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Houston
Jarace Walker

Houston

Freshman
HT/WT/WS6' 7", 233lbs
Age19

PTS

11.2
  

AST

1.8
  

REB

6.8
  

FG%

46.5
 

Big Board Rankings


Scouting Sources


Jonathan Givony

Community Scouting Reports (92)


Leif Thulin
u/pistoleif

#6

RANK


Jarace Walker: 6'6.5" 248 lbs 7'2.5" wingspan 11.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.3 bpg, 1.0 spg, 46.5% fg%, 34.7% 3%, 66.2% ft%

Jarace Walker is a big bodied forward capable of playing multiple spots on the front line offensively and defensively. He is an impressive defender with fascinating traits to be developed on the offensive end.

Strengths:

  • Huge build that is rare. Few players have the height, weight, wingspan measurements he possesses and nearly all of them are very good. (Kawhi, OG Anunoby, Tari Eason).

  • He couples traits with a hunger to get stops and is an impressive defender.

  • Very good passer. Hugely underrated.

  • Shooting form looks solid on the catch and he shows flashes of self-creation for a veteran laden team that was a 1 seed.

  • Shot 41% on catch and shoot looks.

  • Good finisher attacking the rim. Uses both power and agility to finish through or around defenders.

  • At Houston, he has improved his shooting mechanics as compared to high school, where he often faced up to attack the hoop at IMG.

  • Defends as both a switchable defender as well as a secondary rim protector which so many teams covet.

  • Demonstrated good touch on floaters and hook shots.

Areas of concern:

  • Taking him high in the draft relies heavily on upside that has yet to be proven as a top option at any level.

  • His handle is loose. Takes risks dribbling and passing into crowds.

  • Largely hasn't shown he is a good shooter despite vastly improved form. Shoots only 66% from the charity stripe and typically good shooters shoot over 73% in college.

Swing Skills: If Jarace Walker can shoot above league average (36%) from 3 early in his career, I believe that will open up the floor for him to use his physical traits to dominate by putting pressure on the rim, creating for himself and his teammates.



Analysis done by @pistoleif. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
1# Kid Rock Fan
u/1_kid_rock_fan

#13

RANK


He is big as fuck, and physical, I love to see that, but he needs to demand the ball more he could of easily averaged 20+ at Houston.



Analysis done by @1_kid_rock_fan. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
string proofs
u/bigtiddygothchi

#3

RANK


Strengths

  • Physical specimen - going to be one of the heaviest kids in the NBA (6'7, 250 lbs)

  • Apparently held opponents to 37/131 shooting (28%), 2/24 off-the-dribble (8%) according to Synergy Sports

Weaknesses

  • Will be a huge effort to build his game offensively, but since his defense is so good he will have a lot of opportunities

  • Needs to work on FT (66%)



Analysis done by @bigtiddygothchi. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
PAOLO IS GOATED
u/MohidHassan

#8

RANK


Tier: Long-Term Starter

Player Comparisons: John Collins, Paul Millsap

Jarace Walker is arguably the best Power Forward in the draft. He's versatile and can play the 4 or the 5. He's got a reasonable frame and is extremely strong. He can guard almost anyone and is a great rim protector. He can play both perimeter and interior defense. If you're defending him, it'll be a long day. He can easily bully his way to the hoop and is excellent in the paint on both ends. He's constantly improving. He's got great speed. He has a decent jump shot, and for his position and size, he's got a lot of potential as a shooter. He's a great midrange shooter and a solid 3-point shooter.



Analysis done by @MohidHassan. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Brett Bischel
u/brettbischel

#7

RANK


-----Age:19.8 / Fr
Minutes:27.6
Pts:11.2
Reb:6.8 ↑
Ast:1.8
Blk:1.3
Stl:1.0
TO:1.5
PF:2.1
PER:22.1
ORat:114.5
DRat:87.1 ↑
3pt:34.7%
2pt:51.5%
FT:66.2%
  • AAC Freshman of the Year (2023)

  • #10 NCAA Defensive Rating (87.1)

  • Height w/o shoes: 6'6.5"

  • Wingspan: 7'2.5" (7th longest in draft class)

  • Max vertical leap: 38.0 (9th highest in draft class)

  • Standing vertical leap: 34.5 (3rd highest in draft class)

  • 3 quarter sprint: 3.20 seconds (10th fastest in draft class)

  • Houston went 33-4 in 2022-23, and lost in the 3rd round of the NCAA Tournament (#1 seed).



Analysis done by @brettbischel. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
DEVIN CARTER
u/mrdraft

#4

RANK


Bio: Houston, September 4, 2003 (19), 6’6.5”, 249 lb, Forward

Stats:

Strengths:

  • Aggressive defense

  • Big and strong

  • Good touch on floaters

  • Good shot mechanics

  • Blossoming shot creator

Weaknesses:

  • Doesn’t get to the rim much

  • Tends to rely on size over skill

  • Not totally consistent from deep

Rundown:

Jarace is a big, strong young player who prioritizes defense. His hounding presence on that side of the court is never fun for opposing players. He bothers with his size, and gets into passing lanes. Throughout the season he began showing more of what he could do on the offensive side of the ball. This includes but doesn’t limit to floaters, catch and shoot threes, and solid decision making.

Shades of: ???? (help me out)



Analysis done by @mrdraft. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Raw Hoops
u/RawHoops

#9

RANK


19.8 year-old 6'8 PF/C/SF. Versatile Lockdown Defender. For someone built like a tank, Jarace has shocking agility and vertical bounce. His strength allows him to bully his way to the basket against smaller defenders and hold his own in the post against true centers. Matched up against bigger and stronger defenders, Jarace is good at using his quickness to get around them. His midrange game is solid and his 3 point shot is promising. The versatility that Jarace offers an NBA team on both ends of the floor make him a high-level prospect. While he is often considered "safe" because it is easy to imagine how he could impact winning in the NBA tomorrow, Jarace also has a very high ceiling if he can become a consistent jump shooter and tighten his handle.

Strengths:

+++Frame/Build

+++Strength

++Versatility

++Athleticism

+Awareness/Vision

+Shooting

Weaknesses:

--Offensive Bag

-Lateral Quickness

-Handles

Shades Of:

Paul Millsap, Julius Randle, Chris Webber

Ceiling: All-Star, 2-Way Jack of All Trades

Floor: Starter, Defensive Lockdown

Team Fit:

With Jarace's versatility on both ends of the floor, he could fit in to many team systems. A team may be more eager to draft Jarace if they're in need of defense, especially in the post. Jarace can't be left wide-open from 3, but he won't be considered a true floor spacing threat on day 1 in the NBA, so it may be good to pair him with front court shooting ability.

Best fits within range: OKC, Indiana, Portland, Detroit, Washington



Analysis done by @RawHoops. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Generic Person
u/amfueg0367

#7

RANK


Jarace Walker has been a favorite among scouts for his versatile game on both ends of the floor and burly frame. He’s really intelligent when it comes to reading the court to make impactful plays. Jarace can plug into so many positions and roles that I can see him fitting into virtually any team in the league's system. He has an amazing physical profile and long length at 6’8” with a 7’2” wingspan with great athleticism. He makes really long yet confident strides to get down the court and isn’t able to be shaken by anybody. Defensively he can bully his man on the ball and fight over screens really well. He has great footwork and is just a very high-IQ player on that end. Jarace knows how to switch effectively and how to guard almost every position for at least a few possessions at a time. In the interior, he's able to body his opponents and he’s really smart with timing his steals and blocks. Unlike many young and inexperienced players, he always feels like he's in control of not being too aggressive when it comes to big defensive plays. Walker has wisdom beyond his years and can be immediately utilized in an experienced defensive scheme. He fights over screens, or simply just through them, with ease, he has impeccable timing when going for steals and blocks, and his leaping ability allows him to get up to hammer home big-time swats at the ball. At Houston, he’s come in and changed the way the entire team plays defense. He’s a tank that’s meant to shift all over the floor to cover his teammates mishaps and mistakes. He’s being used as a defensive presence and threat that the Houston system is built around. He’s an absolute weapon on that end and teams should value that highly when it comes to looking at how he can improve their roster now and in the future. He provides a strong foundation for an organization to develop their defensive identity off of. Offensively he’s a physical unit too. He is really great at converting his defense to offense by generating fast breaks. In transition, he’s good at kicking the ball out and bringing it out to the rim in long strides. Nobody can stop him once he starts rushing downhill as he just tanks over anybody in front of him. He’s a real playmaker even when he’s not passing the ball by going out to the receiving ends of passes really well. He makes the right reads when it comes to movement. Even without the ball, he has a way of generating offense and he commands big defensive attention which also makes easier looks for teammates. As much as he does for teammates, Jarace knows how to cook on his own. He has a stable handle for his size which gives him a lot of versatility on offense. He has a deep bag worth of tricky post moves that are made easier by his physical frame. His touch at his size is remarkable. It’s so rare to find a player with his bulk that can finesse around the rim like he can. He’s like a tank that dances around like a ballerina in the paint. Having this variety of offensive avenues isn’t something you see in a lot of players his age with his athletic tools. He’s also a steady shooter that shoots 35% from three and 63% from the line, so he's certainly not a non-spacer but it’s on a small sample size. He definitely has a liking for settling in the mid-range more rather than stepping out past the line but that makes sense that there's a lack of comfortability due to his inexperience as a shooter. Jarace’s skillset has been experimented with as a small ball five at Houston and that could work in the league but despite the physical frame, he doesn’t really have the height for it which could be targeted if used in big spurts. I think positional versatility is a big selling trait and something teams will value highly. Defensively he is there and can guard one through five but offensively he’ll have to improve if he wants to expand out. Jarace has been rising up boards as a winner into the top five of the draft, despite him not having as high of a ceiling. He feels like an all-star level role player which seems to be the consensus view on him. Teams are drafting him to be an ultra-versatile complementary unit on defense and offense. He doesn’t have too much upside outside of maybe some improvement from outside shooting but he has one of the highest immediate floors in the class as one of the youngest players. I think his stock has been overvalued as a potential star but he is certainly one of the safest bets that should be a safe pick for a GM. So much of his value comes from being such a high-IQ player on both ends of the floor. Jarace will be an impact from day one and can help restructure any teams struggling with direction, especially on defense.



Analysis done by @amfueg0367. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
MARTIGNONI MATTEO
u/martignonimatte

#5

RANK


OFFENSE At his size his ball handling and ability to drive at the rim and finish there in a variety of ways is special Complex ball handling moves he uses Shows flashes of passing Very good passer sees a lot of hard passes that may be off just a little but still tries them a lot Can grab rebound and go and played SOME point for IMG Needs to work on his left (off) hand finishing Shot looks bad there is potential to work with Great instincts as a rebounder great nose for the ball Might struggle but doesn’t back down and his great hands and strength help Very good at Kevin love Hitaheads Averaged 4ast a game in HS Very fun transition player Threat to dribble to the rim and finish with power and finesse And also pass OTD too As a passer had lots of freedom sometimes tried home run passes too much risking too much He ll need to take care of the ball Him operating as a DHO fulcrum and short roll decision maker is going to be great Have a great turnaround fadeaway good footwork good touch midrange looks smooth he is quite comfortable Has some things to clean up But also some great flashes He has great touch around the rim ON FLOATERS At FTs 74% pretty good has good touch and enter quite smoothly Handle is pretty pretty good has in an outs and some shiftyness WHAT DOES HE DO GREAT AT NBA LEVEL ON OFFENSE? CAN ATTACK CLOSEOUTS IF SHOT IS RESPECTED AND HAS GOOD PASSING SKILLS GOOD READS IN SHORT ROLL AND BALL MOVEMENT TOO PASSIVE ON OFFENSE , FALLS IN LOVE WITH FLOATER GOOD CUTTER FROM OUTSIDE AND DUNKER SPOT FLASHES, ONLY FLASHES, OF TURNAROUNDS LOW VOLUME FROM 3 BUT IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS

DEFENSE Can switch a lot competently Can switch easily and has great lateral movement for his size Good defensive playmaker always in help position but seems aware of where his man is at all time Good weak side shot blocker Doesn’t project as a FULL TIME small ball 5 in NBA but can surely do it for a while in switch heavy lineups Phisical good footwork good lateral agility Great hands Huge individual that moves laterally really well for his size GREAT REBOUNDER IN GENERAL more defensively than offensively Not 100% comfortable in drop coverage Struggled a bit with 7 footers Probably he is not a full time 5 GREAT AT SWITCHING,GREAT QUICKNESS E LATERAL AGILITY ,FLUID HIPS Walker has mostly been used as a disruptive and reliable team defender for Houston GREAT WEAK SIDE RIM PROTECTOR GREAT TIMING AND AWARENESS, GOOD AT ROTATING Jarace Walker’s combination of size, strength, IQ, and mobility is rare MAYBE CAN IMPROVE SCREEN NAVIGATION



Analysis done by @martignonimatte. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
PaoloOwnsYou
u/PaoloOwnsYou

#6

RANK


Jarace Walker is the best PF in the class, pulling away from guys like GG Jackson to cement himself at the top. He's the most versatile defender in the class and can play the 4 or the 5. He's got a reasonable frame and is extremely strong. He can guard almost anyone and is a great rim protector. He is elite at both perimeter and interior defense. He can easily bully his way to the hoop and is excellent in the paint on both ends. He's got great speed. He has a decent jump shot, and for his position and size, he's got a lot of potential as a shooter. He's a great midrange shooter and a solid 3-point shooter. Despite being a PF, his playmaking has been solid and he has upside in that aspect. His shooting could be more consistent and his shot creation has room for improvement.



Analysis done by @PaoloOwnsYou. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.