Ja'Kobe Walter opens up on what Baylor meant to him after NCAA Tournament loss
Ja’Kobe Walter’s freshman season came to an end on Sunday in Baylor’s loss to Clemson in the NCAA Tournament. It was the finish to a year that he enjoyed, even though he knows what more the Bears could have accomplished.
Walter looked back on this season following their 72-64 loss to the Tigers in Memphis in the Round of 32. He said that Waco has become home for him and his team has become family as a group that he was prepared to give up everything for.
“It’s home. The group of guys, the staff? It’s just really hard,” said Walters. “Every game, I just went and put my body on the line because I loved my teammates so much, love the coaches so much.”
With the season over, though, it’s an unhappy conclusion to that family’s story. That’s only worse because Walter thinks they could have done so much more in this tournament to finish the season better.
“I never looked ahead. I always just wanted to be in the moment because this is really hard,” Walter said. “We had big plans and I know we could have did them.”
Baylor went 24-11 overall this season after tying for third out of the Big 12. That earned them a No. 3 seed and the No. 9 overall seed in March Madness, their fourth straight top-three seed in a fourth consecutive appearance in the bracket.
Walter was a significant part of that success as a first-year player on the roster. He led the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game. Most of that came as he made 75 threes, good for 2.1 per game, at a 34.1% clip. He also averaged 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in his 32 minutes per game over 35 appearances.
Only so many teams leave the NCAA Tournament feeling satisfied with their finish. That’s what Walter is now trying to reconcile as he hopes to think back on this season well, even if Baylor didn’t win any titles amongst their accomplishments over the year.
RayJ Dennis reflects on his decision to join Baylor
RayJ Dennis came to Baylor in the transfer portal last summer after two seasons at Boise State and two more at Toledo. Now, with his fifth year now complete following the Bears’ loss in the NCAA Tournament, he thinks that he couldn’t have made a better decision than to come to Waco.
Dennis reflected on his choice to come to Baylor following their 72-64 loss to Clemson in the Round of 32. He said it went well with how it played out and the people that he spent it with.
“I’m super glad I came here,” said Dennis. “I mean everybody always has the expectations and the way they want something to end. But I couldn’t have asked for my fifth year to go any better and play for a better coach and have better teammates.”
Scott Drew couldn’t have agreed more based on how Dennis performed for him this season.
“We’re really glad he did,” Drew said.
Dennis was Baylor’s second-leading scorer while also leading the team in assists and steals. He finished with averages of 13.5 points, 6.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. He did so over 35 appearances and a team lead in minutes at 34.3. In total, he shot 47.9% from the field and 32.8% from three with the most made shots for the Bears. Those numbers earned him a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team.
With a decision on his future ahead, at least Dennis’ first season at Baylor was all he could’ve wanted. That includes the players, the coaches, and the memories he created this year with the program.
“I mean, I’ve got brothers for the rest of my life. So I’m super excited that I came to Baylor,” said Dennis. “I wouldn’t change it for anything.”