Top 25 junior Yves Missi announced his commitment to Baylor on Wednesday, making the Bears the only men's basketball program in the country with multiple top-25 juniors already committed.
Missi chose Scott Drew's program over Texas and Stanford. He took a visit to Baylor in October.
"It's the right place for me," Missi told ESPN. "I believe it's the best place to help me reach my goals of playing in the NBA. I have an amazing relationship with head coach Scott Drew and the staff. Coach Drew was calling me over the summer when I was back in Cameroon. He stayed in constant contact. My parents spoke with him and my brother Steve too. He is a very good person."
Missi follows in the footsteps of Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, a fellow Cameroon native who has played at Baylor since 2018. While he comes from a family of basketball players -- his brother played at Harvard and both of his parents played for the Cameroon national team -- Missi has been playing basketball for only three years, going from a 6-foot-3 soccer striker to a 6-7 basketball player. He now stands 6-11.
The No. 25-ranked prospect in the 2024 class and a top-five center in the country, Missi has tremendous potential. He averaged 12.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks on the Nike EYBL U16 circuit last spring and summer with the PSA Cardinals grassroots program, and showed his ability as a rebounder and shot-blocker with Prolific Prep (California) this high school season.
Missi moves incredibly well, both sprinting the floor to convert at the rim and guarding ball screens with lateral quickness at the other end of the floor. He has strong footwork and shows instincts to anticipate missed shots. His offensive game is rapidly growing. Baylor runs lob plays both in the half court and off inbounds, and Missi is a threat above the rim. He's also effective in screen-and-rolls to the basket with timing and good hands to catch and finish. He can make straight line drives from the high post and is a surprisingly good passer.
His biggest impact now comes on the defensive end as a help-side shot-blocker. In Baylor's 1-3-1 zone defense, he would be ideal in the back line or can play on the wing.
Missi joins ESPN 60 wing Jason Asemota (No. 22) and point guard Robert Wright III in Baylor's 2024 class.