NBA Draft Portal Profiles: Jarace Walker, Houston

Houston’s Jarace Walker looks as NBA-ready as anybody in this draft class. The former Cougars forward brings size, power, and explosiveness that should make him an immediate help to whoever selects him.

With the draft just weeks away, we dissect his game and get you up to speed on his scouting report.

Career with Houston

Walker grew up right before our eyes during his time at Houston. After averaging 8.8 points and 5.9 rebounds across his first 15 games before the New Year, he improved to 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest in his final 21 appearances. He became the frontcourt anchor for a Houston team that surrounded him with guard talent, giving him the space to operate within the paint. He was a six-time AAC Freshman of the Week winner in 2022-23.

Strengths

Walker has excellent footwork, mobility, and athleticism for his size. At 6’8″ with a 7’2″ wingspan and weighing 235 lbs., he’s already built with an NBA-ready body. He runs the floor like a gazelle, with some nifty euro steps and ball fakes he can utilize when driving the lane. He possesses solid fundamentals around the hoop, always knowing when a floater, layup, or dunk is appropriate, given the situation. The game comes to him easily when fed the ball in the right spots.

Weaknesses

Walker’s jump shot looks workable, but he isn’t knocking down outside shots consistently to threaten a defense yet. His ceiling becomes much higher if he can improve that into a strength. Despite elite bounce and athleticism for his size, Walker could work on his quickness and perimeter defense. At 6’8″, he will be up against players much quicker than him, which could make him a defensive liability down the road.

Overall NBA Projection

The 19-year-old is still raw, and his stature mostly puts him into the upper echelon of lottery picks by most mocks. He has the foundation of a solid jump shot that scouts should be a fan of, and he won’t have an issue adapting to the faster and stronger aspects of the NBA. While we don’t see Walker becoming an NBA superstar, he could have a lengthy career at about 15 to 18 points per game.

Projected Pick: Lottery

Player Comparison: A More Athletic Al Horford