Because Baylor lost four starters from their national championship team last season, including two guys now in the NBA, the Bears were widely expected to take a step backward this season.
Except Baylor just happened to pick up Arizona’s most productive player last season out of the transfer portal, helping them become an undefeated team that was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday for the fifth straight week.
So, at this point in midseason, it won’t be a surprise if the Bears return to the Final Four with James Akinjo leading the way.
“I think it’s the culture,” Akinjo told NCAA.com last week about Baylor’s success. “We’re all bought into what we’re doing and there’s a winning mentality that’s around here. It’s how we go about our business.”
On the floor, though, it’s more than that. While Akinjo stepped into the void left by NBA-bound guards Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler, returning wings Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer have successfully moved from role players to go-to guys, taking more than half of their shots from 3-point range while Akinjo drives to the basket more often.
“All our games complement each other,” Akinjo said. “Coach (Scott Drew) has done a great job of recruiting not only great players but also players who mesh well. They shoot the ball real well and are better off the catch. You add me and we’re better off the dribble.”
Akinjo was one of seven scholarship players who transferred from Arizona last spring during the coaching transition from Sean Miller to Tommy Lloyd, while walk-on forward Matt Weyand also transferred to Division II Concordia University Irvine in California.
While the Wildcats have been led by a core group of returnees on their 12-1 start, Akinjo is one of many of last season’s Wildcats who have instead found success elsewhere.
Louisiana-Lafayette forward Jordan Brown drives to the basket against Houston during their Dec. 14 game.
Knee injuries have held back Ira Lee (George Washington) and Jemarl Baker (Fresno State) this season, but Akinjo, Jordan Brown (Louisiana), Terrell Brown (Washington), Daniel Batcho (Texas Tech) and Tibet Gorener (San Jose State) have all carved out standout or contributing roles for their new teams.
Here’s a look at how they’re all doing so far this season:
James Akinjo
Class, position: Senior guard
Last season at Arizona (26 games, 26 starts, 34.9 minutes): 15.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.4 spg, 37.9 FG%, 40.8 3FG%, 81.9 FT%.
This season at Baylor: (15 games, 15 starts, 31.3 minutes): 14.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 6.1 apg, 2.2 spg, 45.5 FG%, 41.4 3FG%, 74.4 FT%.
Storyline: Akinjo may have left one Top-10 team for another this season but his ball-dominant game appears to fit better stylistically into the Bears’ offensive scheme than it might have at Arizona, and he’s been able to be more aggressive defensively than he was last season.
He said it: “The team I have around me is allowing me to display everything that people thought I couldn’t do. I’m able to defend, get out and have opportunities to pressure the ball and get steals. I get opportunities to get downhill and create for my teammates, and myself, and be free.” — Akinjo, to NCAA.com
Jemarl Baker
Class, position: Senior guard
Last season at Arizona (12 games, 12 starts, 29.4 minutes): 12.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 40.3 FG%, 34.3 3FG%, 83.3 FT%.
This season at Fresno State (five games, two starts, 24.0 minutes): 8.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 34.1 FG%, 21.7 3FG%. 90.9 FT%.
Storyline: Already dealing with a knee injury during his Kentucky career before he transferred to Arizona, Baker played just 12 games last season before a hand injury ended his season – and the hard luck followed him to Fresno. Knee issues have limited Baker to just five games this season, though he did score 30 points over the last two games he played.
He said it: “He’s fighting through this so you can imagine what a mental challenge that is for him. … I have confidence in him. We’ve been trying to get old and when you see Jemarl, you see an experienced player.” — Fresno State coach Justin Hutson, via gobulldogs.com
Daniel Batcho
Class, position: Freshman center
Last season at Arizona: Did not play
This season at Texas Tech (13 games, no starts, 13.2 minutes): 3.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 73.9 FG%, 60.9 FT%.
Storyline: Batcho suffered a preseason knee injury that kept him out most of last season but also suffered a non-COVID illness. When he was finally cleared in early February, Miller said he had missed too much practice time to be able to play. But Batcho has emerged early this season to play a key reserve role at Texas Tech.
He said it: “He’s still a babe when it comes to what he can do. He’s making so much progress each game. It’s fun to watch him continue to develop, everyone just loves him on the team.” – Texas Tech coach Mark Adams, via texastech.com
Jordan Brown
Class, position: Junior forward
Last season at Arizona (26 games, 12 starts, 19.6 minutes): 9.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.9 bpg, 56.0 FG%, 59.8 FT%.
This season at Louisiana (12 games, 11 starts, 27.8 minutes): 14.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 48.6 FG%, 38.5 3FG%, 68.2 FT%.
Storyline: While it appeared the Wildcats could have used Brown to solidify their frontcourt this season, Brown is playing a bigger role at Louisiana at a time when Christian Koloko and Azuolas Tubelis continue to ascend at Arizona.
He said it: Playing at Arizona last season “helped me to be more physical in the paint and use my body more strategically. Having the extra muscle allowed me to get better positioning.” – Brown, to Gold Country Media.
Terrell Brown
Class, position: Senior guard
Last season at Arizona (26 games, nine starts, 25.6 minutes): 7.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 39.0 FG%, 36.8 3FG%, 77.6 FT%.
This season at Washington (13 games, 13 starts, 35.3 minutes): 20.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.3 apg, 44.7 FG%, 23.8 3FG%, 78.5 FT%.
Washington guard Terrell Brown Jr., left, works the ball inside as Colorado guard Keeshawn Barthelemy defends him during the second half of Sunday’s game.
Storyline: Brown is leading the Pac-12 in scoring, giving Washington hope of turning around after two rough seasons, playing a much bigger role than he likely would have found at Arizona if he returned.
He said it: “I think he had a bigger opportunity to be the man (at Washington) and take whatever shots he wants. I think he did a really good job getting inside and doing his job.” – UA center Christian Koloko, after Brown had 28 points in Arizona’s 95-79 win over Washington on Jan. 3.
Tibet Gorener
Class, position: Sophomore forward
Last season at Arizona (eight games, no starts, 3.7 minutes): 1.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 33.3 FG%, 33.3 3FG%.
This season at San Jose State (11 games, six starts, 24.1 minutes): 10.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 46.6 FG%, 47.4 3FG%, 46.2 FT%.
Storyline: Then-coach Sean Miller didn’t play Gorener much last season but raved about the 3-point shooting potential of the big Turkish wing, who now takes 5.2 3-pointers a game for the Spartans and hits them at a high rate.
He said it: “I had a great relationship with (former UA staffer) David Miller and then throughout the period of my recruitment I got pretty close with coach (Tim) Miles. I was just looking for a chance and they gave it to me, and I’m very thankful for it.”
Ira Lee
Class, position: Senior forward
Last season at Arizona (23 games, one start, 10.4 minutes): 3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 55.1 FG%, 73.7 FT%.
This season at George Washington: Lee ruptured a patella tendon in August and has not played.
Storyline: A rare four-year player for the Wildcats, Lee took advantage of the extra COVID eligibility season and headed to George Washington, where he was expected to build better statistics for his resume before the injury derailed him.
Cats move up to No. 6
Arizona rose two spots to No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday.
The Wildcats played only one game, beating Washington 95-79 at McKale Center, but Top-10 teams Duke, Purdue and Kansas all suffered losses.
The move to No. 6 puts the Wildcats back in the same spot they were ranked before their Dec. 22 loss at Tennessee. Arizona’s rise in the polls this season is the highest since the second week of 2017-18, when the Wildcats were ranked second before going 0-3 at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
In the new poll, UCLA moved up to No. 3 and USC is No. 5. Arizona was scheduled to play both Los Angeles teams over New Year’s weekend but those games were postponed because of COVID-19 issues with the Bruins and Trojans and have not been rescheduled.
In the computer rankings, Arizona is No. 2 in the NET, No. 4 in Sagarin, and No. 8 in Kenpom.
