Cincinnati Basketball Players to Watch: Baylor Bears

A battle of the Bears will take place on Saturday night. Will it be the Bearcats, or Bears who come away victorious.

Author:
Neil Meyer
Jan 12, 2024 9:30 AM EST

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CINCINNATI — Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears enter Saturday night's contest against the Bearcats (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) following an 81-72 victory over BYU on Tuesday. The Bears' two losses were to #12 Duke and Michigan State, both of which were played at neutral sites in back-to-back games.

The Bearcats are coming off a heartbreaking 74-73 loss to #25 Texas after Max Abmas hit the game-winner with just over six seconds remaining. The big question is, how will Wes Miller and the Bearcats respond following the loss to Texas, as they prepare for a hostile crowd on Saturday in the newly renovated Foster Arena in Waco, Texas?

The Bears have only played two games in the newly renovated arena, which holds roughly 7,500 people. It is one of the smallest venues in all of college basketball.

However, this is something the Bearcats have overcome in recent weeks after experiencing the BYU faithful last week. Will UC be able to repeat their performance vs a high-powered Baylor Bears team as they look to bounce back in the win column following a cold loss on Tuesday to Texas?

Players To Watch For The Bears

Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears reconstructed their roster tremendously this offseason after seeing their top three scorers from a season ago all either go to the NBA or transfer this past offseason. However, the Bears continued to prove why they are one of the best basketball programs in the country due to their recent success over the years.

Baylor enters this contest averaging 88 points per game, which is sixth in the country. The Bearcats can pour it on opponents which we have seen so far this season as they are shooting nearly 52% from the field this season, while leading the country in three-point field goal percentage, (43%). This statistic simply shows how dangerous this Bears team is as the Bearcats will have quite their hands full on Saturday night as six players average 10-plus points per game for the Bears this season.

Ja'Koke Walter: The freshman phenom was one of the top ten players in the 2023 recruiting class where he held offers from Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and K-State before deciding to join Scott Drew and the Bears. The 6'5 guard was recently named to the John. R. Wooden Award Midseason watch list earlier this week, which is an award given annually to the top player in all of college basketball.

Walter, a pure scorer can affect the game in many ways, as he leads the Bears in scoring averaging nearly 15 points per game on a very efficient 44% from the field, while 40% from three. The potential NBA lottery pick has shown why he was such a highly rated recruit coming out of high school after staring at perennial powerhouse Link Academy as he has quickly turned the heads of many NBA scouts.

RayJ Dennis: The Toledo transfer, comes to Baylor after a stellar 2022-2023 campaign where he was unanimously named the 2022-2023 MAC player of the year. Dennis averaged nearly 19.5 points per game for the Rockets last season, which resulted in him hitting the transfer portal this offseason as one of the nation's top available players.

The 6'2" guard is a prolific scorer, who currently leads the team in field goal percentage (51%). Dennis showcased his playmaking ability over the last two seasons as he can not only score the ball at an elite level but also create for others.

Yves Missi: The seven-footer from Cameroon has been a dominant factor for the Bears on both ends of the court. Offensively, Missi averages 10 points per game, while leading the team in rebounding. Averaging nearly 6 rebounds per game, Missi is someone who can draw a lot of attention on the glass after grabbing 88 rebounds through the team's first 15 games, 45 of those on the offensive end.

Like Walter, Missi is also climbing draft boards after a stellar start to his freshman campaign, as the latest NBA mock draft has the talented center listed as the 20th-ranked prospect. The Bearcats will have to make sure they use their physicality in efforts to keep Missi off-balanced as the highly touted freshman leads the Bears in field goal percentage (66%) and is highly efficient in the paint.

Player To Watch For The Bearcats

Aziz Bandaogo: The talented seven-footer recently returned to action following the back injury that kept him out for nearly three weeks towards the end of non-conference play. Bandaogo was nonexistent for the Bearcats on the offensive end on Tuesday night in their 74-73 loss to Texas, finishing the night scoreless. Bandaogo looked a little bothered by that back injury after a very physical battle vs Texas and was seen reaching for that lower back at one point during the game.

That's an abnormal performance out of the highly touted center after recording four straight double-doubles heading into the contest. Miller likely needs a dominant performance from the talented big man in this matchup.

Bandaogo plays a huge role in this one as the Bear's backcourt will look to drive and attack, which should result in plenty of opportunities for Bandaogo to do his thing inside, alter shots and crash the glass. It is something to keep an eye on come Saturday, especially to see how the 7-foot center responds after a frustrating night vs Texas on Tuesday.

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