23-10; 11-7, Third in the Big 12 Conference
There are a whole bunch of things that the experts will point to as attributes of a likely Final Four team. In some ways, Baylor’s mix isn’t exactly a cookie-cutter one this year. Then again, there are some strong bulletin points to consider.
- Six players who average about 11 points each
- A likely Top 5 NBA Draft pick
- A point guard who just about everyone wanted out of the portal
- A national title-winning head coach
- Oh, and a lineup which has run the Big 12 gauntlet
There are lots of worse places for a team to begin its pursuit of the NCAA Tournament’s final weekend. In fact, given the blend of youth and experience this team has…you can only use so many clichés in describing one unconventional contender.
Since strong guard play is a key to the season, Baylor’s much sought-after guard duo is the place to begin in gauging this team’s chances. Ja’Kobe Walter is a 5-star freshman who was pursued by a multitude of top programs before choosing the Bears, while RayJ Dennis is a fifth-year point guard on his third program. Each player, for different reasons, has this one chance to make lasting NCAA Tournament memories, and together they could help Baylor to go far.
The long, bouncy, and effortlessly athletic rookie Walter already has a mature scoring game. Though his percentages have wobbled down the stretch run, Walter knocks down jumpers from mid-range and beyond the arc, glides smoothly around the halfcourt, and shows a prime-time scorer’s mentality in attacking the basket. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year has a strong handle, and Walter doesn’t tend to waste possessions forcing things unlikely to work. Even on a team stocked with some proven, high-quality shooters, Walter led the Bears in made triples while earning the second-most free throw tries and making the second-most freebies in the Big 12.
Iconic head coach Scott Drew solid Dennis on the freedom to play his style of game in Waco, and has seen fit to give his lead guard the kitchen and let him cook.
Dennis, is a strongly-built playmaker with more than 140 starts and nearly 700 assists on his résumé. In fact, he has led the Big 12 in assists during his one season in the league, and the average of 6.7 helpers Dennis has handed out each contest ranks seventh in the nation. A solid three-point shooter, Dennis generally does his best work from about 12 feet away from the basket or nearer, and most regularly off the bounce. A terrific ball screen operator, his vision and slippery confidence with the ball in his hands make Dennis a threat to pick whichever read the defense gives him. One thing simply can’t go unnoticed about the effect Dennis has on the players around him. Both last season at Toledo and this winter with this completely different Bears team, the crew Dennis has captained has ranked among the top ten teams in America in three-point percentage.
There is further quality in Baylor’s backcourt, and it comes most prominently from Langston Love and Jayden Nunn. A transfer from VCU, Nunn’s two-way ability was already established before he set foot in a Baylor facility. With a 45.0% mark from three-point territory, and lots more quality perimeter defense, Nunn has only grown that reputation this year. He doesn’t demand the ball, but Nunn is a weapon all the same. He’s capable of using his dribble to open up a shot, but Nunn is most effective spotting up from the outside or cutting hard to the goal once he’s put the fear of the three-ball into his opponents. A strong on-ball defender, Nunn has active hands and great close-quarters quickness, and he has consistently surprised offensive players by getting up quickly to block or disrupt a jumper. Love was once a Top 50 recruit who first redshirted and then, last year, played an intriguing supporting role. In his sophomore campaign this winter, Love emerged as a genuine 25 minute-per game contributor whose scoring instincts are beginning to show in valuable ways. Though his splits are a bit harsh – he’s made less than 30% of his mid-range attempts – Love makes his deep heaves count. He’s knocked down 48.0% from distance this year, and Love is another player adept at using the threat of the deep ball to work his way nearer the rim. Despite only starting two games and missing some chunks of time late in the season due to an undisclosed health issue, Love has scored at least 15 points in nine games this year.
Up front, Jalen Bridges is a modern power forward with a perimeter game; for instance, he made six of seven triple tries in Baylor’s penultimate regular season game against Texas. A big, skilled player whose ability has long tantalized coaches, Bridges remains a somewhat inconsistent scoring forward. Still, he has improved his game and production with each passing season – and the career year he’s had hitting from three has only made the Bears more dangerous. Bridges is capable of going off against legit competition when his jumper heats up; he had 23 on five triples against Florida, 25 against BYU, and 32 in his big game against the Longhorns. There have also been a half dozen games this year in which Bridges scored five or fewer points. Yves Missi – the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year, is no ordinary freshman. He’s tremendously long and mobile, and Missi is a real deterrent to drivers looking for a clear view at the bucket. The rangy rookie took a bit to establish himself against the grown dudes he’s seen on Baylor’s loaded schedule, but over the past couple of months, Missi has found his footing. Since late January against TCU, Missi has averaged 12.8 points and seemed to be in less frequent foul trouble. Drew also has the luxury of bringing Josh Ojianwuna off the bench to spell Missi. As far as #2 pivots go, Ojianwuna is a good one. In 15 quality minutes per game, he provides plenty of energy inside, and Ojianwuna is always ready to slam a lob from Dennis: neatly a third of the baskets he scored this year were dunks.
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