Jonathan Tchamwa-Tchatchoua's Return Changes Baylor Bears' Identity
There have been few more emotional moments in the 35-year history of the Ferrell Center than when Jonathan Tchamwa-Tchatchoua checked into the game Saturday after a horrific knee injury kept him sidelined for 357 days. The roof practically came off the old barn when he hit his first of two straightaway three-pointers. It was a fairytale kind of day for the Baylor Bears' emotional leader.
But Tchamwa-Tchatchoua was not just some kind of symbol. He showed he is ready to be a key contributor to this team.
The redshirt senior played almost 14 minutes in his return and looked like he had missed no more than a week or two. He brought serious energy on both ends of the court, guarding multiple different positions and running the floor like a guard, giving another threat for the Bears offensively even when he doesn't touch the ball.
Flo Thamba and Caleb Lohner have had their bright spots this season, but they aren't scorers or ball-movers that defenses have to respect. Tchamwa-Tchatchoua needs attention. Even Scott Drew said postgame he "opens things up for us" in terms of not only defenders having to stick to him, leaving more space for the guards to operate, but also what he gives the team in transition.
Unlike Thamba and Lohner, Tchamwa-Tchatchoua runs the floor like a guard, adding another weapon the Bears in transition, showing up immediately with Baylor outscoring Texas Tech 26-4 in Saturday's 89-62 win. "Everyday Jon" even opened things up in the post, allowing Keyonte George to drop 17 points on only two made threes and Jalen Bridges to add 18 with only two made threes. All the Bears needed to fix their offensive game was adding the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year back to the rotation.
Tchamwa-Tchatchoua's return and what he brings to the lineup suddenly makes a good Baylor team a team that can be very dangerous in the NCAA Tournament. He adds low-post scoring they haven't had all season, he gives them transition offense they haven't had all season, he gives them a rim protector they haven't had all season, and he makes the team's greatest weapons (the guards) much less predictable than they have been all season.
With such a serious injury, it is tough to tell how much Tchamwa-Tchatchoua will be giving you in a few weeks time, but if he contributes what he did Saturday, the Baylor Bears are a lethal opponent the rest of the way.
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