Here Come the BasketBears Pt. 3

For all of the acclaim of Roach or the excitement over Edgecombe, Norchad Omier is perhaps the player whose success is most essential to Baylor having a big season.

He’s a walking double-double at just 6’ 7”. His career averages of 15 points and 11 rebounds tell a huge story about his relentlessness, skill, and versatility. More recently, he’s tried to mix in a three-point shot, as well. Omier put up 68 attempts from deep last season when he’d attempted only 22 in his three previous seasons combined. Omier has presumably come to Baylor to do a couple of things: Reach his second final four (sensing a trend with the transfers?), and improve his NBA potential. Both ends are served by Omier stepping outside more, particularly when he shares the floor with Josh Ojianwuna. Omier will have to flow between stretch four and small ball center to maximize his talents and the team’s ceiling.

Ojianwuna is the team’s only true center, which means he needs to make some improvements over where he’s been the last two seasons while capitalizing on what are clearly some great physical tools. For instance, it seemed like once a week last year he would pick off a lazy pass and dash the other way for a slam. In those moments, he’s demonstrating anticipation matched with athleticism. Ojianwuna doesn’t need a pick-six every game, of course, but he does need to demonstrate a focus that he’s lacked in the past, such as when he leaves his feet to contest a pump-fake by a guy 10 inches shorter and 20+ feet from the basket. If he can raise his game, he’ll go from a 15-minute to a 25-minute player and save Omier a lot of bruising inside for when it really counts late in the year. Drew’s got the track record with these big men, so that it’s a very real possibility.

Rotation Prediction(s)

🚨Hedge alert🚨 I’m going to give you several configurations for how I think the rotations will shake out this season because we just can’t know when or for how long Langston Love will be healthy.

Projected Rotation - Season Start

Projected Rotation - Season End

I’m splitting the difference on how much Ojianwuna’s minutes will grow this season, with only a 5-minute increase on last season. Jalen Celestine will fill in a lot of minutes off the bench. Love will remain on the bench when he returns, partly for continuity amongst the starters and partly to give some ball handling when Roach leaves the floor. VJ Edgecombe is a candidate to play even more minutes, but 30 is about what Drew has played his star freshmen guards the last few years. Drew’s history of relying heavily on a senior lead guard also feeds into Jeremy Roach’s minute projection. Omier is slotted about where he was last season, and it’s hard to imagine someone who plays as hard as he does increasing his minutes total.

Favorite Lineup Combinations

These lineups might not pile up many minutes, but boy do I want to see them out there even once.

Savvy + Shooting + Size

1. Roach

2. Edgecombe

3. Celestine

4. Omier

5. Ojianwuna

Fire Away

1. Roach

2. Edgecombe

3. Nunn

4. Love

5. Celestine

The Closers

1. Roach

2. Love/Nunn

3. Edgecombe

4. Celestine

5. Omier