By Bennett Parker | Sports Writer
In a sport where experience is an increasingly rare currency, the Baylor men’s basketball frontcourt is wealthy.
Senior center Caden Powell and senior center Juslin Bodo Bodo are both healthy and talented, but perhaps their greatest asset is their experience.
There is a slew of new faces across the court for Baylor basketball but the big men have seven years of combined experience and are both tenured Bears. Powell is stepping in as a leader to bring the young team together.
“I just try to be a shoulder to lean on,” Powell said. “I feel like we’ve meshed pretty well. Everybody gets along with one another off the court, but I definitely say we play together as a unit on the court, so it’s really refreshing to be a part of.”
Powell played in all 30 games for Baylor last season and brought a strong defensive presence to the paint. Many thought he had played his last game in the green and gold but was granted another year of eligibility in August.
The Waco local brings a 6-foot-9 frame, which helped him attain a team-leading 6.3 rebounds per game and a 67.2% field goal percentage throughout the 2025 season.
“It’s great,” Bodo Bodo said when asked what it’s like playing with Powell. “He’s one of the smarter defenders we got. He really helps us win some games.”
Bodo Bodo is going into his senior season but has yet to see the court for the Bears. His career started with a bang at High Point, winning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards for the Big South conference, averaging 1.7 blocks and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Upon transferring to Baylor, the Cameroon native suffered a season-ending injury and was redshirted. Bodo Bodo experienced growth beyond the sport despite the disappointment.
“I learned about patience,” Bodo Bodo said. “Of course, it was a long journey for me. I grew so much faith-wise and trusted God’s timing. And I just realized it was all about God. It’s not about basketball.”
Powell had high praise for how Bodo Bodo has handled himself since returning. The duo brings much-needed depth to what was a struggling frontcourt last season.
“I feel like [Bodo Bodo] has been through a lot, and we’re glad to have him back on the court,” Powell said. “He’s getting better every day, and he also helps me get better every day because we’re playing against each other.”
Powell and former Bear Michael Rataj were the only two manning the front court in a seven-player rotation. Rataj’s production was a drop-off from Powell’s, shooting 42.3% from the floor.
Head coach Scott Drew also brought in senior forward Evan Chatman, a glass-cleaning transfer from UAB. The Bears were 11th in defensive rebounds per game in the Big 12 last season. The team turned to senior forward Michael Rataj for help on the glass but still struggled with an average of 4.6 rebounds per contest.
The frontcourt has bulked up during the offseason.
“The best thing is we’ve always had some good bigs,” Drew said. “But especially in practice, if you’ve got those shot blockers and that length the guards have to finish over, now you get in a game and they’re not surprised; they’re used to it.”
Drew will have the luxury of playing as big of a lineup as needed, which was not a real option last season. Baylor has both a pair of true centers and a pair of true power forwards in Chatman and junior Isaac Celiscar, one of the most exciting additions to the roster after earning All-Ivy Second Team recognition at Yale.
Healthy competition for a starting spot is usually a good sign of a team’s depth. The Baylor front court is shaping up well for the 2026 campaign.
