By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
When Baylor added fifth-year guard Obi Agbim in the transfer portal, head coach Scott Drew saw exactly what he wanted: a strong scoring guard.
Agbim showed the Baylor faithful that he was still a strong scorer in the nonconference schedule, recording eight double-digit performances in the Bears’ first 11 games.
After hitting a wall in the first six games of the Big 12 slate, Agbim has caught fire, scoring 16 points per game over his past four. Baylor (13-9, 3-7 Big 12) seems to be turning things around with a current two-game winning streak.
Agbim’s skill, stature and ability to spark his team is reminiscent of former Baylor guard Jayden Nunn.
Both transferred in as lean, shoot-first guards from mid-major programs. Nunn, a Virginia Commonwealth transfer, averaged 9.3 points on 43.3/40.4/70.0 shooting splits in his final season with the VCU Rams. Agbim averaged 17.6 points per game last season with Wyoming, shooting 46.9% from the field with 43.7% from beyond the arc.
The two stacked up as the shortest players in their respective starting lineups. They’ve both used their build and quickness to either drive down the lane or create space for a shot.
Beyond their build and play style, the pair of guards share a similar ability to elevate Baylor with their performance.
Agbim hit a wall once he started facing Big 12 defenses. He scored more than 10 points in one of the Bears’ first six conference games, where they went 1-5. He tallied 15 points in their lone win in that stretch against Oklahoma State. He has now scored 14-plus in four straight games, including 16 and 19 points in wins against West Virginia and Colorado, respectively.
Agbim has served as a thermometer for his team’s success. When he scores over 10 points, the Bears are 11-2, including their three conference victories. Freshman guard Tounde Yessoufou and redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Carr have gotten most of the attention from opponents and media, but Agbim’s scoring prowess has been the missing key for Baylor in its last 10 games.
Baylor went 13-3 when Nunn scored in double figures during his first season in Waco. While he followed behind stars like Ja’Kobe Walter and Yves Missi, Nunn was also the piece that put the Bears’ offense together. Nunn recorded 10.5 points per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 43.9% from three as Baylor finished 24-11 and 11-7 in Big 12 competition in 2023-24.
He slowed down in the 2024-25 season, posting 8.6 points per game on 40.5% from the floor and 41.3% on threes. The Bears regressed too, with a 20-15 record.
Agbim and Nunn share similarities in stature, skill and influence on their teams’ success. The similarities show that Agbim needs to continue scoring at a high level if Baylor wants to turn its season around after starting 1-7 in conference play.
