2022 NBA Draft: Baylor PF Jeremy Sochan turns pro after strong finish to freshman season

Sochan took flight for the Bears in the back half of the season and projects as a lottery pick

Baylor big man Jeremy Sochan announced on Friday that he is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft after a strong freshman season with the Bears. Sochan, a 6-foot-9 international prospect who joined the program out of Poland and the United Kingdom, is signing with agents and plans to forgo his remaining three years of college eligibility, he told ESPN. 

"From my days in England, to playing in Poland, Germany and America, I've been fortunate enough to have created bonds with all these coaches and teammates. All I can say is thank you, and you'll always be a part of me," he said on Twitter. "With that being said, I am declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft."

Sochan signed with Baylor a year ago as a highly-touted four-star recruit, but as a player ranked outside the top-100 nationally, he was not viewed as a one-and-done prospect. That changed in the back half of the 2021-22 college basketball season as he emerged as a do-it-all defender, havoc-wreaker and playmaker, all valuable traits for one of the draft's most versatile talents. Anchoring Baylor down the stretch, he played his way into the lottery discussion and could wind up as a top-10 pick by this summer's draft.

Sochan's NBA Draft projection

With a 7-foot wingspan, Sochan is a rangy athlete who did everything for Baylor, from helping initiate offense, defending multiple positions and playing small forward, power forward and center. That versatility -- and effectiveness in doing so -- has him No. 12 in the latest CBS Sports Top 60 Big Board for the 2022 NBA Draft. He's currently projected just outside the lottery in our latest mock draft.

Impact on Baylor

On the same morning Sochan declared for the draft, another standout international talent, Miro Little, announced he was committing to the Baylor program. Little is a 6-4 guard viewed as one of the better talents in the international class for the 2022 cycle. While he won't replace Sochan positionally, his commitment underscores just how capable the program is of adding top-end talent to help replace lost production. Little is the second international commit for Baylor in the 2022 class, too, alongside center Joshua Ojianwuna -- who could wind up being tasked with producing in the post as Sochan did. 

Losing Sochan will hurt Baylor in the short-term -- its frontcourt appears to be the biggest question mark entering 2022 -- but Scott Drew and his staff have a lot to sell to prospects to potentially help fill out the remaining roster ahead of next season, and Sochan's official declaration could help pave the way for pursuits to replace him.