By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Not even Scott Drew, the most optimistic person you will ever meet, thought Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua would return this season from last February's devastating knee injury that required two surgeries.
            But exactly 51 weeks to the date – 357 days after his left knee buckled in the first half of a win over Texas on Feb. 12, 2022 – Baylor's 6-foot-8 senior forward received a thunderous ovation from the sellout crowd of 10,343 when he entered Saturday's game at the 13:05 mark of the first half.
            "It was amazing just to get a chance to play in front of this crowd after (357 days)," said Tchamwa Tchatchoua, who hit two 3-pointers and scored eight points in 11^th-ranked Baylor's 89-62 rout of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. "I've been counting the days. I remember praying in my bedroom last night, just crying about all the trials that I've been through and realizing the day is actually here. I feel like it was a miracle for me to even be out here."
            Describing himself as a "walking miracle," Everyday Jon defied all odds with his rehabilitation. He got in for 14 minutes on Saturday, finishing with eight points and four rebounds, while hitting 3-of-4 overall and 2-for-2 from 3-point range.
            "Ever since this summer, he's the hardest worker. He's in the gym almost every day," said junior forward Jalen Bridges, who had a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds. "Every time I come in the gym, I see Jon. He's a huge part of our team. Even when he wasn't playing, he was leading. And now, to have him back out there with us, it's everything. He's the heart of our team."
            The reigning Co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Tchamwa Tchatchoua impacted Baylor the most on the defensive end, giving the Bears (17-6, 6-4) an obvious spark and vocal leader.
            "When we've had Davion Mitchell or Mark Vital, and they're out there and they're loud and they're aggressive, it's kind of like a pace car in the Indy 500," Drew said. "You go as fast as the pace car. (Jon's) aggressiveness and how loud he is, it permeates, radiates. Very similar to – we had 26 assists – when people are sharing the ball, people just share the ball."
            Drew said the defense "was as good as it's been all year" during a second-half stretch that saw Baylor outscore Tech, 30-7, and go up 70-45 when Tchamwa Tchatchoua, Langson Love and Bridges hit consecutive 3-pointers at the end of an 11-0 run.
            "We came down and got one or two kills, which is three stops in a row," Bridges said. "And that always leads to easy offense. . . . The Culture of JOY really showed. We were sharing the ball and not worrying about ourselves. We were making good passes to open cutters and getting one more for 3's. We were out there jelling. So when it gets like that, it's hard to stop."
            After trailing just 38-34 at the break and within two about a minute into the second half, Texas Tech (12-11, 1-9) said "the dam broke" in that pivotal stretch.
            "Baylor's squad is one of the best offensive teams in the country and they're so explosive," Adams said. "Once they get going, and we're kind of playing catch-up, we have to gamble, we have to scramble. It's really tough to play a Baylor team when you're behind. You need to try to at least stay close to them, or they'll get away from you."
            Shooting almost 60% in the second half, including 6-of-12 from outside the arc, the Bears put up 51 points and were able to stretch it out to as much as a 30-point lead on a Tech team that had won two in a row coming into the game.
            In a balanced attack, Baylor also got 17 points from freshman Keyonte George, 13 points and eight assists from Adam Flagler and nine points, four rebounds and four assists from 6-10 senior forward Flo Thamba. Splitting time at the "5" spot in the Bears' offense, Thamba, Tchamwa Tchatchoua and freshman Josh Ojianwuna combined for 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
            Taking in all the emotions of the day, Everyday Jon said he "wanted to showcase for the world that the Lord can make a miracle. We're nothing without him, and He gave me the confident that I was able to play, knowing that I'm solid."
            Asked about his plan now that he's back playing, Tchamwa Tchatchoua said, "Win more games."
            "We have a lot of new plays, new things in," Drew said. "Think about it, people have been playing together since June. So, Jon hasn't had that timing and feel with all these new guys. And we have so many new guys. So, he did a tremendous job of fitting in (and) not trying to do too much. I couldn't be more pleased, and so glad that he hit those shots."
            De'Vion Harmon scored a game-high 20 points and Jalen Tyson added 19 points and 10 boards for the Red Raiders
            Baylor will be back in the Ferrell Center for two of its next three, hosting Oklahoma (12-11, 2-8) at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The Sooners, who upset then-No. 2 Alabama in last Saturday's Big 12/SEC Challenge, were blown out by West Virginia, 93-61, Saturday night in Morgantown. 
            "This is a league that if you don't have that confidence, you can drop four or five quick," said Drew, whose team has won seven of its last eight after starting 0-3 in league play. "Most of them are one-possession games . . . you get a stop, you get a score, you have a great feeling. You don't get a stop, they get a score, you feel miserable.
            "I always go back to it, it's like going to work. You do a great job at your job all week. But if you don't get the paycheck, you're like . . . and that's what winning does. It gives you that confidence."