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    Monday, May 19

    Film breakdown: High Point transfer Juslin Bodo Bodo’s elite wingspan, rebounding provide strong defensive foundation

    Jackson PoseyBy Updated: Men's Basketball No Comments4 Mins Read
    High Point University Panthers Forward Juslin Bodo Bodo (21) rebounds the ball during the college basketball game between the High Point University Panthers and the Georgia Bulldogs on December 16, 2023, at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. AP Photo

    By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer

    Scott Drew has found his defensive anchor.

    Baylor men’s basketball hasn’t finished as a top-100 scoring defense since the 2021-22 season. The Bears have allowed an average of 70.4 points per game in the past three seasons, their worst three-season stretch since 2007-09 (72.7).

    With no returning players from a team that failed to make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season, Drew went fishing for an elite defensive anchor.

    Enter Juslin Bodo Bodo.

    The High Point transfer dominated Big South competition, winning back-to-back conference Defensive Player of the Year honors as a freshman and sophomore. He played every game, averaged 1.7 blocks per game and led the nation in offensive rebound percentage both seasons with the Panthers.

    “We are excited to add a player of Juslin’s caliber to our roster,” Drew said in a press release. “Obviously, his size leaps off the page at you, but he knows how to use it to his advantage, leading the country in offensive rebounding percentage last year. He can impact the game in a variety of ways, and we are excited to add him to our roster.”

    Bodo Bodo is a monster defender. He led the Big South in blocks as a freshman with 1.9 per game and led the Panthers to dramatic defensive improvement. High Point allowed 68.9 points per game in the 2024-25 season, down from 77.2 per game the year before Bodo Bodo (and head coach Alan Huss) arrived.

    Bodo Bodo’s length and timing change the shape of the defense. Opposing teams looked hesitant at times to drive into the paint; when they did, they were often met by the outstretched arms of the 7-foot, 255-pound Bodo Bodo, waiting to swallow up the shot.

    Sometimes, his elite timing and wingspan can belie his defensive positioning. Bodo Bodo can struggle with help-defense footwork at times, an issue that becomes more apparent against high-major competition.

    The Panthers’ NCAA Tournament opener against Purdue showed off Bodo Bodo’s biggest defensive issue: playing in space. The junior’s best defensive scheme is a “drop,” where the guard fights over the screen while the center waits below. (Other alternatives, such as hedging, involve the center playing up to the level of the screener.)

    But Bodo Bodo simply isn’t comfortable enough backpedaling to hedge screens at this point. He looks uncomfortable playing in space, particularly in the mid-range, where he often gives opposing big men plenty of breathing room. This is the junior’s Achilles’ heel. He simply hasn’t displayed enough mobility to effectively guard high pick-and-rolls consistently.

    Baylor leaned heavily into offensive rebounding after Josh Ojianwuna went out for the season with a knee injury. The Bears crashed the glass nearly every possession, to mixed results. Bodo Bodo changes that equation. He led the nation in offensive rebound percentage the past two seasons at 19.9% and 18.3%, respectively.

    Bodo Bodo is also a terrific screen-setter and roller, adding significant rim gravity to a Baylor team that hasn’t had a true pick-and-roll lob threat since Yves Missi.

    Most of Bodo Bodo’s scoring output comes through putbacks and lobs. But he’s also experimented successfully with pump fakes — his rim gravity is so strong, smaller defenders often go flying. It’s a solid counter move for a player who averaged just 5.3 points per game as a sophomore.

    Baylor needed a defensive anchor. They found one in Bodo Bodo, one of the nation’s premier shot-blocking and rebounding big men. He should become Baylor’s best defensive center since prime Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua — and, if he can figure out how to survive high pick-and-rolls, he has a chance to overcome defensive downgrades on the perimeter to keep the defense afloat.

    Jackson Posey is a junior Journalism and Religion double-major from San Antonio, Texas. He's an armchair theologian and smoothie enthusiast with a secret dream of becoming a monk. After graduating, he hopes to pursue a career in Christian ministry, preaching the good news of Jesus by exploring the beautiful intricacies of Scripture.

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