Dillon Hunter, 2022’s No. 127 overall prospect, has decommitted from Baylor, he told @On3Recruits.

Story: https://t.co/2GLIcDzxKa pic.twitter.com/5lsWq3tlmA

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 18, 2022

Akinjo doesn't return, now no Dillon Hunter. Even more urgent we get guard help from the transfer portal. I wonder if Hunter is going to play for Tang?

Very strange. Very, very strange for someone who was committed as long as he was, then signed. Now basically transferring.

(I don't understand the writer's use of "decommitted". He was already signed.)

We have what 3 spots open? 4 ? We desperately need a true PG and an impact forward or 2. Right now the rosters chalk full of shooting guards. We're also tiny right now as a whole. Hard to see us not getting blitzed on the boards as is. Hopefully we land some size and an impact PG from the portal

DanaDane said:

---

Very strange. Very, very strange for someone who was committed as long as he was, then signed. Now basically transferring.

(I don't understand the writer's use of "decommitted". He was already signed.)

---

Yeah not sure, is same situation of when Butler signed with Alabama and then transferred to us before ever reporting.

IowaBear said:

---

We have what 3 spots open? 4 ? We desperately need a true PG and an impact forward or 2. Right now the rosters chalk full of shooting guards. We're also tiny right now as a whole. Hard to see us not getting blitzed on the boards as is. Hopefully we land some size and an impact PG from the portal

---

I am pretty sure our staff probably already got guys lined up. Once MM makes his decision one way or the other we will know how many transfers we can accept. Also who knows, don't rule out someone like Turner or Loveday potentially transferring and opening up additional roster spots.

If they had em lined up I'd assume they would have committed or we'd at least hear about them. Mm is 1 guy and there's lots of minutes sitting their available at the 4 and back up 5

IowaBear said:

---

If they had em lined up I'd assume they would have committed or we'd at least hear about them. Mm is 1 guy and there's lots of minutes sitting their available at the 4 and back up 5

---

Our staff seems to slow-play the recruiting process with transfers and they seem to have contingency plans and then contingency plans for the contingency plans. Transfers no one knows about like Teague,Flagler and EJ we bring out of the woodwork. I am confident it's just a matter of allowing our current players the time and the grace to make their decisions before making anything public abou which transfers we bring in.

BUCANDOIT82 said:

---

We just received a commitment from 5 Star 2023 point guard Miro Little. So in his mind or the mind of an advisor what's his playing time?

---

The same thing crossed my mind. Maybe worried about not getting his touches sharing the backcourt with 2 consecutive one and done guys.

If that's the case, why not stay and compete for the starting position?

Those were all guys who came in and had a year to develop. Baylor's going to need guys who can come in a contribute right away. Completely different scenarios. Not saying we need superstar forwards by any means. But it's fair to say we need guys who can come in and hold their own right away against B12 competition

IowaBear said:

---

Those were all guys who came in and had a year to develop. Baylor's going to need guys who can come in a contribute right away. Completely different scenarios. Not saying we need superstar forwards by any means. But it's fair to say we need guys who can come in and hold their own right away against B12 competition

---

I agree. At least one immediate impact transfer along the lines of Akinjo.

$$$$$

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the young man wasn't a good fit?

My guess is either not a good fit, he was worried about competition for playing time, or $$$$.

Today's version of "legal" money. If so, I can argue short sightedness, but I have no idea of his personal circumstances, and perhaps $$$$$ matters.

We'll find a good replacement.

IowaBear said:

---

We have what 3 spots open? 4 ? We desperately need a true PG and an impact forward or 2. Right now the rosters chalk full of shooting guards. We're also tiny right now as a whole. Hard to see us not getting blitzed on the boards as is. Hopefully we land some size and an impact PG from the portal

---

Something was said in the podcast with Miro Little about his not going back to the team in Finland this coming year, and being in the US next year. The assumption was he would be at a prep school. Is it possible he might reclassify as a 2021 commitment? I have no idea of the logistics of whether that might be possible for him, but Miro is much, much more ready to play physically in the Big 12 than Dillon.

Miro much more ready to play in the big 12 than 99.9% of all freshman. He's a DUDE. NBA body already and still just 17.

IowaBear said:

---

Those were all guys who came in and had a year to develop. Baylor's going to need guys who can come in a contribute right away. Completely different scenarios. Not saying we need superstar forwards by any means. But it's fair to say we need guys who can come in and hold their own right away against B12 competition

---

All of those guys could/would have contributed immediately. The rules were just different back then. We've had a lot of impact transfers over the years that would have made instant impacts if they hadn't been forced by the rules at the time to redshirt.

Scott Drew will find the right pieces. He's an expert at identifying and attracting transfers that fit the needs and culture of our program.

Hunter might have been second or third string PG behind George and Love.

With him gone, the front court is still the MAJOR concern.
Likely contributors next season:
Guards: George, Love, Cryer, Flagler, Bonner
Forwards: Thamba, Ojianwuna

MashedPotatoes said:

---

Hunter might have been second or third string PG behind George and Love.

With him gone, the front court is still the MAJOR concern.
Likely contributors next season:
Guards: George, Love, Cryer, Flagler, Bonner
Forwards: Thamba, Ojianwuna

---

Neither George or Love are point guards. Of those returning next year, Flagler is the most likely to handle the ball, followed by some combination of Bonner and Cryer.

More than likely, we'll see some kind of committee, with the player guarded by the weakest on-ball defender bringing the ball up the court and getting us into our halfcourt offense.

There is a lot more to playing PG then dribbling the ball up the floor. Our staff is not dumb, I have no inside info but I can guarantee you we will not be going into the season with a PG-by-committee led by Flagler. This would be inviting disaster. It was painfully obvious Flagler is not a PG and every second you force him to play a PG role takes away from what he does best. Cryer is even worse when forced to play PG and he is still recovering from injury. We all saw how much our offense bogged down last year the games where Akinjo was out or playing injured. Love and Keyonte are both combo guards and can play PG in a pinch, but neither will be the primary PG for us. We don't need a superstar PG or another volume scorer, just a low-usage guy who can initiate offense, hit open shots, distribute, and defend the perimeter.

You keep saying our offense bogged down without Akinjo on the floor and there is no evidence for it. Here is the box score from the one game he missed:

Baylor vs. West Virginia - Box Score - January 18, 2022 - ESPN

The coaches chose to play him in the games he was injured and didn't have it going. That was their choice, not their hands being forced as you portray it.

BUCANDOIT82 said:

---

You keep saying our offense bogged down without Akinjo on the floor and there is no evidence for it. Here is the box score from the one game he missed:

Baylor vs. West Virginia - Box Score - January 18, 2022 - ESPN

The coaches chose to play him in the games he was injured and didn't have it going. That was their choice, not their hands being forced as you portray it.

---

Yes in the one game against a bottom-feeding WVU team we managed to win without a PG. I don't think that would be a viable season-long strategy though. Akinjo was hurt in the Tech game on Jan . 11, he then played injured in the next game vs. OSU in Waco and we lost. Our team didn't look the same against OSU and the games he was playing compromised our team struggled, such as the losses to Alabama and KU. We clearly need another PG next season with Akinjo not returning and Hunter changing his mind. Not sure why you are trying to argue otherwise.

You bring up Oklahoma State, a game in which Akinjo clearly should not have played. We trailed 46-29 with a little under 12 minutes left in the second half when the coaches finally pull the plug on Akinjo and he sits for the rest of the game.

Without Akinjo the team goes on a 25-9 run to close the score to 55-54 with 24 seconds left. Last second fouls push the final score to 61-54. We easily win this game if Akinjo doesn't play. Here's the evidence:

Oklahoma State vs. Baylor - Play-By-Play - January 15, 2022 - ESPN

Akinjo went 0-11 at Kansas. How can that be evidence our offense bogs down without him.

Drew has historically done a great job molding slasher/scorer guards into more than capable points as long as he gets them early enough and they incorporate into the guard system quickly. Tweety Carter, Curtis Jerrells, Davion Mitchell, even Kenny Chery all took big strides in those areas.

Tweety is a great example of this in particular. Entered as the most prolific HS scoring guard ever, and by the time he left he'd almost tripled his assist average from his freshman year. George won't be here that long, but there's nothing that says he can't handle it up the floor.

In other words, we'll see when George et al get to campus, but I'm surprised by nothing when it comes to how players develop once they get here.

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

There is a lot more to playing PG then dribbling the ball up the floor. Our staff is not dumb, I have no inside info but I can guarantee you we will not be going into the season with a PG-by-committee led by Flagler. This would be inviting disaster. It was painfully obvious Flagler is not a PG and every second you force him to play a PG role takes away from what he does best. Cryer is even worse when forced to play PG and he is still recovering from injury. We all saw how much our offense bogged down last year the games where Akinjo was out or playing injured. Love and Keyonte are both combo guards and can play PG in a pinch, but neither will be the primary PG for us. We don't need a superstar PG or another volume scorer, just a low-usage guy who can initiate offense, hit open shots, distribute, and defend the perimeter.

---

You have to adapt to the talent you have. Hunter leaving opens up another spot for a guard and I'll bet we use it. But you're not going to have enough minutes for six guards to get quality playing time. And we've got four high-level shooting guards that are all going to want to play. If you add another point guard, that's going to cut into somebody's time -- and it's likely the player losing time is better on the whole than whoever we bring in.

You also have the issue of roster composition, and every additional guard we bring in closes a scholarship to needed help in the frontcourt.

This isn't as simple as just saying, "Go get a point guard." If the right fit is out there, you pounce. If it's not, we've got guys on this team who can get the ball up the court and get us into our offense. We don't need and won't want a ball-dominant point guard next year with the talent we've got on the wings. I'd just as soon let Bonner be a purely distributing point guard and go with a five-guard rotation next year than go add someone who is going take minutes and shots from Flagler, Cryer, George and Love.

bear2be2 said:

---

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

There is a lot more to playing PG then dribbling the ball up the floor. Our staff is not dumb, I have no inside info but I can guarantee you we will not be going into the season with a PG-by-committee led by Flagler. This would be inviting disaster. It was painfully obvious Flagler is not a PG and every second you force him to play a PG role takes away from what he does best. Cryer is even worse when forced to play PG and he is still recovering from injury. We all saw how much our offense bogged down last year the games where Akinjo was out or playing injured. Love and Keyonte are both combo guards and can play PG in a pinch, but neither will be the primary PG for us. We don't need a superstar PG or another volume scorer, just a low-usage guy who can initiate offense, hit open shots, distribute, and defend the perimeter.

---

You have to adapt to the talent you have. Hunter leaving opens up another spot for a guard and I'll bet we use it. But you're not going to have enough minutes for six guards to get quality playing time. And we've got four high-level shooting guards that are all going to want to play. If you add another point guard, that's going to cut into somebody's time -- and it's likely the player losing time is better on the whole than whoever we bring in.

You also have the issue of roster composition, and every additional guard we bring in closes a scholarship to needed help in the frontcourt.

This isn't as simple as just saying, "Go get a point guard." If the right fit is out there, you pounce. If it's not, we've got guys on this team who can get the ball up the court and get us into our offense. We don't need and won't want a ball-dominant point guard next year with the talent we've got on the wings. I'd just as soon let Bonner be a purely distributing point guard and go with a five-guard rotation next year than go add someone who is going take minutes and shots from Flagler, Cryer, George and Love.

---

Bonner as PG has AJ Walton written all over it

Fre3dombear said:

---

bear2be2 said:

---

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

There is a lot more to playing PG then dribbling the ball up the floor. Our staff is not dumb, I have no inside info but I can guarantee you we will not be going into the season with a PG-by-committee led by Flagler. This would be inviting disaster. It was painfully obvious Flagler is not a PG and every second you force him to play a PG role takes away from what he does best. Cryer is even worse when forced to play PG and he is still recovering from injury. We all saw how much our offense bogged down last year the games where Akinjo was out or playing injured. Love and Keyonte are both combo guards and can play PG in a pinch, but neither will be the primary PG for us. We don't need a superstar PG or another volume scorer, just a low-usage guy who can initiate offense, hit open shots, distribute, and defend the perimeter.

---

You have to adapt to the talent you have. Hunter leaving opens up another spot for a guard and I'll bet we use it. But you're not going to have enough minutes for six guards to get quality playing time. And we've got four high-level shooting guards that are all going to want to play. If you add another point guard, that's going to cut into somebody's time -- and it's likely the player losing time is better on the whole than whoever we bring in.

You also have the issue of roster composition, and every additional guard we bring in closes a scholarship to needed help in the frontcourt.

This isn't as simple as just saying, "Go get a point guard." If the right fit is out there, you pounce. If it's not, we've got guys on this team who can get the ball up the court and get us into our offense. We don't need and won't want a ball-dominant point guard next year with the talent we've got on the wings. I'd just as soon let Bonner be a purely distributing point guard and go with a five-guard rotation next year than go add someone who is going take minutes and shots from Flagler, Cryer, George and Love.

---

Bonner as PG has AJ Walton written all over it

---

Bonner was our best ball-handler and passer not named Akinjo this past season and was our best on-ball defender, period.

And he, like Walton on the 2010 team, would be surrounded by enough talent next season that the skills he brings would play up and his weaknesses would be masked. It was only after we lost some of the scorers around Walton and asked him to carry more of that load that his weaknesses were exposed, and scoring won't be an issue for us next year. We just need a point guard who can get the ball up the court and into the hands of our many playmakers on the wings. Bonner can do that, while very likely improving our team defense the same way Walton did.

Your sentence sounds like we need a Kenny Cherry type..I'd be ok with that.

Stefano DiMera said:

---

Your sentence sounds like we need a Kenny Cherry type..I'd be ok with that.

---

In looking back at the point guards over the past 15 years, it is easy to remember how they were the last year, overlooking the struggles of the first season. Tweety was maybe the best shooting pg, but struggled to get his shot off the first year at BU. Jackson, and Chery struggled with injuries the first season and dramatically improved. Tweety and Medford pretty much reinvented their game to become more distributors than scorers (Medford averaged close to 8assists pg is second year) While Walton struggled at the point, remember his adjustment to become our key defender his senior year. As to the immortals--Butler and Mitchell, there are a couple of interesting things about that. First of all, Mitchell transfers to a team with an established pg; the two learn to play together and share time at the point, which allowed each of them to focus on what they did best. I can't recall a similar situation where pro-level guards sacrificed their game for the team. With the portal, I doubt we will see the like again anytime soon.

https://www.ksdk.com/article/sports/college/slu/slu-basketball-yuri-collins-transfer-portal/63-e9b48bec-c331-4303-95b1-43e679df14cb

Would love to have this kid come to Baylor but it sounds like he is going to Tennessee

Stefano DiMera said:

---

Your sentence sounds like we need a Kenny Cherry type..I'd be ok with that.

---

Would be the perfect fit.

Crawfoso1973 said:

---

Stefano DiMera said:

---

Your sentence sounds like we need a Kenny Cherry type..I'd be ok with that.

---

Would be the perfect fit.

---

It's funny because he's commonly considered one of the weaker point guards of the Scott Drew era, but I think a guy like Lester Medford would be the ideal fit for next year's team. We need a guy who is content to be a bus driver and able to efficiently distribute the ball to players better capable of scoring than he is. Lester was limited in some ways, particularly when compared to the others at his position over the years, but he didn't need a lot of shots and he was good at getting the ball where it needed it to be without turning it over a bunch.

Whoever our point guard is next year needs to be a really unselfish player who is looking to pass first and score second or third. We've got too many others on our roster who can create and score. We need a distributor at that position.

We disagree here, but this is one reason I wasn't terribly disappointed to see Akinjo move on. I appreciate what he did for us this year, but it would have taken an adjustment I don't think he was ready to make or perhaps even capable of making to optimize/reduce his usage for the role that best suited next year's roster.

Akinjo was an elite passer. One of the best in College Basketball. Yet often he was a poor decision maker who spent too much time hunting his own shot and not setting everyone else up in the offense. A conundrum of a player.

BUCANDOIT82 said:

---

Akinjo was an elite passer. One of the best in College Basketball. Yet often he was a poor decision maker who spent too much time hunting his own shot and not setting everyone else up in the offense. A conundrum of a player.

---

Akinjo was a fantastic distributor. The issue was he was also an high-volume shooter/inefficient scorer. That worked on this year's team, which didn't really have many other alpha type scorers. That would have been a recipe for disaster next year.