Drew Baker's first involvement with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball program came as an observer.
He watched one day of individual workouts last fall. Then he met with then-assistant coach David Conrady and agreed to be a manager for the Mocs.
During his role as a dummy for drills, Baker showed flashes of the skill that made him a standout at Karns High School in Knoxville.
So the Mocs coaching staff talked, met with UTC's compliance office and gave him a jersey. He became a UTC player. He practiced with the team every day, and he even played in two games last season.
This year, coach John Shulman is playing a hunch.
"He's going to be a really good player," Shulman said before the team meeting and practice Monday.
With that thought in mind, Shulman and Baker have decided that he will redshirt this year to develop his skills and add meat to his 6-foot-7 frame so he can play either forward position in the future.
"It's the best thing for me to take this year to work on my game, get stronger, get better, work on my shot - just improve and not worry about playing time," Baker said. "I'd like to improve my shot and my handle so I can play more on the perimeter - and of course get stronger."
Shulman said Monday that walk-ons Micah Ballard from William Blount High School and Ryan Gentle from Franklin Road Academy also will redshirt this year.
"The reason I redshirted is because I need to," Ballard said. "I'm underweight; I could use some pounds. I could get bigger, stronger and faster, and down the line it will help me out."
Freshman Martynas Bareika is not likely to redshirt this year, but it remains a small possibility as the Lithuanian native adjusts not only to Division I basketball but American culture and Southern speech.
"Right now, he's playing," Shulman said. "He's got a lot of development to go and his comfort level is more at the 2 than the 1. We'll see how that evolves, but right now, he's playing."
Baker may play an important role on UTC teams in the future. His growth spurt came late in his teenage years, so he is a power forward with some perimeter skills.
"Boy, he worked over the summer," Shulman said. "He changed his body, and all the guys kept talking about him to me through the summer. They said he could play, he'd get a tip-dunk in pickup. And when I saw him this fall, he belongs out there.
"But we have guys at the 4 and there's no sense in using this year. I foresee him being a factor in playing."
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/UchSports.