WHO: Kansas University vs. Baylor University
WHEN: March 2nd, 2024 -- Waco, TX
RESULT: Baylor 82, Kansas 74
I was due for another watch on Yves Missi -- who's provided great flashes the past few weeks. Kansas provided a formidable test with Hunter Dickinson. In addition, the trio of Ja'Kobe Walter, Johnny Furphy, and Kevin McCullar are interesting wing prospects in this draft class. So plenty of reason to check this out.
Yves Missi
17 points (7-12 shooting, 3-3 from the free throw line), 5 rebounds (3 offensive), 1 block, 0 assists (0 turnovers), 0 fouls in 27 minutes
Offense: Missi popped offensively. He experimented a bit with his live-dribble creation near the elbow and off the short roll. Wow. Yeah, the process wasn’t pretty the whole time, but he showed some eye-popping flashes for a 7’0” big man. While teams won’t call on him to take opponents off the dribble, he’s working to evolve as a high-post big man — leaving optimism for short-roll potential. He’s still raw — evident through some of his drives and finishes. However, the idea of coupling his size, athleticism, and motor with some ball skills is certainly a tantalizing prospect from a 6'10" big man.
Offense One Play: I simply cannot leave it to just 1 play. These flashes are awesome.
Defense: Missi is a high-motor defender with the mobility to cover a ton of space. He’s comfortable defending up towards the level of the screen, displaying the foot speed to also tackle switching situations. He possesses quick hands that allow him to generate deflections, contest jumpers, and swat shots. One drawback I saw, his timing in drop was pretty spotty, as drivers were able to generate floaters — and his response to the shot wasn’t there.
Defense One Play:
Ja'Kobe Walter
11 points (3-13 shooting, 2-9 from 3, 3-5 from the free throw line), 8 rebounds (2 offensive), 2 assists (1 turnover), 0 stocks, 3 fouls in 38 minutes.
Offense: Walter’s potential offensively is still in theory. He’s shooting sub-40% from the field and 33.5% from 3 (6.2 attempts per game). He typically operates off movement, and he knows how to get himself open in these sets. The shots aren’t falling, perhaps struggling on squaring his jumper or finding his legs off movement. He’s also not an advantage creator. While he had some solid drivers, he didn’t garner much separation from his man — opting him to either force a tough contested shot, or kick it back out to the perimeter. He’s not a deft playmaker, but he showed a sweet 2-man game with Missi.
Offense One Play:
Defense: Again, another theory skill. He has the tools to be a good defender with his 6’5” frame and 6’10” wingspan. He crashed the glass well. However, he still has room to grow here. His drive defense was pretty solid. He struggled with screen navigation — and yes, working around Hunter Dickinson’s screens is a tall task for sure. He died on ball screens, leaving him vulnerable to a mismatch in a forced switch. His growth as a 3-and-D wing will be one to monitor once he gets to the league.
Kevin McCullar
20 points (9-19 from the field, 0-5 from 3, 2-2 from the free throw line), 5 rebounds (2 offensive), 2 assists (3 turnovers), 2 steals, 0 blocks, 1 foul in 31 minutes
Offense: McCullar’s offensive role is still clear even with his heightened role. He’s not a shot creator — nor will he be tasked with. His shooting has regressed in conference play, which will be pivotal for this role ceiling. He’s an instinctive cutter, and he also flows well off DHO’s and pick-and-roll’s. His lack of above-the-rim finishing made his drive attempts susceptible to a good contest. His best offensive trait though is how he can fuel his defense into offense.
Defense: I’m enamored with McCullar’s defensive potential. He possesses the size to defend positions 1-4. His lateral quickness is lightning quick, as he can cover ample amount of space and recover quickly. He’s a high-IQ defender that knows how to time passes to jump into lanes, and when to help defensively. He utilizes his size and physicality to pester drivers and stonewall them downhill. I don’t know where he’s ultimately picked, but a good team will fall in love with his defense rather quickly.
One play (offense + defense):
Quieter note
Johnny Furphy was rather silent in this game. When he’s not able to get clean looks from 3 or in transition, he’s not incredibly involved in the offense. Improving his live-dribble creation should help. Defensively, he knows how to use his size as an advantage defending the perimeter. However, he still needs to improve with his mobility. There’s something I can’t put my thumb on with his defensive stance — as he’s more bent over with his back, and his legs seem a bit stiff. By the way, on that note, Roshan Potliuri posted an awesome breakdown on Swish Theory, highlighting Johnny Furphy’s role malleability and the chain of skills that could elevate his ceiling.