C.J. Baird

Class:
Senior
Position:
F
Height:
6-5
Weight:
225
Hometown:
Novi, Mich.
High School:
Detroit Catholic Central

Who is C.J. Baird ...
• Strong outside shooter who plays instrumental role with opponent preparation
• Started as a team manager before moving to a walk-on/scout team as a freshman
• Maize Rage & fan favorite, who is cheered for to come off the bench
• Highlighted career with a long range 3-pointer vs. Texas A&M in 2018 NCAA Sweet 16
• Enrolled in U-M‘s prestigious Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Michigan Career
• Reached 100+ career wins (105-32)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2019, ‘20, ‘21)
• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2021)
• Michigan Academic Achievement (2018, ‘19, ‘20)
• Helped U-M to back-to-back 30+ win seasons -- U-M record 33-8 (2017-18) & 30-7 (2018-19)
   • Fourth & fifth 30+ win seasons all-time at Michigan
• Helped U-M win the 2021 Big Ten regular season title
• Helped U-M win the 2018 Big Ten Tournament title
   • U-M’s second straight title; third Big Ten team to win back-to-back titles (2017, ‘18)
• Helped U-M advance to 2018 Final Four (San Antonio) & national title game (vs. Villanova)
• Helped U-M advance to two NCAA Elite Eights (2018, ‘21)
• Helped U-M advance to three straight NCAA Sweet 16s (2018, ‘19, 21)
   • Overall it was the fourth straight for U-M (2017, ‘18, ‘19, ‘21)
   • Note: 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
• Helped U-M to the 2020 Battle 4 Atlantis title, winning three games in three days -- Iowa State, No. 6 North Carolina and No. 8 Gonzaga at the Atlantis Resort
• Helped U-M to the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off title, defeating George Washington and Providence at the Mohegan Sun Resort

Senior (2020-21)
• Played in four games; all off the bench
• Made season debut with three minutes against Northwestern (Jan. 3); one assist
• Played in three minutes at Minnesota (Jan. 16); two points on two free throws
• Played in final minute at Indiana (Feb. 27)
• Played in four minutes against Michigan State (March 4)

Junior (2019-20)
• Played in seven games; all off the bench
• Had season cut short after postseason was cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
• Made his first appearance, scoring on a layup against Elon (Nov. 15)
• Scored career-high-tying three points, with 3-pointer against Houston Baptist (Nov. 22)
• Made (1) and attempted (2) first career free throws at Michigan State (Jan. 5)
• Grabbed a career-high-tying one rebound, 2x - Presbyterian College (Dec. 21) and at Nebraska (Jan. 28)
• Had a career-high-tying block against Presbyterian
• Played a career-high 10 minutes against Presbyterian
   • Had never played more than five minutes in a game prior

Sophomore (2018-19)
• Played in 13 games; all off the bench
• Scored career-high-tying three points on 3-pointers, 3x - Chattanooga (Nov. 23), Nebraska (Feb. 28) and vs. Texas Tech (March 28; NCAA Sweet 16)
• Grabbed a career-best-tying one rebound, 2x - against Purdue (Dec. 1) and vs. Texas Tech (NCAA)

Freshman (2017-18)
• Played in five games; all off the bench
• Made career debut against UC Riverside (Nov. 26); playing four minutes
• Scored first career points on a putback layup against Alabama A&M (Dec. 21)
• Played in final minute vs. Texas A&M (March 22; NCAA Sweet 16) draining a long and first career 3-pointer -- U-M’s 14th of the game with 30.4 second remaining
• Played in final seconds vs. Loyola-Chicago (March 31; NCAA Final Four) and Villanova (April 2; NCAA title game)

Prep Career
• Played four seasons of varsity basketball at Detroit Catholic Central under coach Bill Dyer
• As a senior averaged 15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, leading the Shamrocks to a 13-7 record
• Finished 10th in the state for free throw percentage at 85.1 percent as senior
• Three-time All-Catholic League (2015, '16, '17)
• All-Academic Award Winner (2017)
• All-Scholastic Athlete (2015)
• National Merit Commended (2017)
• Two-time captain (2016, '17)

Personal
• Born on January 3, 1999 in Royal Oak, Mich.
• Son of Lisa and David Lisa Baird
• Enrolled in Stephen M. Ross School of Business
• Business Administration major