NBA Future Watch: Jarace Walker Basketball Cards, Prospect – Jarace Walker is a paragon of positionless basketball. He’s a 6’8”, 240-pound power forward with a 7’2” wingspan. He may not be done growing yet, and he can defend multiple positions and stretch the floor.
Walker started at Susquehannock High School in York County, PA while still in the eighth grade. He moved to Bradenton, FL for his high school years. At IMG Academy, he made an immediate impact. As a freshman, Walker qualified on the MaxPreps Freshman All-America Second Team and helped lead his squad to the GEICO National Title. That season set the stage for many accomplishments. He was named to the Naismith National High School All-America Second Team, McDonald’s All-American, and the USA Nike Hoop Summit Team.
ESPN ranked him as a 5-star recruit, a Top-10 player nationally, and the top power forward in the 2022 recruiting class. Walker mulled offers from several top programs. Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio State were all on the list. In the end, the pull of being a part of Kelvin Sampson’s reestablishment of Houston as a national power was decisive.
En route to helping lead Houston to a #1 seed in March, Walker made the most of his opportunities in a deep lineup: 11.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 1.0 SPG and .347 3%. Having proven himself in the eyes of scouts, Walker declared for the 2023 NBA Draft and is presently an excellent candidate to land as a lottery pick.
With a strong inside-outside game offensively, Walker will be challenged at the pro level to assert himself consistently to maintain the rhythm necessary to dominate. Perhaps the most obvious example of a player who needed to do that in the last few drafts was Evan Mobley. So, it’s clear that the ability to consistently engage this year is well within Walker’s control. Secondary playmaking will also be a targeted area for improvement. However, a player with Walker’s existing skills is already poised to become one of the most exciting, explosive players entering the league next season.
NBA Future Watch: Jarace Walker – Stats
Statistical image generated from Sports Reference 04/10/23.
NBA Future Watch: Jarace Walker Basketball Cards, Prospect – More Resources
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