach Sean Miller and the Arizona Basketball program.
 
"Whenever someone asks me about Sean, I always tell people how great he has been to me," Bayless said. "I didn't play for him, but he has been amazing to me and my family the whole time he has been the coach at Arizona. There are a lot of different people at Arizona now compared to when I played, but it's always very welcoming, and I love coming back."