Quite the comparison for new UGA commit Tyrone Baker
The physical similarities at this stage between new Georgia basketball commitment Tyrone Baker and former Bulldog Nic Claxton are unmistakable.
In fact, it’s almost eerie.
At 6-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Baker bears a striking resemblance to Claxton, who was 6-foot-9 and 185 pounds when he first joined the Georgia program before developing into a second-round draft pick by the Brooklyn Nets.
“Oh, Coach (Tom) Crean told me that,” said Baker, laughing.
It’s easy to see why.
Like Claxton, Baker will obviously need to add some weight and muscle once he arrives in Athens this summer, but his ability to run the floor and shoot appear to have him on a similar plane.
Baker likes to think he can do it even better.
“I feel like I’ll be better,” Baker said. “When Coach Crean came in with Nic Claxton, he had to teach him stuff. I feel like it’s more natural to me; so that’s a plus.”
Baker’s trainer Mike Mitchell said the comparison with Claxton could not be more apropos.
“I agree. Nic’s ability to board, push it, shoot it; he got stronger from the film that I saw,” Mitchell said. “That’s a very good comparison for sure.”
Mitchell said that he and Baker watched film of Claxton’s days at Georgia while making the decision to sign with the Bulldogs.
“We did, and it did, because the results were there in what we were trying to do,” Mitchell said. “Nic went in, handled his business and he got better from Year 1 to Year 2. He opened his game, he started playing better on ball, his shot got better, and he was mobile, just like (Baker). We’ve talked about Nic Claxton a lot. Obviously, we talked about other players, too, to get him to envision who he could be, but that (the Claxton comparison) was a big piece.”
A native of Fort Myers, Florida, Baker’s family moved to Missouri City, Texas, over the summer. He will sign with the Bulldogs in April, all despite never having set foot on campus, thanks to Covid-19.
“It wasn’t weird, because I never took any visits anyway; for me it was normal,” Baker said. “I didn’t get to go and see anything, but that was nothing.”
Mitchell said Baker will have no trouble fitting in, despite having never been to campus before.
“I wish he could have gone to see the actual aura of the Georgia campus, and how everything is secluded, and how it’s such a good college town,” Mitchell said. “You’re going off a lot of Zoom, you’re going off a lot of conversation, but Georgia just really seemed right.”
Baker, who also counted offers from the likes of Dayton, Virginia Tech and Western Kentucky, agreed and feels he could become a huge asset to a Georgia program that currently does not count a player taller than 6-9 Tyron McMillan.
“I’m considered a versatile big. I can dribble, shoot, I can run the floor good, and they have an offense that gets it, screens, rolls and gets shots,” Baker said. “When I get a little bit of weight on me, I’ll be able to post up; I think I’ll be able to do a little bit of everything.”
Baker said he feels Georgia’s offensive style will help him reach his ultimate goals.
“It’s very attractive, because I can do that now. I want to do that, go to the next level and one day go pro, and not be a back-to-the basket big,” Baker said. “I want to be able to push and create.”
Mitchell believes that he will.
“He’s naturally a wing, he just doesn’t play it in high school. You’re going to see probably the most mobile big that they (Georgia) have. He’s super mobile, he can dribble, put the ball on the floor, he naturally plays like a three so he just has to develop a little more and get a little stronger," Mitchell said. "He’s got supreme athleticism; he’s figuring out how to compete a little bit better in the post and be a little stronger. He’s able to run, can jump like a gazelle, he can shoot, it just all has to be developed into consistency.”
Baker joins guard Camron McDowell as Crean’s second commitment for the Class of 2021.
