4 NCAA Tournament prospects Nuggets fans can watch as potential Nikola Jokic backup
By Ben Handler
Yves Missi, Baylor
Missi is another player who may be gone by the time Denver is on the clock, but he’d be an incredible change of pace off the bench. Yves is 7 feet tall and a freak athlete. He can play above the rim and fly around the court on both ends.
He can be reckless at times, playing low minutes and committing too many fouls. But that could almost make him an even better candidate for a high-energy bench role behind Jokic. Missi could come in and bring high-flying energy in bursts.
He lacks shooting touch and wouldn’t provide much offense outside a few feet of the hoop, but he can make up for it with putback dunks and lob finishes. It would be fascinating to see him as a rim-running big man in the NBA, and maybe someone who could someday even play with the Joker.
The Bears will open up the tournament as a 3 seed in the West Region, taking on Colgate in round one. They’ll play the winner of Clemson/New Mexico in round two, then a likely matchup with the 2nd seeded Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16.
Missi definitely has the size and athleticism to hack it in the NBA immediately, the question is if he can develop the skills and smarts to hone his game and hang at the next level. His potential upside is probably gaudy enough for some team to take a shot, but if he’s still there, the Nuggets should pounce.