Ish Wainright has sights on Big 12 title for Bears in last tournament

A career average under four points and a hair over three rebounds per game isn’t a stat line that usually causes much fanfare. But players like Ish Wainwright don’t come around that often, either, making his upcoming final Big 12 tournament tougher to swallow.

Wainwright came to Baylor as one of the most sought after players in the country in 2013 from the same program that groomed Kevin Durant for the Big 12, Montrose Christian.

While Wainwright hasn’t reached the same height Durant did as a one-and-done at Texas, he has become a fan favorite and a true team leader- part of what made coach Scott Drew chase after him.

During Wainright’s recruiting process, his coach Stu Vetter said not only was Wainwright one of the best players in the nation, but he’s also a facilitator that “makes everybody else around him better.”

Drew had a similar analysis of Wainwright as the team heads into his last games as a Bear, calling him a “great facilitator” that feels comfortable in any role. He’s a silent centerpiece the team revolves around without notice on his own stat sheet.

“Without glue, everything falls apart,” Drew said Monday. “Ish is extremely important. That’s on the bench or on the court.”

A two-year starter, Wainwright has plenty of experience in both roles but has become increasingly harder to take off the hardwood. He averaged under 10 minutes per game his first two years in Waco, but averaged 25 minutes as a junior and is up to 29 minutes per game this season.

Looking at his averages, it may seem odd that he’s on the court more this season compared to his junior year when he had two more points per 40 minutes and was a more efficient shooter both from the field and at the line. He also had an identical assist rate per 40 minutes. Shooting 29 percent from the perimeter this season isn’t much help, either.

But it’s his contributions between the lines that has him on the floor as much as bonafide stars Johnathan Motley and Manu Lecomte.

On offense, Wainright has improved drastically in one category: Shooting from the paint. Last year, he shot just 44 percent from two-point range. This year, he’s up by 10 percent, helping Baylor shoot over 50 percent from inside this season while also controlling pace of play and maintaining close leads.

As a forward that plays like a guard, he’s also a floor general the team trusts when Lecomte is out. But it’s his play on the opposite end of the court that helps the Bears get in position to regain possession. Allowing only 62.5 points per game, Baylor’s defense is its driving force, and Wainwright has the steering wheel.

According to Sports-Reference, Wainwright is second on the team with a defensive rating of 98.7 points, only Motley ranks higher, allowing 98.2 points per possession while he’s on the court in Big 12 play. It’s no surprise Wainwright ranks so high, either, as his 1.8 steals per game best the next three Bears combined. He has steal percentage of 3.7 percent, making him an essential piece on defense.

Wainwright also leads the team with box plus/minus of 11.3 points, meaning Baylor is up by over 11 points on average with Wainwright on the floor. Only Motley's 10.4 points comes close. It’s the one stat that puts a number to how great a communicator he is and how his experience as the lone senior leads his teammates.

“His experience translates to the players ‘cause when he says something, they know he’s beenthere, done that,” Drew said. “But he always presents things and says things in a way that’s taken that right way.”

That’s been the role Wainright has occupied the last two years and to even greater effect this season, making his final minutes as a Bear even harder to believe. But with the chance to be the first Baylor team to win a Big 12 title this weekend, he said he’s excited to keep pushing the team forward and stay focused on each game.

Not like it’s his final game, but the most important one.

“I’m not gonna try to look at it as being my last time there because I know I might get a little bit emotional,” Wainwright said about his last Big 12 tournament in his hometown. “I promised the guys that I’m gonna play my all, every minute I’m out there on the court, even if I’m not out there on the court, I’m still giving my all.”

Baylor has done a remarkable job finding guys to replace star players in recent years but finding someone to replace the heart and soul of the team is one of the most daunting challenges ahead of Drew and company. If the Bears cut down the net in Arizona next month, though, that bridge won’t need crossing for another nine games.

That’s the dream Wainwright provides and why saying goodbye isn't something many are ready for.