2017-18 BAYLOR MEN’S BASKETBALL @BAYLORMBB 2017-18 ROSTER NUMERICAL NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. CL. EXP. HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL (PREVIOUS COLLEGE) 0 Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. F 7-0 225 Sr.^ 1L Melbourne, Australia/Kingsway Christian College (Neosho CC) 3 Jake Lindsey G 6-5 200 Jr. 2L Houston, Texas/Olympus HS [Utah] 4 Mario Kegler G 6-7 230 So.# TR Jackson, Miss./Oak Hill Academy (Mississippi State) 10 Tyson Jolly G 6-4 190 RFr.* SQ Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City West HS 11 Mark Vital F 6-5 230 RFr.* SQ Lake Charles, La./Advanced Prep International 12 Leonard Allen F 7-0 235 So.* TR Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock HS (San Diego CC) 20 Manu Lecomte G 5-11 175 Sr.^ 1L Brussels, Belgium/Athene des Pagodes (Miami) 21 Nuni Omot F 6-9 205 Sr. 1L St. Paul, Minn./Mahtomedi HS (Concordia-St. Paul/Indian Hills CC) 22 King McClure G 6-3 215 Jr. 2L Dallas, Texas/Triple A Academy PLAYERS 25 Tristan Clark F 6-9 240 Fr. HS San Antonio, Texas/Wagner HS 30 Jonathan Davis F 6-6 205 Jr. SQ Argyle, Texas/Argyle HS 31 Terry Maston F 6-8 225 Sr. 3L DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto HS 45 Freddie Gillespie F 6-8 240 Jr. # TR St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge HS (Carleton) ALPHABETICAL NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. CL. EXP. HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL (PREVIOUS COLLEGE) 12 Leonard Allen F 7-0 235 So.* TR Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock HS (San Diego CC) 25 Tristan Clark F 2-9 240 Fr. HS San Antonio, Texas/Wagner HS 30 Jonathan Davis F 6-6 205 Jr. SQ Argyle, Texas/Argyle HS 45 Freddie Gillespie F 6-8 240 Jr. # TR St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge HS (Carleton) 10 Tyson Jolly G 6-4 190 RFr.* SQ Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City West HS 4 Mario Kegler G 6-7 230 So.# TR Jackson, Miss./Oak Hill Academy (Mississippi State) 20 Manu Lecomte G 5-11 175 Sr.^ 1L Brussels, Belgium/Athene des Pagodes (Miami) 3 Jake Lindsey G 6-5 200 Jr. 2L Houston, Texas/Olympus HS [Utah] 0 Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. F 7-0 225 Sr.^ 1L Melbourne, Australia/Kingsway Christian College (Neosho CC) 31 Terry Maston F 6-8 225 Sr. 3L DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto HS 22 King McClure G 6-3 215 Jr. 2L Dallas, Texas/Triple A Academy 21 Nuni Omot F 6-9 205 Sr. 1L St. Paul, Minn./Mahtomedi HS (Concordia-St. Paul/Indian Hills CC) 11 Mark Vital F 6-5 230 RFr.* SQ Lake Charles, La./Advanced Prep International ^ - sat out 2015-16 as redshirt * - sat out 2016-17 as redshirt # - will sit out 2017-18 to satisfy NCAA transfer rules COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Scott Drew (Butler, 1993), 15th season at Baylor (16th season as Division I head coach) Assistant Coach: Alvin Brooks III (Idaho State, 2002), 2nd season at Baylor Assistant Coach: John Jakus (Trinity International, 1999), 1st season at Baylor Associate Head Coach: Jerome Tang (Charter Oak State, 2007), 15th season at Baylor SUPPORT STAFF Director of Video Operations: Ty Beard (Baylor, 2009) Associate Director of Operations & Recruiting: Aditya Malhotra (Baylor, 2006) Special Assistant & Director of Player Development: Jared Nuness (Valparaiso, 2001) Director of Operations: Bill Peterson (Eckerd, 1979) Athletic Trainer: David Chandler (Baylor, 1985) Strength & Conditioning Coach: Charlie Melton (Memphis, 1998) Athletics Communications: David Kaye (Baylor, 2008) Administrative Associate: Karen Craig (Baylor, 2004) PRONUNCIATIONS John JAKUS JAYK-us Jo LUAL-ACUIL Jr. LOO-ahl ah-CHU-ill MANU LECOMTE MAHN-ew la-CONN-t NUNI OMOT NOO-nee OH-maht Mark VITAL VYE-tuhl 9 2017-18 BAYLOR MEN’S BASKETBALL WWW.BAYLORBEARS.COM SEASON OUTLOOK By Jerry Hill – Baylor Director of Sports Journalism “It was a great experience to play with real pros,” Lecomte said. “They Even after losing Johnathan Motley to the NBA, Ishmail Wainright to already make money and they’re like 30 years old, at least. The game is Baylor football and two transfers, Scott Drew still has a roster fi lled with different. It teaches you another part of the game. So, it helped me a lot.” grizzled veterans. McClure started the last 12 games a year ago, averaging 5.0 points per Coming off their fourth Sweet 16 appearance in the last eight years, game and shooting 36.4 percent from 3-point range. The 6-4 guard scored the Bears have a trio of fi fth-year seniors in point guard Manu Lecomte, all 15 of his points in the second half of a 66-63, come-from-behind win 7-footer Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. and 6-9 forward Nuni Omot, plus 6-8 senior over then-No. 10 Louisville and a career-high-tying 17 points in the 82-78 forward Terry Maston and junior guards Jake Lindsey and King McClure. win over USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “You have a lot of experience, and those guys are used to the rigors, “King lost 20 pounds, added four inches to his vertical and is shooting the toughness and intensity in which you have to practice and play,” said the ball like crazy,” Lindsey said of McClure. “Him and Nuni, they’re Drew, who enters his 15th season at Baylor with a record of 277-180. “That’s going to take big jumps in production.” a good thing, because you can move ahead a little quicker on things. With Even with a senior point guard in Lecomte, Lindsey will likely take the new guys, you get the summer to acclimate them and get them used to on some of the leadership and do-it-all roles that Wainright held for last the weights and what practices are like, just on a Cliff Notes version.” year’s Sweet 16 team. The 6-5 Lindsey, a versatile combo guard who averaged 4.7 points and “I’m a little more scoring-minded than Ish,” Lindsey said, “but similar 3.1 assists, said the team has “a bunch of guys who either played in big to him, where you just kind of make the plays need to win. If you’re not moments, hit big shots in big moments, and have that experience and are shooting the ball well, that’s all right, we have plenty of guys on this team PLAYERS ready to carry that over into bigger roles.” who can score. There’s always things that can be brought every day.” Replacing Motley certainly won’t be easy. Named the Karl Malone Redshirt freshman guard Tyson Jolly would give the Bears’ backcourt a Award winner as the nation’s top power forward, the 6-10 Motley was a boost, but “he’s out right now” with a medical issue, Drew said. “We plan second-team All-American and fi rst-team All-Big 12 pick who averaged on having him back, but just not exactly certain when.” 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Baylor also has a pair of transfers sitting out this year: 6-9 junior forward But, at least there are options. Freddie Gillespie from Division III Carleton College and 6-7 sophomore It starts with Lual-Acuil, a Big 12 All-Newcomer and All-Defensive guard Mario Kegler from Mississippi State, who averaged 9.7 points and 5.5 Team selection who averaged 9.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and a conference- rebounds in starting all 32 games for the Bulldogs last season. best 2.5 blocks per game. He made the summer camp circuit as a counselor After playing the toughest schedule in the country over the last four and was “able to work with other elite college players and work out with years, the Bears once again have an extremely diffi cult non-conference NBA guys,” Drew said. slate, facing Wisconsin, Xavier, Wichita State, Florida and either UCLA “Your game is able to grow and mature from that experience,” Drew said. or Creighton. Also on tap is a matchup against Randall at the 2,500-seat “At the same time, Jo is one of the premier defensive players in the country. Abrams Gym on the Ford Hood campus. The intensity he brought, especially early in the year, was really special. And “Throughout college basketball, there’s great parity with 351 (NCAA now, after another year of weights and conditioning, hopefully he’ll be able to Division I) schools, so you have to be ready each and every night,” Drew maintain that intensity and level of play throughout the Big 12. Especially the said. “With us playing several teams in the top 25 polls, it defi nitely gets fi rst time you go through it, it’s a grind and it does wear on you.” them focused and ready to go.” Maston, who has had “fl ashes of brilliance,” seems poised to make another jump after averaging 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds. Omot has played only one semester as a junior college transfer, but he averaged 4.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in limited minutes last season and is a solid PRESEASON HONORS inside-outside threat. MANU LECOMTE There’s also 6-5 redshirt freshman Mark “Baby Rico” Vital; 6-9, Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention 245-pound freshman Tristan Clark, a four-star prospect from San Antonio Bob Cousy Award Watch List Wagner; and 7-0 sophomore center Leonard Allen, who averaged 14.6 points and 8.7 rebounds two years ago at San Diego City College. Allen is JO LUAL-ACUIL JR.