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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Jan. 10, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;font-style:normal">Baylor MBB’s Walter Named to Wooden Award Midseason Top-25<o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;font-style:normal">Freshman guard is in the running for the sport’s most prestigious honor<o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280, </span><a href="mailto:WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">WACO, Texas –
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-weight:normal">Baylor freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason watch list, as selected by a panel of national college
basketball experts and announced Wednesday evening on ESPN2.</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;background:white;font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#666666;background:white;font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="Default"><span style="color:black;background:white">Walter is one of five Big 12 players on the 25-member list, joining Texas’ Max Abmas, Houston’s LJ Cryer and a pair of Kansas representatives in Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar. The conference’s
five selections tie the SEC to lead all leagues, followed by the ACC with four, the Big East with three, and the American, Big Ten, Mountain West and Pac-12 with two selections apiece. This season marks the fourth-straight year BU has had a representative
on the Wooden Award Midseason Top-25.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#666666;background:white"> </span><span style="color:#666666"><br>
</span><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-weight:normal">The McKinney, Texas, native is pacing the Bears and leads all freshmen in the Big 12 in scoring at 15.3 points per game. Doing his work against the
biggest competition, Walter averages 15.6 points per game against power-conference foes. The freshman’s 2.3 three-pointers per game also put him among the top-10 in the Big 12.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"> </span></strong><b><span style="color:black;background:white"><br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Previously</span></strong></span></b> named to the Wooden Award Preseason top-50, Walter burst out of the gates with 28 points against Auburn, setting a school record for the most points by a freshman in
their debut. In the process, he became one of just four freshmen in Big 12 history to score at least 28 in their debut, and the only player to do it against a power-conference opponent.<strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;background:white">In addition to the Wooden Award lists, Walter was also named the Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year, becoming the third-straight Bear to win that award. He was also BU’s first freshman to win
Big 12 Player of the Week honors on Nov. 13 after his big night against the Tigers.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-weight:normal">Walter and the Bears return to action on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT, when Baylor hosts Cincinnati in BU’s “Go Gold” game, where fans are encouraged
to wear gold to the game. Chuckie Kempf and Chris Spatola will be on the call for ESPN.
</span></strong><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#666666;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for additional updates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:15.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:15.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;vertical-align:baseline">
<a href="http://www.BaylorBears.com">www.BaylorBears.com</a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="color:black">2023-24 Season Awards<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase">Jalen bridges<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Preseason All-Big 12 (Honorable Mention)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Julius Erving Preseason Top-20<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament Team<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">RAYJ DENNIS<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Preseason All-Big 12 (Honorable Mention)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament MVP<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Big 12 co-Newcomer of the Week (11/27)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">JA’KOBE WALTER</span></u></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Jerry West Award Preseason Top-20<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Big 12 Player of the Week (11/13)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">NABC Player of the Week (11/14)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Wooden Award Preseason Top-50<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BasicParagraph"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament Team<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Wooden Award Midseason Top-25<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Matt Roberts | Associate Director of Athletic Communications (MBB/MGOLF/ WGOLF) <br>
Department of Athletics | Baylor University<br>
C: 254-227-2280</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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