Almost exactly one year ago (51 weeks to be exact), Baylor Men’s Basketball F Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua—also known as “Everyday Jon”—suffered a horrific no-contact leg injury during the Bears vs. Texas game in Waco. At the time, despite the star F’s visual pain, no one knew he had torn multiple ligaments in his left knee. Healing and rehabbing from such a debilitating injury cost Tchamwa Tchatchoua the remainder of the 2021-22 season and all of November-January following two surgeries to repair the damage. Although Tchamwa Tchatchoua wasn’t in the Bears’ starting 5 during 2021-22, he was one of only 3 on the roster who had played in every game prior to his injury. He averaged 8.4 points and a then-team-high 6.8 rebounds, which put his stats at fifth in the Big 12 until he left the court. Losing the star F was a huge casualty for an injury-ridden Baylor team who tied for first in the Big 12 Conference before leaving the NCAA Tournament in the Round of 32 against after being upset by North Carolina. Most, including head coach Scott Drew, believed Tchamwa Tchatchoua would have to stay out for the entirety of this season while he continued recovering. And despite seeing the redshirt senior increasingly participating in pre-game routines, no one thought he’d be back to full capacity so soon. Yesterday, Everyday Jon was miraculously back—entering the 11th-ranked Bears’ matchup against Texas Tech at 13:05 in the first half where he nailed a 3 pointer shortly after. Playing for 13:56, Tchamwa Tchatchoua shot 3 of 4 (75%) field goals and 2 of 2 (100%) 3s with 4 rebounds for 8 points. The Bears shined on both offense and defense with Tchamwa Tchatchoua entering the rotation and looked like the dominant team fans have missed this season. I’m thrilled to see how the Bears continue performing with Jon back in the mix!
