WHO: Baylor University vs. Duke University
WHEN: New York, New York (Madison Square Garden) -- 12/20/2023
SCORE: Duke 78-70
Baylor has been on my list of teams to scout due to the talent of freshmen Ja'Kobe Walter and Yves Missi. No better opportunity early in the season/draft cycle than this matchup with Duke. Walter battles a talented guard trio of Jared McCain, Jeremy Roach, and Caleb Foster. In addition, Yves Missi and Kyle Filipowski is an intriguing battle -- and perhaps a clash of styles -- between two potential first-round big men.
Yves Missi
11 points (4-7 shooting), 10 rebounds (8 offensive), 5 blocks, 1 steal, 0 assists (2 turnovers), 4 fouls in 26 minutes
Offense: Missi's role offensively is rather simple: set screens and finish plays. He sets sound screens, avoiding offensive fouls with moving screens. His motor coupled with his size makes him a relentless rebounder where he can sky over the opposition and throw down putback dunks. He's limited with the ball in his hands too long, as he doesn't possess the ball-handling to eat up too many possessions in the post.
Defense: Missi's defensive impact is so resounding. He's versatile in different coverages -- playing drop or "high drop", and going at the level of the screen. Because of the Filipowski matchup, he showcased his ability to defend in space as well -- stonewalling several drives and post-ups. His shot-blocking is rather impeccable, possessing great timing and adding extra emphasis on his swats.
What I'm monitoring: Will he show any semblance of playmaking? Missi doesn't need to do much creation, as his role at the next level will be play-finishing, rim-protecting, and screen-setting. However, he only has 2 total assists this season. Could Baylor tap into his screening to deploy him in DHO/Delay actions where he can grow as a playmaker? Nonetheless, Missi showed immense value as a big man that can thrive in a simplified role.
Ja'Kobe Walter
15 points (5-11 shooting, 3-6 from 3), 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assists (4 turnovers), 4 fouls in 31 minutes
Offense: Ja'Kobe Walter didn't get a ton of creation responsibilities -- even in limited spurts, he coughed up the ball quite a bit. His movement shooting is pristine, whether it's off screens or with shot relocation, as he gets good elevation and squares up on his jumper. He didn't seek the rim all that much. When he did, he corralled an offensive rebound putback, and also finished a silky smooth reverse layup over Filipowski.
Defense: Walter's defense was shaky. He provided good moments with his defensive pressure and quick hands to force turnovers. However, he got beat off the dribble several times. His defensive awareness wasn't sharp, and he couldn't turn his hips quick enough to stick to drivers.
What I'm monitoring: Could Baylor put the ball in his hands more? Baylor had Ja'Kobe Walter serve as a complementary player a bit too much, especially given RayJ Dennis' performance. Could a more clear on-ball role help Walter showcase his live-dribble creation, playmaking, and rim pressure? Of any college prospect near the top of the board, Walter has shown the most/best shot-making abilities. Coupling his movement shooting with amplified creation responsibilities could catapult and solidify him near the top of the board -- or at the very least, helps him grow as an offensive weapon.
Kyle Filipowski
13 points (5-14 shooting), 10 rebounds, 4 assists (2 turnovers), 3 steals, 0 blocks, 4 fouls in 31 minutes
Offense: Filipowski struggled with Missi's length and athleticism, but it wasn't a totally terrible showing offensively for him. Even despite his finishing struggles, Filipowski showed intriguing handle and fluidity for a 7-footer, whether it was driving or generating separation from his defender. His footwork out of the post is incredibly sharp, maintaining control as he shakes his defender away. His playmaking continues to be fascinating, making really solid reads out of the post and having a knack for kicking the extra pass. His outside jumper didn't fall, but his mechanics are sound, and he possesses the touch to eventually become a reliable stretch big (something to monitor with a deeper 3-point line). All 3 talents coming together -- shooting, playmaking, and fluidity -- could make him a dynamic Delay action big man at the next level.
Defense: Filipowski put together an impressive defensive performance. He defended in space with passing colors, taking on switches with Walter. He provided pressure in pick-and-roll coverages and mucked up several actions -- completely blitzing a pick-and-roll to come away with a steal, while showing active hands in "high drop." It was a solid showcase game for anyone with skepticism regarding his defensive outlook.
Monitor checkup: Mobility. In my last Duke report, Filipowksi's mobility was something I wanted to monitor, as he gained more comfortability post-offseason hip surgery. He looked smooth on both ends of the floor with his work in space as a ball-handler then as a defender. The only cause of concern is creating offense against more athletic bigs. At the next level, he won't be tasked with as much creation responsibilities, but it could impact his finishing ability.
Jared McCain
21 points (7-11 shooting, 3-6 from 3), 2 rebounds, 3 assists (1 turnover), 0 steals or blocks, 1 fouls in 36 minutes
Offense: With Tyrese Proctor out, McCain has an elevated role in which he demonstrated great poise and feel for the game. He controls the game at his own pace, handling the ball with good cadence, more evident when attacking as a side-action initiator. Firing his 3's primarily in catch-and-shoot rather than pulling up, he demonstrated clean, repeatable mechanics on his jumper. When driving, he illustrated great footwork to beat defenders either off the first step or his pivot foot.
Defense: McCain handled a lot of the Ja'Kobe Walter defensive responsibilities, where he demonstrated good screen navigation and off-ball defense -- sticking to his hip wherever he was going. He didn't show a ton of point-of-attack moments, nor generate defensive events, but he was solid within the team defense construct.
What I'm monitoring: Production with an increased role. McCain has played 33+ minutes in each of the past 3 games, scoring 21 in each of the 2 games and knocking down 3 triples in all those contests. In addition, he's only tallied 2 total turnovers during this stretch. If McCain can continue showing steady 2-way play with his shooting ability as a freshman, he can make a case for himself as a top-20 pick in either 2024 or 2025.
Other Player Notes
RayJ Dennis: RayJ Dennis simply had too much of an offensive role. Baylor ran 18 pick-and-roll's with Dennis as the ball-handler, and he finished 14 of those plays -- generated 0.72 PPP in those actions. He took a lot of tough shots, threw too many risky passes, and rarely got his teammates involved -- just baffling decision-making.
Mark Mitchell: Mitchell still has upside as a really good switchable defender. His offense is a hindrance though. His mechanics are pretty bad, and Baylor isn't even guarding him when he's on the perimeter. He offset it well with dunker spot actions and creating defensive events. He can still get to the rim as well. His offense just needs major growth in order to project a more clear role at the next level.
Jeremy Roach: Roach handled most of Duke's creation responsibilities. His first step is rather blazing with the lightning ability to get to the rack. He utilizes hesitation and gear-shifting when probing downhill -- maintaining his advantage out of the screen to identify and explode down the open lane to the basket. He's a feisty on-ball defender with tremendous ability to navigate screens to stay on his man within pick-and-roll coverages. His growth in this stretch without Procter will be one to monitor alongside McCain.
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