The New Orleans Pelicans may have landed one of the steals of the 2024 NBA Draft with 7-foot, 235-pound Baylor center Yves Missi, who they took at No. 21 overall in the first round.
Missi, a Belgium native who grew up in Cameroon, was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, setting the Baylor freshman record with 51 blocks.
Missi was the second Baylor player selected in the first round following shooting guard Ja’Kobe Walter at No. 19 to the Toronto Raptors.
The Atlanta Hawks selected French wing Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick. It was the second consecutive year the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft came from France following Victor Wembanyama in 2023.