A member of the 2023 All-Big 12 team, Damion Baugh has been a staple at TCU keeping the team afloat after his 6 game suspension to start the season for signing with a non-NCAA certified agent. On the year, Baugh averaged 12.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, and 2.8 TOPG on splits of 43/33/71. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Damion Baugh
Height/Weight: 6’3 ½ / 192
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’8/8’4
Hand size: 9 ¾
Position: Guard
Pre-Draft team: TCU
Tools: Speed, defense, slashing
Pros:
- Quick first step
- Great frame with huge hands
- Good downhill speed; difficult to stop in transition
- Comfortable with both hands
- Quick handle with lots of counters and dribble moves
- Creative playmaker with good vision
- Good motor
- Great in the P&R as a ball-handler; can create for both himself and others out of P&R
- Great feel for the game; comfortable being a floor general and directing the offense
- Rangy defender who can stay in front of quicker guards
Cons:
- Needs to become a consistent shooter
- Must develop a reliable runner/floater
- Limited off the dribble scorer
Summary:
Damion Baugh is a floor general with a quick first step that can get to his spots with ease. His biggest question marks stem from shooting, despite a great feel for the game and strong decision-making ability in pressure situations.
Defensively, Baugh should be able to hold his own pretty quickly with a minimal, if any, learning curve. He is safely a guard defender, but may be able to scale up and defend wings at a high level as he continues to add to his frame due to his long arms, quick footspeed, and good understanding of the game.
Offensively, his current lack of shooting will hold him back from being a day-one contributor. While he did see career-bests of 33% from 3 and 71% from the free throw line, those are still alarming figures that Baugh will have to improve, as well as his runner which is at 29.2% as a senior. All three major shooting indicators trend negatively, which is an automatic uphill for Baugh.
However, this limitation is not a back-breaker for his NBA upside. He is a floor general that sets his teammates up for the best quality shots, he defends multiple positions with length, possesses high-level intelligence, and he can get to the rim at ease with a quick first step and overall plus athleticism. His intangibles will carry him a long way, and will do him wonders as a pro. The expected route for Damion Baugh is to prove himself in the G League, whether outright as a free agent, or as a two-way player with NBA ties.
All of these reasons and traits make Baugh one of the potential biggest sleepers in the draft to become a rotational player in the NBA.
Similar to: Elfrid Payton, Briante Weber
Projected draft range: 55-undrafted
Expected role: Two-way combo guard that can get to the rim and create for others.
Unplayable if: Jump shooting never progresses and his average size doesn’t stand out.
Exceeds expectations if: 3P% exceeds 30% on respectable volume and his playmaking jumps with NBA spacing.
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