Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua returned to Baylor on Saturday. How does JTT coming back change the ceiling of Baylor’s season?
On Saturday, Baylor looked like the team that people thought they could be in the preseason. An explosion in the second half in Waco propelled the Bears to a 27-point win over Texas Tech. The Bears’ scoring attack was balanced, as Jalen Bridges lead the team with 18. Keyonte George and Adam Flagler had 17 and 13 respectively.
However, we know Baylor has a balanced offense. We know that those guards are a nightmare to match up against and Jalen Bridges is a versatile offensive player. What we have yet to find out is what kind of defense Baylor has with Jonathan Tchamwa Chatchoua in the lineup.
Improving Defense
Baylor had already started to play better defensively before JTT came back. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Bears were in danger of falling out of the top 100 in adjusted defensive efficiency. They then slowly began rising and have now worked their way back inside the top 75. Now, there is of course the general 25-25 rule. The rule is that outside of 2014 UConn, every national champion in the KenPom era has been in the top 25 of both adjusted offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency. The Bears likely won’t sniff the top 25 on defense, but there are always exceptions and Baylor can be one of them.
How much can JTT change this team in one month?
The simple answer is a lot. This isn’t bringing back just any ordinary role-player. JTT is a guy that has played in Scott Drew’s system for a couple of years. He understands offensively and defensively what Drew wants to do and what his role is. Last season, JTT had a 31.9 adjusted efficiency margin, the highest on the team. Baylor, who lost in the second round, was at their best when JTT was on the floor.
JTT also makes Baylor much deeper. While Langston Love, Dale Bonner and Caleb Lohner have been useful players this season off the bench, Baylor could certainly use more relief in their frontcourt. Flo Thamba has had a good year, but having him as your only real threat as a rim protector seems like a recipe for disaster. Having JTT back means the guards can be even more aggressive when trying to turn teams over (something they’re already good at).
Overall Ceiling
Scott Drew won a national championship just two years ago with Thamba and JTT playing a lot. There’s a reason both of those guys have stuck around and it’s that those two together understand how instrumental they are to the Bears’ success. Baylor will never be a team that wins a national championship as a better defensive team. They also will never win one with the way they’ve played defense this year. However, adding JTT will allow them to get to a point where they are good enough. He’s going to rebound, defend and just be a junkyard dog type of player for them.
Baylor’s offense is good enough to get them to a final four. Now let’s see what kind of strides they can make defensively with a month to get ready for the tournament.
P.S. JTT hit two threes against Texas Tech. He hit six all of last year. Make sure to keep an eye on that.