Overview
Missi a bouncy center with Belgian-Cameroonian origins who played his high school ball at Prolific Prep in California. Born in Belgium before moving to Cameroon for his childhood, Missi ultimately blossomed into a five-star recruit and graded as ESPN’s 13th-best player in the 2023 class. He earned Big 12 All-Defensive and All-Freshman honors in 2024, finishing his one-and-done campaign with averages of 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 23.0 minutes per game while shooting 61.4% from the field and generating 4.1 free-throw attempts per game.
Analysis
A dangerous rim-runner, Missi ranked eighth in the nation with 76 dunk attempts this season. Deriving 32.2% of his offensive possessions from rolling in pick-and-roll plays marked the 17th-highest frequency in the nation, displaying a clear niche to translate to the pros. Another 34.4% of Missi’s possessions came via offensive rebounding and cuts around the basket, so he profiles strictly as a play-finisher at this time. His 14.4% offensive rebounding rate was the 32nd-highest mark in the nation. In addition to his rim presence on offense, Missi’s 7.1% block rate ranked 66th in the nation. The big man was also able to protect the rim at a high level without fouling out of a single game in 34 appearances.
Projection
Missi compiled a 12/39 assist-to-turnover ratio, but his 12.0% turnover rate was a relatively clean number. Nonetheless, that figure indicates Missi will not be able to step in as a short-roll passer and decision-maker out of screening action. Getting downhill, generating extra possessions and making his presence felt in the paint on both ends — in the same vein as Dereck Lively II — will be Missi’s role. Lively was a better offensive player last season at Duke, but he is a good physical comparison for Missi, so somewhere between Lively and Nick Richards profiles as a plausible expectation for the Baylor big.
— Profile by RotoWire