Baylor basketball has found its big man of the future. Zach Loveday is the newest addition to the Bears as a 7-footer from Ohio.
Baylor basketball has quietly been one of the best programs in college basketball for the last several years. Under the leadership of head coach Scott Drew, the Bears have reached the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six seasons. This level of success has flown under-the-radar because of their lack of a deep postseason run, but they should continue to secure victories over the next few years. Most recently, Zach Loveday became a member of Baylor’s future by committing to the program on Sept. 25.
A true 7-footer out of Ohio, Loveday is well-regarded by recruiting services. He clearly brings plenty of size to the table and is ranked as the No. 115 overall player in the class by the 247Sports Composite. This is due to the fact that he is a perfect fit for the modern game. He is a stretch big man with the ability to knock down threes, run the floor, and protect the rim defensively. His skillset is impressively diverse and made him very desirable.
Considering Loveday’s skill and size, there were several other high-major programs involved in his recruitment. Baylor had to beat out the likes of Louisville, Ohio State, and West Virginia (among others) in order to secure this commitment. Now that they have, Loveday looks poised to play a major role in the Bears’ frontcourt for the next four years. He is highly-rated but is not expected to leave school early for the next level. He should simply be a rock-solid contributor in Waco, TX.
Loveday competed on the Adidas Gauntlet series over the course of this summer. While playing for Wildcats Select, he posted averages of 8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game in 14 contests. He was solid throughout the summer and Baylor is lucky to add the young big. Loveday is also currently playing for Huntington Prep in West Virginia alongside the likes of several other top-rated recruits. Some of his teammates include Jaemyn Brakefield, JT Thor, and AJ Hoggard.
With this commitment, Baylor’s early 2020 recruiting class has launched up to No. 4 in the country. While it is still way too early to cite team recruiting class rankings, this is a strong start. Loveday is joining fellow big man Dain Dainja (No. 51 overall) and point guard LJ Cryer (No. 86). Loveday might be the lowest-rated player currently in the class but he is still a very strong addition.
Baylor has a great reputation with regards to developing players and all three of these commits could turn into stars while with the program. Coach Drew is building something special with this program and it will be interesting to watch the individual improvements of these players over the years. Most specifically, Dainja and Loveday should form a dynamic frontcourt duo built for the modern age.
Zach Loveday is a great commitment for Baylor basketball. He is a unique big man with plenty of size and mobility. While he dropped in recruiting rankings throughout this summer, he is still a potentially impactful center with lots of skill and versatility. Watch out for him to be a multi-year starter in Waco.