MBB Season Preview: How Baylor's Guard Play Will Determine Ceiling of Drew's New Roster

As Baylor men’s basketball prepares for its season opener against UT Rio Grande Valley on Monday, Nov. 3, at Foster Pavilion, Ashley Hodge and Levi Caraway share a few notes on each expected key contributor, starting with the guards. 

On Wednesday, we'll focus on the wings (Tounde Yessoufou, Cameron Carr, Dan Skillings and Michal Rataj). On Thursday, we’ll discuss the bigs (Caden Powell, Juslin Bodo Bodo, Mayo Soyoye).

Obi Agbim (5Sr., Wyoming): 17.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.2 TO, 47 FG%, 44 3P%, 79 FT%, 34 MPG

Ashley: Agbim was terrific in Germany. He was the most valuable player at the World University Games and showed the ability to score in many different ways. He has struggled to score in the two exhibition games. Hopefully, that is the exception and not the rule. Baylor needs him to be consistently good to reach its team goals. Last year, he averaged 18 points per game on really good shooting numbers (44% from 3-point range) for a bad Wyoming team that was in a solid league.

Levi: There were some murmurs that Agbim was struggling in the early-summer practices going into the World University Games, but as soon as the tournament tipped off, he looked like the best player on the court, more often than not. He was the go-to guy when the Bears needed a bucket in Germany, and while it’s a bit worrying that he struggled in the two scrimmages, he’s a proven player who has done it before. For Baylor to be at its best this season, Agbim will need to average close to 15 points.

JJ White (5Sr., Omaha): 13.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.9 TO, 49 FG%, 44 3P%, 80 FT%, 27 MPG

Ashley: White averaged 14 ppg at Omaha last season, an NCAA Tournament team. He shot an impressive 44% from 3-point range. He should provide instant offense off the bench, along with steady ball handling and leadership. He’s leaned up since arriving at Baylor and looks quicker and more athletic as a result.

Levi: The best attribute of White is his upbeat personality and infectious positivity. After last season, where the team didn’t appear to enjoy playing together, White will be a great culture piece for the program as Drew looks to reinstitute the ‘Culture of JOY’ with an entirely new roster. White was a lights-out shooter throughout early-summer practices, but struggled mightily in Germany from beyond the arc and had his fair share of terrible turnovers. He’s not going to be asked to carry too much of the scoring load, so as long as he hits most of his open shots and takes care of the ball, he’s going to be a valuable role player.

Isaac Williams IV (So., Texas A&M Corpus Christi): 10.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.1 TO, 44 FG%, 22 3P%, 45 FT%, 25.9 MPG

Ashley: Williams has a burst that you can’t teach. His ability to get downhill and score in the paint should be a major plus for Baylor. He can be a really strong defender with his strength and quickness. Managing turnovers and shooting will determine how big a role he plays. His athleticism is elite. 

Levi: This was my biggest riser after the World University Games. I had heard that Williams was likely a redshirt candidate when Baylor added him out of the portal. After about two minutes of watching him play, I quickly realized that wouldn’t be the case. He’s a phenomenal athlete and is great at getting to the rim. The biggest concern here is the shooting. He’s a gym rat, but I don’t anticipate him fixing his jumper in such a short amount of time. If Williams can be an average free-throw shooter and knock down an open 3-pointer here or there, his role will grow as the season goes on. Williams is a really exciting piece to have for the next few years; this was a great find by Drew & Co. this offseason.

Overall Thoughts on the Guards:

Ashley: The guard unit should be solid for Baylor, but likely in the bottom half of the Big 12 from a talent perspective. The wings are the strength of this team. If the guards can give the Bears some playmaking and scoring while limiting turnovers, Baylor will be better than expected.

Levi: It feels weird to go into a season where the guards won’t be the strength of a Scott Drew-coached team. Until I see this team grind out some close wins, I can’t shake the final few minutes of the collapse against Brazil in the Gold Medal Game, and I really worry about this group in late-game situations. In my opinion, the ceiling for the guards hinges on White and Williams’ ability to limit turnovers, as well as White’s shooting from deep and Williams not being a liability at the free-throw line.

Last week, Grayson Grundhoefer joined The Athletic's Tobias Bass to discuss what Bass saw at a recent Baylor basketball practice and how Scott Drew's program is looking after so much offseason turnover. Check out that podcast here.