Def Pen
  • News
    • World
    • US
    • Politics
  • Music
    • News
    • Hip Hop
    • R&B
    • Pop
    • First To The Aux
  • Sports
    • Basketball
      • NBA
      • WNBA
      • NCAAB
      • EuroLeague
      • High School
    • Football
      • NFL
      • XFL
      • NCAAF
    • Baseball
      • MLB
    • MMA
    • Boxing
    • FIFA
    • Sports Betting
    • Track & Field
  • Fashion
  • Business
  • Movies
    • Trailers
  • TV
  • Tech
  • Women
    • Spotlight On Empowerment
  • Shop
Def Pen
  • News
    • World
    • US
    • Politics
  • Music
    • News
    • Hip Hop
    • R&B
    • Pop
    • First To The Aux
  • Sports
    • Basketball
      • NBA
      • WNBA
      • NCAAB
      • EuroLeague
      • High School
    • Football
      • NFL
      • XFL
      • NCAAF
    • Baseball
      • MLB
    • MMA
    • Boxing
    • FIFA
    • Sports Betting
    • Track & Field
  • Fashion
  • Business
  • Movies
    • Trailers
  • TV
  • Tech
  • Women
    • Spotlight On Empowerment
  • Shop
  • Basketball
  • NBA
  • NCAAB
  • Sports

2023 NBA Draft Profile: Jarace Walker

  • May 29, 2023
  • Austin Reed
Jarace Walker
Jarace Walker (Phantom Designs for Def Pen Sports)

The 2023 NBA Draft is one of the more highly anticipated drafts in the past decade partly because of the talent at the top of the draft. Def Pen Sports will be breaking down 14 of the best NBA prospects that have declared for the draft this year. Jarace Walker is a projected top-10 pick after his lone season at Houston where he fit in seamlessly with a team who was a mainstay in the top 5 this year. Walker has a game that was easily translatable to the college game and will likely earn him immediate playing time in the NBA as well. He’s got the body of an NBA veteran too which not many one-and-done freshman can claim. Walker may never be a star putting up 25 points per game, but he is destined for a long career with the gifts and mentality he possesses.

Size

Jarace Walker has outstanding size and length and uses it to his advantage on both ends of the floor. He’s able to switch consistently and guard just about anyone in the college game while also being effective around the rim as well. He uses his 7’2″ wingspan when trying to score in the paint and when combined with the strength he possesses at 240 pounds it’s an excellent combination that he utilizes well.

That length allows him to jump passing lanes which he does so well while also excelling as a shot blocker where he combines his length with great timing. He’s a bit old for a true freshman but even then not many 19 going on 20-year-olds enter the NBA with a body like his. He’s likely to hone some of that natural strength once he gets on a professional strength program and could become a force as he begins to hit his physical prime. His size is such a plus for him and will likely lead to him earning playing time early in his career.

Defense and Rebounding

Walker is a tenacious rebounder, averaging nearly seven in his single season at Houston. It was a strength of his coming into school that only reached another level playing for Kelvin Sampson who emphasizes rebounding heavily. Houston has a culture that preaches rebounding and toughness and Walker was a great fit for the program. He averaged two offensive rebounds per game and does a great job of boxing out and is unaffected by contact when battling in the paint. He has such a good competitive level on the boards that is rare for players his age and combines with a high IQ for where to be on defensive rotations and attacking the boards from there. Walker should be an excellent rebounder in the league from the forward position and should be a guy who consistently steals extra possessions for his team.

Defensively Walker is ultra-competitive as a defender and has outstanding switchability with the ability to switch one through five. His strength allows him to guard bigs and he should be able to play some small-ball five in the NBA while also having the ability to switch onto guards. Walker has good lateral quickness and slides his feet effectively while using his length well when switching onto guards.

Weakness: Shooting

Jarace Walker is a very good interior scorer but is a bit inconsistent when moving out toward the three-point line. All things considered, he shot nearly 35% from three this season on nearly three attempts per game. He has improved as a shooter and with his form over the last year or so but needs to continue to improve his consistency. His numbers at Houston would suggest that he has good potential as he continues to improve his game but his free throw numbers don’t quite support that. He shot about 66% from the line, a number that will need to improve but also suggests the form improvements weren’t quite as good as his numbers from three would suggest. If he can continue to show improvement in this area it will be a huge addition to the potential he has in other areas of his game.

NBA Comparison: Scottie Barnes

Jarace Walker
Jarace Walker has some Scottie Barnes to his game ( Brian Fluharty – USA TODAY Sports )

Walker shows some similar traits to Scottie Barnes in terms of his strength, length, and passing ability when coming out of school. Walker isn’t quite the playmaker that Barnes was coming out of school but does show flashes of good playmaking ability. As for the defensive versatility, he is a dead ringer for Barnes who has excelled since he’s been in the league in a multi-faceted role. Walker will likely be more of an energy role player in his first season and may not quite have the impact Barnes did from the jump but could do some similar things if put in the right role. Barnes has struggled from a shooting perspective while Walker to this point has shown a greater ability to keep defenses honest with his jump shot. Walker may ultimately have more upside as a scorer for this reason combined with a touch more athleticism but overall their games definitely have a similar theme to them. Whichever team selects Walker would be more than happy to get similar production to Scottie Barnes in his first two years in the league.

Related Topics
  • 2023 NBA Draft
  • Houston Cougars
  • Jarace Walker
Austin Reed

You May Also Like
View Article
  • Football
  • NFL
  • Sports

Cleveland Browns Select Shedeur Sanders With 144th Pick

  • Ryan Shepard
  • April 26, 2025
View Article
  • Boxing
  • Sports

Keyshawn Davis To Defend WBO Title In June At Scope Arena

  • Ryan Shepard
  • April 26, 2025
View Article
  • Boxing
  • Sports

Manny Pacquiao To Evaluate Boxing Future Following Election

  • Ryan Shepard
  • April 26, 2025
View Article
  • Boxing
  • Sports

Raymond Muratalla Hoping For Potential Unification Bout With Keyshawn Davis

  • Ryan Shepard
  • April 26, 2025
View Article
  • Boxing
  • Sports

Shakur Stevenson Lands Promotional Deal With Lou DiBella

  • Ryan Shepard
  • April 22, 2025
View Article
  • Basketball
  • Sports
  • WNBA

Post-Surgery, Diamond DeShields Looks to the Future

  • Def Pen Sports
  • April 21, 2025
View Article
  • Boxing
  • Sports

The 13th Round: The Biggest Night In Women’s Boxing (And A Side Of Imagery Reminiscent Of The Jim Crow Era)

  • Ryan Shepard
  • April 17, 2025
View Article
  • Boxing
  • Sports

Live From Ringside: Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Eimantas Battle For Lineal Welterweight Title

  • Ryan Shepard
  • April 12, 2025

©Copyright 2025 DefPen.com. All rights reserved.

Def Pen is a registered trademark. DefPen.com is part of the Def Pen Media Group, LLC.

  • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Shop

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT