Baylor Basketball: Losing Wendell Mitchell shortens perimeter depth
By Doug Winkey
Baylor basketball lost a potential contributor this past week in Wendell Mitchell. The guard’s transfer leaves the Bears’ bench a tad shorter entering 2017-2018.
Baylor basketball was already entering something of an unknown season without last year’s dominant star Johnathan Motley. The Bears were likely going to transition towards a perimeter-oriented attack, but one potential part of that style has decided to pursue playing time elsewhere. Wendell Mitchell is leaving Baylor for Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, TX. What does his departure mean for the Bears?
Initially, not much. The 6’3″, 180-pound guard from Rockdale, TX averaged just 2.9 points in 8.8 minutes per game last season. His biggest game against a notable opponent was a nine-point performance on 3-for-5 from 3-point land at Texas. Otherwise, he failed to score in double figures against every major conference opponent. He was going to have to battle for playing time, but the main competition at his spot doesn’t exactly light the roof on fire.
Junior King McClure and redshirt freshman Tyson Jolly were the two main obstacles in Mitchell’s way. Both will have more opportunity with him gone now. McClure averaged 5.0 points and shot 36% from deep as a sophomore in 2016-17. Jolly did not play but was rated a three-star recruit by ESPN in the class of 2016. Both will need to step up in a big way to help leaders Manu Lecomte and Jo Lual-Acuil score and defend. The two guards are necessary if Baylor is to avoid slipping down the Big 12 standings this season.
Both will need to step up in a big way to help leaders Manu Lecomte and Jo Lual-Acuil score and defend. The two guards are necessary if Baylor is to avoid slipping down the Big 12 standings this season.
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Yes, Mitchell was not expected to do too much, but he had experience in the Baylor system. Jolly hasn’t faced real action for some time and McClure has underperformed in his two seasons in Waco. Without Mitchell, Baylor will have a slightly smaller bench going into 2017-18 unless one of the other shows major growth from the offseason.