Baylor Center Yves Missi Taken 21st by Pelicans in NBA Draft

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Baylor basketball freshman center Yves Missi was taken with the 21st overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans.

Missi joins teammate Ja’Kobe Walter (No. 19, Toronto Raptors) as the second Bear to be selected in the first round and the fifth Baylor player to be taken within the first round in the last four years, alongside Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (No. 9, 2021), San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (No. 9, 2022) and Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (No. 16, 2023).

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Yves Missi and Ja’Kobe Walter became the first Baylor MBB teammates to be selected in the first round of the same draft in program history.

The 6-foot-11 big man averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game and earned All-Big 12 Freshman and Defensive Team honors this season. His team-leading four double-doubles were the most by a Baylor player since Freddie Gillespie in 2019-2020. 

After reclassifying and joining head coach Scott Drew’s roster a year earlier than anticipated, Missi sprung up draft boards during his lone season in Waco. The Cameroon native routinely displayed his off-the-charts athleticism with high-flying dunks and spectacular blocks

Missi has the perfect build for the modern NBA, and many scouts believe his ceiling is extremely high since he has limited organized basketball experience. The Ringer noted that the 6-foot-11 center “has the hands and coordination to catch tough passes, absorb contact and finish. He also has the athleticism to fly up for lobs. He’s an advanced screener for his age, too, and he always rolls hard.”