''He was my best friend,'' Bach said. ''Jeff was in a bunch of my classes and sat right next to me. He was my study partner. The night before that all went down, I was with him at the library studying until midnight. We did that all the time. In fact, Jeff nicknamed me 'Sweet Tooth McGee' because I always had a craving for ice cream after those sessions and I'd make a WaWa run. Other than his roommate, I was probably the last one to see him alive.''

Bach found it hard to completely let go. The day after the tragedy, he called Dailey's cell phone several times ''just so I could hear his voice again.''

He spoke at the funeral and has stayed in touch with Dailey's father, Bob, in an effort to help with the healing process.

The Warriors held a tribute for Dailey before their home opener and are honoring his memory by wearing his number 20 with the initials J.D. on their warm-up jackets all season.

In his role of team captain, Bach has provided soothing words to former teammates numbed by grief.

''It took a lot out of a lot of guys,'' Bach said. ''It's been a real setback, especially from the friendship part of it. Not using it as an excuse, but I think one of the reasons we started slow [0-3] was guys were still bothered and torn up over that, including me. I've tried to keep the team focused on basketball and doing things the right way because Jeff would have wanted us to keep playing and playing hard.''

Bach thinks of Dailey constantly.

''You know how when you see or think of something it triggers a memory or response?'' Bach said. ''My entire experience here is linked to him in some way. Classes, basketball, places we went. They all make me think of Jeff. It's been tough. It has. But I want to live for him every day.''