NCAA Basketball: Analyzing new options for 5-star 2022 recruit Enoch Boakye

The Bears are at an all-time high as a program right now. They’re unbeaten on the season and along with Gonzaga, a clear frontrunner to win a national championship and make their first Final Four appearance in 70 years. Head coach Scott Drew is finally getting the recognition that he has always deserved and the upcoming recruiting classes are showing it.

Baylor currently has the 8th-ranked recruiting class for 2021, led by five-star wing Kendall Brown. Four-star guard Langston Love and top-100 power forward Jeremy Sochan is also coming, as well as a future commitment from 2022 guard Dillon Hunter. It’s good that they’re able to reload because odds are good that Big 12 Player of the Year favorite Jared Butler will be going pro, while key players MaCio Teague and Mark Vital will be graduating.

As far as the frontcourt situation goes, the Bears should have UNLV transfer Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and stretch forward Matthew Mayer back, along with center Flo Thamba. Thamba has started all 17 games on the center and gives them size but is only producing 3.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg. If the right center came along either next year or after such as Boakye, you’d have to think he’d overtake the sophomore center in terms of minutes.

If you remove the history and brands of the teams, it’s hard to see a better situation than Baylor right now. Great competition in the Big 12 and a coaching staff with a great record of development. For a player such as Boakye who’ll need some time to grow as a basketball talent, this could be an excellent match.