NBA Draft: 10 must-watch prospects in the 2023 NCAA Tournament

4. Jarace Walker – Houston

Jarace Walker has shot up draft boards as the season has gone along and some even have him going as high as top five in some of the recent mock drafts. Kevin O’Conner of The Ringer described him as having “shades of Julius Randle with a full tank on defense” and that is a very apt description.

Listed at 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, Walker is an absolute bulldozer with quick feet that allow him to guard all five positions. He is likely to play a lot of small ball five in the NBA and will be a match-up nightmare in the pick-and-roll game for whatever team is lucky to nab him (maybe the Rockets?).

Walker is an exceptional rebounder, especially on the offensive end, and is adept at drawing garbage buckets and finding the open man for an outside shot off the rebound. His strength is on the inside, but he will need to develop his outside shot once he gets to the league. He is currently only shooting 24.5 percent from three and 57.8 percent from the free throw line. That will simply have to improve later on but for now, it’s fun to watch his prowess as a physical freak of nature in the paint.

Walker and Houston tip-off against Kennesaw State at 8:20 pm on Thursday, March 16.