Jarace Walker

Draft Notes

Jarace is a big forward with tons of natural strength. He’s got big shoulders and a rock solid frame, while also showing good agility and vertical explosion. He fits the mold of modern day 4 or small ball 5.

Walker is a versatile player who can play multiple roles on both ends of the floor. He can guard up and down the line-up and has the strength to hold his own in the paint against “true” centers. He’s a good rim protector, especially coming from the weak-side. His plus wingspan really shows up on D.

He’s a load to handle when driving to the basket, using his big frame to shield defenders and bully his way to the hoop. His growth/improvement on the offensive end has been impressive – and he’ll continue to refine his iso scoring and play-making ability.

One thing that really stands out is how quick, agile and nimble he is for his size, which makes him really hard to defend. He can blow-by bigger defenders and overpower smaller defenders.

Has a nice compact jump shot which shows a lot of promise. This isn’t a strength of his game at this point but he’ll very likely develop a solid 3pt shot in time. His mid range game is already far advanced.

Comparisons

• more versatile John Collins
• Paul Milsap

Draft Projection

mid lottery to mid first round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

2023 Power Forwards

1. Gregory Jackson – 6-9 – South Carolina
2. Jarace Walker – 6-8 – Houston
3. Kyle Filipowski – 6-10 – Duke
4. Mouhamed Gueye – 6-10 – Washington State
5. Kris Murray – 6-8 – Iowa
6. Mark Mitchell – 6-8 – Duke
7. Ousmane N’Diaye – 6-11 – Senegal
8. Adama Sanogo – 6-9 – UConn
9. Azuolas Tubelis – 6-9 – Arizona (Lithuania)
10. Trayce Jackson-Davis – 6-9 – Indiana
11. Daimion Collins – 6-9 – Kentucky
12. Roko Prkacin – 6-9 – Croatia
13. Keion Brooks – 6-8 – Washington
14. Adem Bona – 6-9 – UCLA (Turkey)
15. Drew Timme – 6-10 – Gonzaga
16. Pete Nance – 6-10 – Northwestern
17. Leonardo Okeke – 6-9 – Italy
18. Anton Watson – 6-9 – Gonzaga 
19. John Castleton – 6-11 – Florida
20. Trevon Brazile – 6-9 – Arkansas
21. Jacob Toppin – 6-7 – Kentucky
22. C.J. Walker – 6-8 – UCF
23. Nate Bittle – 6-11 – Oregon
24. Toumani Camara – 6-8 – Dayton
25. Kijani Wright – 6-8 – USC
26. Henry Coleman – 6-7 – Texas A&M
27. Jordan Brown – 6-11 – NA