Head coach Scott Drew and his coaching staff had their work cut out for them this offseason with Baylor Basketball as they look to rebuild their roster. They lost L.J. Cryer and Keyonte George to the NBA while Flo Thamba and Dale Bonner graduated and Zach Loveday went to Samford.
With just one full-time starter returning in Jalen Bridges, Drew went talent-searching in the portal and came out with two potential backcourt replacements in RayJ Dennis and Jayden Nunn. Then he added five-star prospect Ja’Kobe Walter and big man Yves Missi moved from 2024 to 2023 and enrolled in school a year early.
Those aren’t the only freshmen set to make an impact, either. Finland native Miro Little and Omar Adegbola join the freshmen class while JUCO acquisitions Yanis Ndjonga and Dantwan Grimes round out the rest of their new addition. There will be a lot of new faces in the Big 12 for Baylor next season and they’ll all be looking to prove themselves.
The Bears welcome eight newcomers to their roster and return five players from last year’s 23-11 squad. After finishing with a second-round exit to No. 6 seed Creighton in last year’s NCAA Tournament, one question remains.
Will all these new pieces fit together to make another run at a national title? That remains to be seen, but we do have the analysis of the potential this rotation possesses. Take a look at the projected starting lineup and depth chart for 2023-24 as the Baylor Bears look to replicate last year’s success.
Point Guard
Starter – RayJ Dennis (26 mpg)
RayJ Dennis joins the Baylor Bears rotation looking to lead at the point guard spot and replace the loss of L.J. Cryer and Keyonte George. He gives the Bears a menacing floor general presence with his ability to knock down shots, rebound and make plays for others.
He was the 2022-23 MAC Player of the Year with Toledo while putting up 19.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4.3 rpg and 1.5 spg on 48.4 percent shooting from the field and 36.6 percent shooting from behind the arc. Dennis is a two-way playmaking guard that knows how to run the show. He’s capable of scoring at volume while still distributing the ball, but he’ll need to show he can do it against high-major competition to prove himself. He’ll be challenged with a Baylor uniform on.
Bench – Miro Little (9 mpg), Dantwan Grimes (5 mpg)
Miro Little enters the fray out of Sunrise Christian Academy and he’s not under a lot of pressure given his competition at starter. He’ll bode well learning/competing with RayJ Dennis and Dantwan Grimes, though. He’s got a ton of international experience under his belt as a Finland native on the FIBA scene that he brings to the table, too. Grimes joins the Bear out of Kilgore College (JUCO), look for him to battle for minutes as well.
Shooting Guard
Starter – Jayden Nunn (26 mpg)
Jayden Nunn should get a bulk of the minutes at the shooting guard spot for the Bears. He was a staple in the VCU Rams’ rotation this past season, posting 9.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.5 spg. His production doesn’t jump off the page, but he’s a 2-guard that can defend at a high level. His 94.8 defensive rating ranked eighth in the Atlantic 10 this past season while he ranked sixth in steals (51). Nunn certainly knows how to make an impact when he’s on the floor. He also shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range in 2022-23.
At worst, he’ll be a player that can defend the opponent’s best offensive guard option with his length at 6-foot-4. With his ability to handle the ball, he’ll take some of the pressure off of RayJ Dennis as well. He’s got the potential to really lift this team’s profile given his experience in the backcourt.
Bench – Langston Love (9 mpg), Omar Adegbola (5 mpg)
Langston Love could prove to be a very serviceable option off the bench this season for the Bears. He posted 6.3 ppg and 2.2 rpg off the bench across 30 appearances this past season. Omar Adegbola is a 6-foot-4 freshman guard out of Montverde Academy looking to make an impact.
Small Forward/Wing
Starter – Ja’Kobe Walter (28 mpg )
Ja’Kobe Walter is yet another freshman set to make an instant impact with Baylor this season. He’ll replace much of what Keyonte George did before heading to the NBA. He had quite the showing in France with the Bears’ overseas tour that saw him pour in 28 points in their first game. He’s an impressive prospect that can knock down shots on the perimeter and attack the basket. As he gets acclimated to Coach Drew’s defensive style of play, look for him to make a lot of noise in the Big 12.
Bench – Langston Love (8 mpg), Caleb Lohner (3 mpg)
Langston Love is another sizeable option to plug in at the wing spot at 6-foot-5. He’s capable of defending on the perimeter and crashing the glass as a presence on the wing. If he can produce in a positive way, he could be up for the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year award when it’s all said and done.
Given their flexibility, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them give Lohner some minutes at the small forward spot against bigger lineups. He is always ready when his number is called. The BYU transfer posted 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field along with five rebounds in 18 minutes of action against UCSB in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Look for him to add some action in at the 3-spot.
Power Forward
Starter – Jalen Bridges (26 mpg)
Jalen Bridges seeks redemption with the Baylor Bears coming up. He should see his production increase in 2023-24 at the power-forward spot. He’s the only returner with more than 2 games of starting experience under his belt. Bridges started in all 34 games for the Bears after moving to the squad from West Virginia, another conference foe. He’ll look to grow into a bigger role after putting up 10.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 1.0 bpg on 50.6 percent shooting from the field in 2022-23. He’ll look to increase his production as the unsung leader for this squad. He’ll need to lead by example as the lone returning starter.
Bench – Josh Ojianwuna (9 mpg), Caleb Lohner (5 mpg)
Josh Ojianwuna put up solid numbers off the bench for Baylor in his debut season. He finished 2022-23 with 4.2 ppg and 3.5 rpg on 59 percent shooting from the field. He’ll see his minutes increase at the 4 and 5 spots as a reserve. He’s continued to develop in the frontcourt as a paint presence, especially offensively.
Caleb Lohner is another forward at 6-foot-8 that should share time with Ojianwuna as a reserve. He’s capable of cleaning up the glass and scoring efficiently around the rim at the power forward position.
Center
Starter – Yves Missi (24 mpg)
Yves Missi is another newcomer that should start at the center spot for Baylor out of Prolific Prep. The Cameroon native recently reclassed this past May from the 2024 class into this year’s class and came to school a year early with an opportunity for big minutes in the frontcourt with the Bears. Missi gives the Bears a strong presence in the frontcourt to work with for the foreseeable future. He’s shown he can be a rim-runner on both ends of the floor that can rebound and alter shots at volume. The 6-foot-10 big man is another newcomer that’s made good strides in their overseas exhibition trip to France. He should get the bulk of the minutes at the center spot.
Bench – Josh Ojianwuna (8 mpg), Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (8 mpg)
Josh Ojianwuna remains a solid reserve option as does Jonathan Tchamwa Tchachoua. Ojianwuna has shown he can deliver in spurts. He snagged 11 boards and swatted three blocks both career-highs against Nicholls State back on Dec. 28. He’ll likely split time with Tchamwa Tchatchoua at the 5-spot while still
Tchamwa Tchahoua already has one National Championship as a member of the Bears and looks to win more hardware at the reserve center spot. He won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year back in 2021-22 as well.