NBA Draft: Jarace Walker Helps Houston Extend Winning Streak

Potential 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker's skills were on full display versus Cincinnati Sunday.

Projected 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker’s skills were on full display Sunday as he helped second-ranked Houston to another blowout win, 72-59, this time over conference rival Cincinnati.

At 6-foot-9, 240-pounds, Walker is one of the more physically imposing and NBA-ready prospect we’ve seen in awhile. And he used every bit of that to his advantage on Sunday, scoring 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting, grabbing five boards and nabbing three steals.

After a stretch of low-output scoring games, Walker has totaled 44 in his last two contests, seeing a newfound aggression in Kelvin Sampson’s system.

On the season, Walker is averaging 9.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He’s shooting 47 percent overall from the field and an impressive 39 percent from beyond the arc.

He’s projected to be a 2023 NBA Lottery pick primarily due to his size and defensive versatility, but he showcased his offensive potential on Sunday, and even some face-up game, knocking down threes and a few deep twos.

Defensively, he's one of, if not the best, prospect in the entire draft, both physically and technically. 

Per our earlier scouting report on Walker: "Not only does he have great positional height, but Walker’s wingspan is over 7-foot-2 at this point. He’s disruptive on defense, blocking a ton of shots and generating turnovers. It’s not just his length that helps him defensively, he’s also got a great natural feel on that end of the floor. Walker’s defensive instincts should translate well as he continues to progress in his basketball career."

Draft Digest even got an in-person look at Walker earlier in the season.

Walker and the Cougars are back in action at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11 with a game against South Florida. 

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