NBA Mock Draft: Ranking 11 best draft prospects in NCAA’s Sweet 16

2. Jarace Walker, F, Houston

Because of the amount of other dynamic players that the Houston Cougars have on their roster, Jarace Walker is a player that sometimes can get overlooked when he’s on the floor. However, the 6-foot-8 freshman forward is certainly a prospect that will be in consideration to be a top-five overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. And he backed that up during the team’s opening-round win of the NCAA Tournament with a 16-point, six-rebound on 75 percent shooting from the field performance.

And the Cougars needed every bit of Walker’s production considering they snuck away with an 11-point win over the 16-seed. That’s never a good sign moving forward for a 1-seed. However, the team bounced back in a big way in the second round. Walker, though, had a rough showing.

During the team’s second-round game, Walker finished with just seven points and 10 rebounds on 38 percent shooting from the field. If it’s any consolation, though, he did feast on the defensive end by finishing with six blocks.

Heading into the Sweet 16, Walker is certainly a player to keep an eye on. Especially for teams that are looking for answers in the frontcourt heading into the NBA Draft.