Luke Kornet did it all for Vanderbilt last season.
Kornet, who recently signed a two-way contract with the New York Knicks, averaged 13.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Commodores, while also contributing 53 made 3-pointers and 71 blocked shots.
Those aren’t numbers that’ll be replaced overnight.
That’s why Kornet’s exit brings about more questions than answers on Vandy’s inside presence heading into the 2017-18 season.
And that could result in a different frontcourt look for the Commodores.
“Our posts are definitely gonna be more traditional,” head coach Bryce Drew said on Monday’s SEC coaches teleconference. ” We’ll have back to the basket guys and more bangers on the inside the paint.”
“It’ll be a different feel for our guards too because we’re used to having a lot of room in the lane, so it’ll be a different transition for our guards in where there shots will come from and be more like it was back when Damian (Jones) was here.”
One player that could help ease the initial frontcourt concerns is sophomore big man Djery Baptiste.
Baptiste’s numbers were nowhere close to Kornet’s a season ago. The 6-foot-10 center only played eight minutes per game and averaged nearly as many fouls (1.7) per game as points (1.8 PPG) and rebounds (1.9 RPG).
However, with Kornet off to the NBA, and Drew trying to reinvent the team’s frontcourt presence, Baptiste will have an opportunity to take a step forward in his second season on the court in Nashville.
Vandy’s other option inside – 4-star freshman center Ejike Obinna – will also have a chance to contribute inside for the Commodores.
The 6-9 Virginia native received scholarship offers from lots of big-name programs around the country, but ultimately, felt that Drew and company were the right staff to help him continue his improvement as a player.
And according to Drew, he and his staff are using this summer to add more layers to both players’ game.
“They’re from outside the United States so they started playing basketball a little bit later,” Drew said on Monday’s SEC coaches teleconference. “A lot of it is trying to work on skill development and feel of where to be on the court.”
“When to use your hook shot, when to power it in, and things that maybe kids that have played since third or fourth grade have.”
Baptiste grew up playing basketball in Haiti while Obinna started his basketball journey in Nigeria.
And while both players are still honing their skills, the potential is clear for each.
Baptiste has incredible athleticism that’ll make him a defensive threat inside even while his offensive game is being fine-tuned. Obinna has a traditional big man skill set that’ll also benefit from his length and hard-working attitude.
Luckily for Drew, he’ll get a chance to get the two big men more on-court experience when the team takes a trip to the Virgin Islands in August as part of the Paradise Jam Summer Tour.
The tour is a week-long event that allow the Commodores to play against international competition, and most importantly, give Drew and his staff the opportunity to assess this team’s strengths and weaknesses against different competition.
“I took this trip a couple of years ago and it was a great growing period,” Drew said of his previous trip while head coach at Valparaiso. “Basketball aside, you just get to grow closer to the team and it really made our team bond tighter.”
“It’s gonna help us see some things early that we need to work on. And we’ll get to see a lot of our new guys in a game situation and see how they respond in competition against other opponents.”
There’s no doubt that Baptiste and Obinna could benefit the most from that competition.
It will be a challenge for the duo to replace everything that Kornet brought to the table both on and off the court. But as shown during Vandy’s surprising late-season turnaround to make the NCAA Tournament, developing players is something that Drew does very well.
And if the two big men keep progressing rapidly, a return trip to the tournament should be within the Commodores’ reach.
“They soak things up like a sponge,” Drew said. “They are improving by the week here.”
“We love their aggressiveness and toughness and think that’s really gonna help this year.”