Ja'Kobe Walter: This is Why I Chose Baylor

Walter pens an exclusive blog with SI to announce his commitment to Baylor and breaks down his thought process behind the decision.

Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) shooting guard Ja’Kobe Walter is a consensus top 15 prospect in the 2023 class and currently the top scorer (27.4 ppg.) in the Adidas 3SSB Circuit where he runs with Team Trae Young (Okla.). 

I’m excited to announce that I’m officially committed to Baylor University.

I chose Baylor for a few reasons, but one of the biggest was because of how well they develop their guards. The training and growth that their guards go through and show is very elite; plus, I had the best relationship with Coach (Scott) Drew and Coach (Alvin) Brooks.

I took my official visit there on June 15 and that really just sealed it for me.

During the visit, I was feeling that I really wanted to commit, but I never got a chance to talk to my parents about it, so when we got home, I talked to them and they felt the same way.

Coach Drew was occupied at the time, so I called Coach Brooks on FaceTime and he and his family just started screaming when I told him I was coming.

It was pretty funny.

Walter was sold on how Baylor develops its guards / Walter Family

Then Coach Drew called me right back, and he started screaming too. He was really happy and just kept screaming.

Those reactions just reinforced to me that I made the right decision.

They were very genuine throughout the whole process, and we built a real bond. They were the first school to offer me, and they stayed consistent with me throughout.

The decision was tough; just building relationships over the years with great schools and then having to tell them that you’re going with another school is hard, but all of the different staffs were really professional and they understood.

Baylor’s plan is to use me a lot off ball screens and let me rock out and do what I do.

That was one of the most attractive things about their plan; seeing how they use their guards. They don’t want to change my game. They just want to make me better.

I know that I can grow in this system for sure.

My goal right now is to become the best recruiter for Baylor, so I’m coming for some other guys in my class. My top target is definitely Wesley Yates.  That’s my guy, we played on the same team back in the day and we talk all the time. I’m gonna be working on him, so we’ll see how it goes.

I have to say that this has been the hardest process I’ve ever had to go through. It’s the biggest weight off your shoulders knowing where you’re going. Now, I can really kick my grind up another notch and focus on being at a whole other level this time next year.

The coolest part about committing today is that it’s exactly two years to the date that Baylor first offered me: June 22, 2020, I got the offer, then June 22, 2021, I took my first unofficial visit there, and today I’m officially a part of the family. It’s just special that all of the dates were a year off from each other. I wonder what I’ll do this time next year.

Well, thank you guys for reading my commitment blog, I wanted to give you an inside look into my thought process behind my decision.

Go Bears.