Baylor Roundtable Discussion: Could a Key Basketball Contributor Return in 2027?

Our experts are back for a roundtable discussion this week, including a question being posed as to whether Baylor could get one of its top players back for the 2027 season.

Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Baseball season has begun in earnest, the basketball season has gone up in flames, and football is right around the corner.

That means it’s time for another round table discussion with discussion points ranging from who is going to be around for 2026, and to who may not be.

Let’s dive right in.

In Honor of Tyce Armstrong’s big weekend, what is your first vivid baseball memory?

Trent Knoop

I want to start by saying that baseball is my least favorite sport to watch out of the big three (football, basketball, and baseball) and it’s not close. 

However, I am a Cincinnati Reds fan, and I recall the news of the Reds trading for Ken Griffey Jr. I really remember getting into the Reds around that time period and Griffey Jr.’s first season in Cincinnati was fun. That swing was the purest in all of baseball. 

Bennett Parker

I am fortunate to have too many to pick from. But one that always sticks out is my first Texas Rangers game.

I knew most of the players even though I was young and the team wasn't great. It was at the old ballpark in Arlington in the middle of summer, and it was blazing hot outside. It was the first of many, many Ranger games with my dad.

Jacob Westendorf

I am a kid who was born in the 1990s, so I remember two key things from my childhood. The dynasty that was the New York Yankees from 1996-2000, ending during the 2001 World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. I remember watching then-president George Bush throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium, and later hearing he threw a perfect strike while wearing a bulletproof vest before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series.

What made me a lifelong baseball fan, however, was the home run chase of 1998. I grew up in Illinois, so Sammy Sosa was appointment television with the Chicago Cubs, and I loved watching Mark McGwire play as well.

Yes, we know more about that chase now, but watching those two trade home runs for the entire summer is the single biggest reason I still watch every game now.

Who has been the most disappointing basketball player this season?

Trent Knoop

Can I say the roster construction as a whole? If I have to pick one player, it has to be Michael Rataj. He is a shell of what he was at Oregon State last season. 

Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Rataj was one of the better scorers out there, averaging 16.9 points, shooting nearly 50% from the field, and 35% from three. But now that he’s a Baylor Bear, Rataj struggles to find any sort of rhythm, and appears to have no confidence. 

Bennett Parker

Michael Rataj. 

Brought in from Oregon State, there were high hopes for the 6'9" German. With an NIL contract in the ballpark of $2 million dollars, he was supposed to be an anchor for the Baylor offense after averaging 16.9 ppg for the Beavers. He has shown flashes, but in the last three (very important) games he has scored only 15 points combined.

He has had ample opportunity to prove himself, but it has felt like Rataj is getting in his own way this season.

Jacob Westendorf

I’m actually going to cheat. It’s Robert Wright III. The BYU point guard showed Baylor exactly what they were missing in Baylor’s recent loss to them. Wright was in control, able to score and create opportunities for his teammates as well. Baylor has missed that consistent third scorer this season, and Wright not being in Waco has been the most disappointing part while watching him thrive for another program.

Do you think Tounde Yessoufou should/will return for his sophomore season?

Trent Knoop

I don’t think he will, but that’s partially what life is like in the college basketball/NBA Draft season. Yessoufou has a chance to play himself into a borderline Lottery pick — a lot of mocks have him going in the early 20s.

Should he? Yes. Yessoufou would have a chance to play himself into a high Lottery pick with another year of experience. Developing his jumper would help, and we all know he has similar game as Anthony Edwards. 

Baylor should offer Yessoufou some elite NIL money to try and get him back in the fold. But the NBA is very enticing for young prospects. 

Bennett Parker

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

With a heavy heart, no. As cool as it would be to watch Tounde Yessoufou become a Baylor legend and hopefully make a March Madness run with Scott Drew in 2027, he is NBA ready. Yessoufou has had such a presence on the court of late that the coaches and players cannot ignore it. He is strong and coordinated, can make a tough shot, and can be physical for rebounds. I want him to stay, but he should get drafted and get the bag he deserves.

Jacob Westendorf

I don’t think he will. Usually if a player is projected to be a first round pick, he will be bound for the pros as soon as he can.

I do not think another season in college would hurt Yessoufou though, who has battled some inconsistency during the season.

If he does return, that does not guarantee he’d return to Baylor. In this era of the transfer portal and NIL, Yessoufou could be one to look at his options in what has in essence become a yearly free agency period. Some other program could hit him over the head with a big bag of cash to convince him to head elsewhere.