Baylor's Top 5 Class in 2021 Destined for Greatness

Baylor’s 2021 class is the best in school history.  2012’s class might take exception to this statement.  That class included a top 10 player in Isaiah Austin, another top 40 player in Rico Gathers and one of the all time under the radar sleepers in Taurean Prince who went from a guy not ranked in the top 150 to the #12 pick in the NBA draft four years later.  LJ Rose and Chad Rykhoek were also in that 2012 class.  Rose finished at BYU and Rykhoek at Memphis.  

But this class is better coming in if you consider the smaller size (3 vs 5 players) and the quality of each signee.  Let’s get to know the guys who will be the future of Baylor basketball.

Kendall Brown 

Kendall is a 6-7 205 lb wing with incredible athleticism, speed, a long wingspan and a great feel for the game.  He’s spending his last year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.  His coach, Luke Barnwell, at Sunrise called him “an elite passer, defender and dominant player who doesn’t need the basketball in his hands to make an impact.” He is a consensus top 20 player in the 2021 class across all scouting services.  

Barnwell calls Brown’s humility off the charts.  The comparisons have included hall of famer Scottie Pippen, Mikhail Bridges (Villanova/Suns) and Jarrett Culver (Texas Tech/Timberwolves).  Baylor is getting a versatile wing who can guard multiple positions.  Kendall is working hard on his outside shooting to get ready for Baylor.  If his outside shooting catches up to the rest of his game, look out.  

Langston Love

Langston is a 6-4 210 lb combo guard with a long wingspan, ultra competitive mindset who scores at all three levels and welcomes the challenge of guarding an opponent’s best player.  His AAU coach last summer, Tim Schumacher, said “Langston’s consistency is what really stands out.  He’s a guy that works so hard every practice, every game.  There are no bad days with him, the effort is always there.”  

Love comes to Baylor with a polished game but his efficiency will be the key to his impact early on.  He has been compared to Eric Gordon (Indiana/Rockets) and Buddy Hield (Oklahoma/Kings).  He loves to compete.  His competitive fire reminds me of Davion Mitchell.  Langston was a teammate of LJ Cryer on Houston Hoops.  Their games complement each other well.  Love is spending his final year at Montverde Academy in Florida. 

Jeremy Sochan

Jeremy is 6-8 220 lb versatile combo forward who brings a well rounded game to Baylor.  He’s playing his final year at Orange Academy in Ulm, Germany after spending a year at La Lumiere Prep in Indiana.  His former coach at La Lumiere, Pat Holmes, says “Jeremy’s selflessness makes him an ideal teammate.  He can drive it which makes it hard for bigs to guard him.  He’s an excellent passer with a great feel for the game who can play inside or out.  And he can knock down the three pointer.”  

Jeremy loves to do what it takes to win.  Jayson Tatum (Duke/Celtics) and Royce O’Neale (Baylor/Jazz) are some solid comparisons for Sochan.  Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga/Wizards) is another.  He’s not as strong as Rui, but he does shoot it better from the outside.  He shot 50% at La Lumiere and has been really efficient from 3 so far this season.  6-8 guys that can guard the interior, score inside and knock down three pointers are rare.  Baylor is getting a steal in Sochan.