NBA Draft: Takeaways and Scouting Thoughts from Duke vs. Baylor

As the Christmas holiday is quickly approaching college basketball fans were treated to a competitive slate of games on Wednesday night. The Duke vs. Baylor game caught my eye. So I wanted to dive deep into the personnel and look at them with a lens pointed toward the NBA Draft.

As for the game itself, it was close as expected. Duke grabbed an early lead and kept it throughout the course of the game, but Baylor kept it close throughout. NBA Draft prospect Tyrese Proctor was held out with an ankle injury, but the intriguing matchup was in the post, with Kyle Filipowski and Yves Missi. Both players showed productive pieces to their games.

Throughout this cycle, leading up to the June NBA Draft, each game played is information accumulated. High-impact games like this one help provide a page of each player’s story that started in high school and will go until draft night. No one game can make, or break, a player’s draft stock but each game can help tell the story.

Let’s discuss players and performances from the Duke vs. Baylor game with a lens pointed toward the NBA Draft.

Duke

So. C Kyle Filipowski

Kyle Filipowski is the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year and the ACC Tournament MVP. After last season ended he immediately had double hip surgery, ultimately choosing to stay in college instead of going to the NBA Draft. 

Filipowski came back to Duke and has been a force in the college game to this point averaging 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks per contest. But how does that college production translate to the NBA Draft? Filipowski is a unique case, a true 7-footer who can handle, shoot, and pass the basketball. When you add in his tenacity and basketball feel, there is certainly a spot for him in the NBA. However, the obvious struggle Filipowski has is the lack of athletic burst. This most notably gets him in trouble with finishing around the basket where Filipowski seeks out contact, but lengthier and more athletic players continue to bother him. Offensively, Filipowski’s most notable trait is his passing feel. He has exceptional vision, with the ability to properly read and weight passes from multiple levels on the floor. 

Duke will run the offense through Filipowski in multiple sets, whether with DHOs, on the block, or at the high post. Filipowski is also a candidate to push the break, where he shows his passing ability as well. A lot of the offensive success Filipowski has had this season has come facing the basket, however in this game, when Baylor defended him with Jalen Bridges, Filipowski was able to go on the block and show a back-to-the-basket game, with patience and footwork. Defensively, Filipowski has good hands and anticipation, and his understanding of team concepts makes up for a lack of footspeed. He is slow when guarding on an island, but he is physical and has great hands and IQ. Baylor ran a good bit of offense to get Filipowski to defend in space, and they had some success with it. While it will be looked at more extensively at the next level, Filipowski is fine in college on defense. He has developed as a shot blocker, however, I would not call him a rim protector. 

The shooting might be the swing skill. Filipowski can knock down shots when his feet are set, however, this is something he is going to have to start doing more of, to at least be a threat of a shooting 7-footer. How he creates spacing at the next level will go a long way. There is no denying his talent, and his production. And there are some teams in the league that are putting a focus on processing and competitiveness, two things Filipowski has in spades. The shooting, while the results are improving, will be something that he will need to get teams to buy in on. 

So. G Tyrese Proctor

Tyrese Proctor entered his sophomore season with a lot of NBA Draft fanfare despite finishing his freshman season averaging 9.4 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 38.1 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from three. 

Proctor was hurt for the Baylor game with an ankle injury, his third game he has missed. Proctor has developed his assist-to-turnover ratio this season. Duke has played him on the ball, and he has tightened things up since last season, handling the ball better when pressured. Last year, he had some struggles with the ball in his left hand, and that has become stronger as he has raised his assists (4.5 per game) and lowered his turnovers (only 1.0 per game) this season. The issue is Proctor is that he is not very dynamic as a playmaker. While he is taking care of the basketball, he is not getting into the teeth of the defense, putting any type of pressure on them to scramble or move. 

Proctor has shown he has a smooth shooting stroke and can make some excellent passes. However, dating back to high school, he has struggled to make plays off the bounce. The shooting becomes flat and his balance is thrown off when he has to knock down threes off movement or off the bounce, and when he gets downhill, the turnovers to happen. Proctor has a great frame, and by all accounts, he is a hard worker. But as a point guard, he is going to have to put pressure on the defense. If you adjust the lens a little on Proctor and look at him as a connecting, off-ball guard, there is some appeal there. Defensively, he shows very quick hands and good anticipation. While guarding on an island he can still get bullied at times by stronger guards, he is an instinctive team defender with great hands. He is at his best, at this point, as a spot shooter and a secondary playmaker. And there is value in that at the next level. Can he start to put pressure on the defense as a lead guard, that will be interesting to watch as he comes back from injury.

So. F Mark Mitchell

Mark Mitchell is the ultimate connecting forward. He has been able to toggle between the three and the four, playing very productive minutes at both. Mitchell’s defensive upside is very intriguing. 

He has good size, listed at 6-foot-9, with great length and a very fluid frame. He has been able to slide his feet with the quicker wing forwards and switch down to the block to guard the stronger four-men. Mitchell’s body has continued to get stronger and he has not lost any mobility. He is good as a point-of-attack defender and understands team concepts and rotations. Where the questions are glaring are on the offensive end. Mitchell has seemed to lose all confidence in his jump shot. And that starts with his form. Mitchell’s balance points are consistently off, and his release is inconsistent. 

Last year even, Mitchell’s base in his jump shot was firm, and there was little movement on his shot load. He simply needed to work on his flat release. This year, his shot has simply gotten worse. He is a non-threat to shoot the basketball, and when he is on the floor, teams are able to sag off and kill Duke’s floor spacing. Mitchell is an instinctive off-ball cutter. He comes up with a lot of 50-50 plays and he moves the ball well. His handle is relegated to two and three dribbles, in straight lines, which is fine because he is an opportune scorer. Really, with Mitchell it is going to come down to the jump shot, and if he can get ahold of that.

Players to Keep Tabs On

Fr. G Caleb Foster

Caleb Foster is an interesting player looking toward the NBA Draft. At a lengthy 6-foot-5, he is a smooth jump shooter who has excellent passing acumen and can handle the ball as a lead guard. The question with him is will NBA teams view him as a primary guard or a secondary connecting guard? The explosive athleticism will be a question; to this point, Foster has not shown much burst at the point of attack and when finishing around the rim. Working on changing pace will help him. By all accounts, Foster is a relentless worker and a fearless competitor. He is someone that will play in the league. His jump shot is a real weapon both off the bounce and on the catch, and he processes quickly as well. 

Fr. G Jared McCain

Jared McCain is at his best when the lights are shining the brightest. He is someone who plays with a lot of confidence and brings winning vibes to the floor. McCain is a scoring guard, who does a lot of his damage with his jump shot. He has a lot of quickness with a sturdy frame. However, he does lack vertical burst, which hurts him in the paint and finishing around the rim. He is a physical defender with quick hands, able to defend the point-of-attack or off-the-ball. McCain will need to show he can be a point guard who makes teammates better. It is tough for players who are under 6-foot-3 in the league. With that said, McCain does have the competitiveness, shot-making, and the defensive ability to make it intriguing. 

Players Worth Noting

Jr. G Jeremy Roach is a bursty athlete and plays with a lot of confidence. The thing with Roach is his consistency. He has proven to be at his best playing off the ball. His shooting numbers are great (51.4% FG, 50.0% 3P, 81.8% FT). He can defend the ball and he plays with an aggressive confidence.

Fr. C Sean Stewart is an explosive and strong post player. His athleticism is what is so intriguing about him. Stewart’s dad (Michael Stewart) played in the NBA. At his peak, Stewart is a switchable post player and an excellent rebounder. He will also need to show some offensive pieces to his game, extending past eighth feet and processing. But there is intrigue there.

Fr. F TJ Power has a great frame and a natural feel. He is also a smooth shooter with range. Power is an excellent passer and processor. The question with him will be the athleticism, mainly revolving around how and who he guards. The shooting is real, and he is comfortable doing it off movement or the catch as he pushes 6-foot-8.

Baylor

Fr. G Ja’Kobe Walter

Ja’Kobe Walter is a high-floor guard prospect. And there can be a lot of NBA Draft value in a player that you know what you are going to get from him. 

Walter is a smooth shooter. He can confidently step into three-point shots and consistently knock them down. He has good balance points, his footwork is consistent, and his release and shot load stay the same no matter if he is shooting off the bounce or the catch. The 6-foot-5 off-guard has also shown his ability to create some separation to get into his jump shot off the bounce this season. Walter does not get downhill much off the bounce, and he does not put a lot of pressure on the rim. With a lot of his offensive game stemming from the jump shot, he does not get into the teeth of the defense much, which also limits his passing and assist opportunities. 

Walter is not a ball stopper and he has a solid handle in the open floor. He is also a very good defender. Both when guarding on the wing and as a team defender. He can move his feet and has anticipatory hands. He also plays with a quiet toughness. Walter is not afraid of the moment, and he wants the ball in big moments. Again, there is a high floor with him as a 6-foot-5 wing with good length who can consistently make shots and defend the ball. 

Fr. C Yves Missi

Yves Missi is a 6-foot-11 center who is originally from Cameroon and prepped at Napa (CA) Prolific Prep. Missi was originally in the 2024 high school class but classified into the 2023 recruiting cycle to attend Baylor. He started the season as the third big, but quickly earned his way into the lineup with his unique physical blend of skills. 

There are two things about Missi’s game that pop up when watching him play. The first is his motor and the second is his quick explosive burst. Missi plays hard. He runs from rim to rim and has a natural nose for the basketball. He is an active rebounder and challenges play at the rim. Missi uses his length well, but he also uses his athleticism. He is a quick-twitch athlete who quickly elevates off the floor to cause a lot of issues around the rim. Missi does not get out of control when he plays and is able to block shots with both hands. He has blocked four, or more, shots three times through his first 11 collegiate games. 

Missi will need to continue developing his offensive game. While he does a great job of playing within himself, and only attempting things he can do, he will need to continue working on his touch and processing. Missi is a lob threat where he creates vertical spacing from the dunker spots. He is also an excellent offensive rebounder, creating opportunities for putbacks and fouls. Missi has good hands and his instincts are natural. There are a lot of positives that he continues to bring to the table. 

Players to Keep Tabs On

Sr. F Jalen Bridges

Jalen Bridges has a strong frame and he plays a productive game. He is able to dribble, pass, and shoot the ball in the half-court. He is a good team defender and an instinctive player who has produced in his secondary role. Bridges is listed at 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds. He is shooting 45.5 percent from three and 86.7 percent from the free throw line. He is an intriguing defensive prospect as well. Not overall a dynamic prospect, but as a three-and-D type player there is NBA Draft intrigue if the shooting is real.

Players Worth Noting

Jr. G Jayden Nunn is a good athlete and has shown an ability to pass the ball and knock down shots. He is interesting in the pick-and-roll, showing some creation and processing aspects. He is shooting 40.7 percent from three this season while adding 2.7 assists per game.

Sr. G RayJ Dennis plays with toughness, both physically and mentally. He uses a good change of pace to get into the paint and can distribute good passes from multiple levels of the floor. Dennis is an average athlete which leads to some questions, but is an efficient scorer knocking down 41.9 percent of his three-point shots.

Sr. F Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua is a defensive presence who has great length, and mobility, and he plays hard. He does not have much to his offensive game, but he plays within himself and he does some winning things.