(This is the 14^th in a series of features on Baylor Athletics' 25 for 25, which honors Baylor's top 25 athletes in the 25-year history of the Big 12 Conference (1996-21). Selected by a panel of Baylor experts, the final list was picked from a pool of over 100 candidates that came from all 19 intercollegiate sports that the school offers. Over the next couple of months, two honorees per week will be released and will also be featured during game broadcasts on the Baylor Sports Network from Learfield IMG College.)
 
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            When Scott Drew signed Johnathan Motley out of Houston North Shore High School, he saw the raw potential in a 6-8, 200-pound forward who was the 83^rd-ranked player in the country by 247sports.com.
            "You hope for the best," Drew said of Motley, "but to say we thought he would be the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year when he came in, it's hard to say he's going to be the best power forward in college basketball. He deserves a lot of the credit for his hard work, and the teammates that helped get him the ball and helped him have the year he did."
            Benefitting from a redshirt year spent with Charlie Melton in the weight room, Motley put on 30 pounds and became a beast as a fourth-year junior, averaging 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds. Not only did he win the Karl Malone Award that season while being a consensus second-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 pick, he helped the Bears earn their first-ever No. 1 ranking and make a run to the Sweet 16.
            "(Baylor strength coach) Charlie Melton played a huge part in getting my body ready to play in the NBA," Motley said. "I gained muscle mass and strength, and I was able to hold guys off and not get pushed around easy. The Big 12 is a very physical league because you're going against experienced guys who have been in the weight room three or four years.
            During that redshirt freshman season (2013-14), Motley also benefitted from going against Jefferson, 7-1 center Isaiah Austin and future Dallas Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers every day in practice, along with future NBA players Royce O'Neale and Taurean Prince.
            "A lot of those guys were very talented and did different things," Motley said in a Waco Tribune-Herald interview when he was named Baylor's Player of the Decade on the all-decade team. "Rico was a bruiser who really went after offensive rebounds. Isaiah was 78-foot and skilled. Taurean was a hybrid 3-4 type of guy. I knew I had to get a lot better at a lot of things to guard those guys."
            By that junior season, though, it was evident that Motley's game had improved by leaps and bounds. He was oftentimes the go-to player on a talented team that included forwards Ish Wainright and T.J. Maston, point guard Manu Lecomte and center Jo Lual-Acuil.
            "I remember just how close that team was on and off the court," Motley said. "Everyone knew his role. All the guys bought in, and they trusted me to be a leader."
            After deciding to forego a fifth year at Baylor and going undrafted, Motley signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks in 2017. Splitting time between the NBA and G League, he has played in 46 career games with the Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 4.9 points and 2.4 rebounds, while earning second-team All G League honors three times with the Texas Legends and Agua Caliente Clippers.
            "Guys always want to have a chance to accomplish their goals and dreams," Drew said. "And for most of them, it starts with being able to contribute and have a great college career, and then it culminates with the NBA. The fact that Johnathan was able to redshirt and still reach the highest pinnacle of college basketball and was able to leave early for the NBA speaks volumes."
            Motley, the only player in program history to record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 assists, is 17^th on Baylor's all-time scoring list with 1,229 points and ranks eighth with 122 career blocks and tied for ninth with 20 career double-doubles.
 
 
Previous:
Shea Langeliers, Baseball (2017-19)
Bayano Kamani, Men's T&F (1998-2001)
Jason Jennings, Baseball (1997-99)
Brittney Griner, Women's Basketball (2009-13)
Robert Griffin III, Football (2008-11)
Dawn Greathouse Siergij, Soccer (1997-2000)
Benedikt Dorsch, Men's Tennis (2002-05)
Corey Coleman, Football (2013-15)
Whitney Canion Reichenstein, Softball (2009-14)
Trayvon Bromell, Men's T&F (2014-15)
Stacey Bowers-Smith, Women's T&F (1996-99)
Andrew Billings, Football (2013-15)
Benjamin Becker, Men's Tennis (2001-05)