Cameron Bairstow

Cameron David Bairstow (born 7 December 1990) is an Australian former professional basketball player.

He attended Runcorn State High School before graduating from Anglican Church Grammar School in 2008.

His parents are Ian and Penny Bairstow, a veterinarian and a school teacher, who both also coach youth basketball in Australia.

Bairstow is the third of seven children, with four brothers (Kieran, Jarred, Daniel, and Sean) and two sisters (Melissa and Stephanie).

Three of his siblings have also played college basketball: brother Jarred at the University of Central Oklahoma, sister Stephanie at Utah State University, and brother Sean at Utah State University.

Bairstow played for the South West Metro Pirates and Brisbane Capitals youth teams before attending the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra in 2009 and 2010.

He was also on the Queensland team that won the 2009 Under 20 Australian national championship, and he played on the Australian Under 19 team that won the 2009 FIBA Oceania title in Saipan.

He played two seasons with the AIS in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), and in 2010, he was a member of the SEABL Select Team that visited Qatar.

Considered a two-star recruit by ESPN.com, Bairstow was listed as the No. 196 power forward in the nation in 2010.

Following the 2010 SEABL season, Bairstow moved to the United States to attend the University of New Mexico.

In his freshman season, the young Lobo squad was led by senior Dairese Gary and transfer Drew Gordon and finished the year 22–13 with an appearance in the NIT.

Bairstow was a member of one of the most accomplished freshman recruiting classes in Lobo history, along with Kendall Williams, Tony Snell and Alex Kirk.

He appeared in 31 games but played sparingly, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game.

As a sophomore, Bairstow became a regular rotation player, appearing in 34 games, averaging 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game.

Fellow Australian Hugh Greenwood joined the Lobos as a freshman in 2011–12 – he and Bairstow were teammates at the AIS in 2009 and 2010.

Gordon had a dominating senior season, while Williams and Snell each averaged in double figures.

The Lobos finished the season 28–7 after earning a share of the regular season Mountain West Conference (MWC) title, winning the conference tournament championship, and appearing in the NCAA tournament.

In Bairstow's junior season, 2012–13, the Lobos jumped out to a 12–0 start against a difficult schedule and climbed into the national rankings, later peaking at No. 10.

The team's offence struggled at times, leading to a couple of blowout losses, and Bairstow was inserted into the starting line-up in late January.

The Lobos then won nine of ten and clinched the regular season MWC title.

Bairstow played in all 35 games and averaged 9.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game.

His numbers climbed to 12 points and seven rebounds a game after he became a starter.

Williams, Snell and Kirk all averaged in double figures.

The Lobos won the MWC tournament championship, and Bairstow was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 13 points and 8.7 rebounds.

The team suffered a disappointing upset to Harvard in the NCAA tournament, finishing the season 29–6, but Bairstow was one of the bright spots for the Lobos, tallying 15 points and 9 rebounds.

Bairstow had a break-out season as a senior in 2013–14, recording one of the most remarkable improvements ever by a Lobo player.

In 34 games, he averaged 20.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, scoring 20 points or more in 21 games.

The increase in his scoring average of 10.7 points was the third best in school history, and he is the first Lobo player to average less than ten points one season and over twenty the next.

The Lobos finished second in the MWC but won the conference tournament championship for the third straight season, and Bairstow was named tournament MVP.

The team was again upset in the NCAA tournament, by Stanford, despite 24 points and eight rebounds by Bairstow.

The Lobos completed the season 27–7, giving them a combined record of 106–33 during Bairstow's four years, making his the second-winningest class ever for the program.

Bairstow was named to the All-MWC first team after leading the conference in points scored, points per game, field goals made and attempted, field goal percentage, free throws made and attempted, and Player Efficiency Rating.

He was honoured as a Second Team All-American by Sports Illustrated, Third Team All-American by NBC Sports and CBS Sports, and Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press.

Bairstow gained attention during his senior season for his ritual of going to the weight room to lift after games, while still in uniform, receiving praise from opposing coaches and the media for his commitment and work ethic.

He played college basketball for the University of New Mexico before being drafted 49th overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.

He spent two seasons with the Bulls before playing five of next six years in the National Basketball League (NBL).

Bairstow was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia.

When he arrived at New Mexico, he measured 6–8 and 210 pounds; by his senior season he was listed as 6–9 and 250 pounds; at the NBA Draft Combine in May 2014, he surprised observers by measuring just under 6–10, suggesting he had still been growing.

Bairstow was arguably the most improved player in the history of the Lobo program.

Head coach Craig Neal stated, "I don't think there's anybody who's come farther in four years. I don't think there's anybody who could have predicted what he's done this season."