<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Impact;
panose-1:2 11 8 6 3 9 2 5 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
h1
{mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin:0in;
text-align:justify;
page-break-after:avoid;
layout-grid-mode:char;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;}
h2
{mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin:0in;
text-align:center;
page-break-after:avoid;
layout-grid-mode:char;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:italic;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:none;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:none;
font-style:italic;}
p.Default, li.Default, div.Default
{mso-style-name:Default;
margin:0in;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:black;}
span.scayt-misspell-word
{mso-style-name:scayt-misspell-word;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<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 – Nov. 14, 2023<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;color:black;font-style:normal">Baylor MBB’s Walter Named to Wooden Award Preseason Top-50<o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;font-style:normal">The freshman guard is in consideration for the most prestigious award in college basketball</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280, </span>
<a href="mailto:WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu</span></a><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">WACO, Texas – </span></strong>Baylor freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter was one of 50 players named to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List, as announced on ESPN Tuesday afternoon.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This Wooden Award distinction comes as the latest in a long line of accolades already accumulated by Baylor’s fabulous freshman, as he took home Big 12 Player of the Week honors earlier this week.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Walter is one of just three freshmen and seven Big 12 representatives on the list. He joins Max Abmas from Texas, L.J. Cryer and Jamal Shead from Houston, along with Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris and Kevin McCullar from Kansas.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In just his first three games of the season, Walter has shown his ability as a three-level scorer, averaging a team-leading 16.3 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals. The reining Big 12 Player of the Week ranks in the top-15
in scoring average among freshman, and the top-5 among power-conference freshmen.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Walter delivered on a big stage right out of the gates this season 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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last time out, Walter poured in 14 points and a career-high eight rebounds against Gardner-Webb. On a night where the Bears could not find their stroke from deep, Walter took on the scoring load with a team-high 14 points, helping the Bears
secure a 3-0 start to the season for a fourth-straight year.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Default"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball, the Wooden Award All American Team and
Most Outstanding Player Award.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Walter and the Bears will return to the court Tuesday night as they host Kansas City at 9 p.m., with John Morris and Pat Nunley on the call for Big 12 Now on ESPN+. The Bears will then head east for the NIT Season Tip-Off at Barclays Center
in Brooklyn, N.Y., where they open against Oregon State on Nov. 24, at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Follow @<span class="scayt-misspell-word">BaylorMBB</span> on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for additional updates.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b>2023-24 SEASON AWARDS<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><u>Jalen Bridges<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline">Preseason All-Big 12 (Honorable Mention)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline">Julius Erving Award Preseason Top-20<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><u><span style="color:black;background:white"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><u><span style="color:black;background:white">RayJ Dennis<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;background:white">Preseason All-Big 12 (Honorable Mention)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><u><span style="color:black;background:white">Ja’Kobe Walter<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;background:white">Wooden Award Preseason Watch List<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;background:white">Big 12 Player of the Week (11/13)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;background:white">Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;background:white">Preseason All-Big 12 (Honorable Mention)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="color:black;background:white">Jerry West Award Preseason Top-20<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">
<i>—BaylorBears.com—<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<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>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1D1D1D;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="152" height="43" style="width:1.5833in;height:.4479in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DA1700.7081BB00" alt="signature_339785252"></span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>