Baylor basketball has had success year after year making the most of their transfers, and look to do so again with this talented group
Last year, we saw RayJ Dennis come in and not only establish himself as the lead guard for Baylor basketball but one of the best guards in the Big 12. Jared Butler, Adam Flagler, and James Akinjo are other players who have seen success after joining the program. This year, they bring in three new transfers, including two of the top 11 in the country according to On3‘s rankings. Read below for a grade of each new Baylor Bear.
*This list will be updated as new players commit to the team.
Jeremy Roach
As mentioned earlier, the success rate of transfer guards coming into Baylor is very high. Roach fits this team perfectly. He’s a leader, with 108 starts in his career, and he doesn’t need to score at a high volume to make his impact. He only averages three assists per game in his career, but there is little doubt that will rise in Drew’s system. Roach will be surrounded by some very talented guards in Jayden Nunn, Langston Love, and VJ Edgecome, putting less pressure on himself and allowing the offense to flow at his pace.
Defensively, he is solid, and will be able to match up with any point guard he is assigned to. Plus, that leadership that we mentioned is going to be the true difference-maker on that end, especially considering the fact he’ll be sharing the backcourt with a freshman in Edgecombe.
He doesn’t shoot a lot of threes, but was extremely efficient last year, shooting 42.9%. Against Arizona, a future Big 12 opponent, he went 3-5. If he can average 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, then Baylor can’t ask for more, and he will be a key reason why Baylor is fighting for the Big 12 title in late February.
Grade: A
Norchad Omier
Omier was ranked as the second-best transfer on On3 and 5th on 247Sports, so calling this a homerun is an understatement. Omier is a double-double machine, averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds last season. He was a key piece on the Miami team that made the Final 4 two seasons ago and seemed like the one constant on a Miami team that severely underperformed last year.
Something to monitor is Omier’s three-point shooting. Omier shot just 22 three-pointers combined in his first three seasons, then shot 68 last year. He did so at a 35% clip as well. I don’t expect him to camp at the three-point line, but it adds a new level of threat if he can make those.
Defensively, he wasn’t very impressive. According to EvanMiya, he was the 385th-ranked defensive player in the country last season. Defensive has been Baylor’s biggest liability since they won the championship, and he won’t necessarily help that. There is no shortage of great big men in the Big 12, so don’t be surprised if this draws some issues.
His rebounding is really the difference-maker. He has averaged over three offensive rebounds per game all four years, which is crucial in Big 12 play to extend possessions and lead to more opportunities. As long as he keeps grabbing boards, Baylor will see success and make the most out of this talented transfer.
Grade: A
Jalen Celestine
After three years with the Cal Bears, Celestine moves to Waco for his senior season. He didn’t wow anyone by any means during his time there, scoring 20 points just one time in his career, but he could be a nice piece off the bench for Baylor. The efficiency was there, shooting 45% from the field and 40% from deep. He also averaged under 1 turnover a game in 27 minutes, which is encouraging.
I don’t expect Celestine to get more than 10 minutes a game at first. He can prove himself, and at 6’7 has good size, but he’ll most likely only come in to give Nunn and Edgecome some rest. He isn’t a great defender, and didn’t take as big of a step last season as some may have wanted. However, I think he’ll do his job really well, and that’s all Balyor can ask from hi.
Grade: B-