Baylor vs Gonzaga: 5 key storylines for No. 1 against No. 2 battle
By Andrew Tineo
4. How JTT could make the same impact he did against Illinois
Baylor’s frontcourt had quite a few question marks coming into the season. They lost Freddie Gillespie to the NBA as he is a current member of the Dallas Mavericks. A few weeks before the season started, Tristan Clark would medically retire from the team. The only returning true big man was Flo Thamba, who got just 12 minutes per game last season.
Although Thamba starts, the most energetic player on the court this season has been Tchatchoua. Mark Vital was the glue guy in last year’s team as he made an impact on the game when the plays weren’t meant for him.
Vital grabs a rebound off the airball and gets it to JTT, who saves it to Butler, who floats in another gem before the shot clock expires. pic.twitter.com/HAYucXlolK
— Andrew Miner (@AMINER777) November 30, 2020
If there is a player on the bench, that is the most hyped up during a game, it’s more than likely Tchatchoua. The UNLV transfer that averaged 3.4 points and 3.5 rebounds as a freshman, has been great off the bench, averaging 9.0 ppg and 8.3 rebounds during his first three games.
The progression of an unknown player isn’t very new to Coach Drew as he has done it with multiple players throughout his tenure. The likes of Taurean Prince, Johnathon Motley, and Freddie Gillespie were all guys that got very little attention as freshmen. All three of them would get a chance in the NBA and two of them are on current rosters.
Tchatchoua and Vital complement each other very well, with their hustle on the court, even while being undersized. Vital stands at just 6’5 and Tchatchoua stands at 6’8. However, both combined for 11 offensive rebounds on a much bigger Illinois team, and those second-chance points ended up being the ultimate factor for Baylor.