Ja'Kobe Walter, Link Academy product, projected as NBA first-round draft pick

Walter led Link Academy to the national championship as a senior in 2023

Mar 22, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; Baylor Bears guard Ja'Kobe Walter (4) shoots over Colgate Raiders guard Brady Cummins (1) during the first half of the NCAA Tournament First Round at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports | Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Ja'Kobe Walter's time at Link Academy, like his time at Baylor, was relatively short but ultimately a successful step in his young basketball career.

Walter transferred to Link Academy in Branson, Mo., for his senior year of high school after leading McKinney (Texas) to its first state championship game appearance as a junior. He led Link Academy to the national championship in 2023 before earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year accolades in his lone season at Baylor.

Walter, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound shooting guard, is a consensus first-round prospect going into the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. He is likely to become the first player from Link Academy to be picked in the first round.

Link Academy had two players – Julian Phillips and Jordan Walsh – selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft. Walsh was a rookie on the NBA championship-winning Boston Celtics this past season.

Walter led Link Academy to a 24-1 record – including winning the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Springfield – and the national championship in 2023. He was selected for the McDonald's All-American Game.

In his lone season at Baylor, Walter was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and to the All-Big 12 Third Team after averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game and knocking down a team-best 75 3-pointers. The Bears went 24-11, finished tied for third in the Big 12, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Jo'Kobe Walter mock draft projections

CBS Sports: 13th to the Sacramento Kings

NBADraft.net: 13th to the Sacramento Kings

ESPN: 14th to the Portland Trail Blazers

Yahoo! Sports: 16th to the Philadelphia 76ers

The Athletic: 19th to the Toronto Raptors

USA Today: 20th to the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Ringer: 23rd to the Milwaukee Bucks

SB Nation: 25th to the New York Knicks

NBA Draft information

The 2024 NBA Draft will be held on June 26 (7 p.m. CT) and June 27 (4 p.m. CT) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

The first round of the Draft on Wednesday will air on ABC and ESPN. The second round on Thursday will air on ESPN.

Link Academy guard Ja'Kobe Walter | Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive Sports

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- Nate Latsch | latsch@scorebooklive.com