A Scout's Take: An In-Person Perspective on Jarace Walker Versus Virginia
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Making a return trip to my alma mater and being back on Grounds (campus) is something I always look forward to. Coupled with the fact it's to watch two potential Final Four teams collide and scout multiple NBA prospects, this trip was circled immediately on my calendar.
Jarace Walker, a projected lottery pick, was the headliner in this game. This was my first in person viewing of Walker since watching him as a 6’5 middle schooler that dominated the Premier Youth Basketball League (PYBL) here in the DMV with his mix of size, strength and skill. To nobody’s surprise, Walker won the league’s MVP award with averages of 26.9 points, 15 rebounds and 5.9 blocks. This is a league filled with notable alumni like Hunter Dickinson (Michigan), Judah Mintz (Syracuse), Jeremy Roach (Duke) and Trevor Keels (Duke/Knicks) and more.
Without further adieu, let’s get into my top takeaways from Jarace Walker’s performance on the road against UVA.
Statline vs UVA: 17 points (6-of-11 field goals, 2-of-3 from three, 7 rebounds (2 off), 4 steals, 1 block and 1 steal in 38 minutes
League Me, Right Now
As I tweeted below, Walker clearly has an NBA ready body. Everything that you see on TV really pops in person too. At 6-foot-8, 240 pounds with broad shoulders and bulging calves, he’s long and powerful with a sturdy and mature frame.
With the talk of high school prospects being eligible for the draft at 18-years-old in the near future, most of them aren't ready to compete physically in the NBA. Walker would be one of the few prospects that wouldn't appear out of place on a NBA floor directly out of high school.
Based on his frame, physical development history, and trajectory from middle school until now, there's no reason why Walker shouldn't be able to appropriately add to his stellar frame.
The hope is that Walker will be able to defend some centers and play some small ball five. The Virginia game furthered that hope and belief a bit.
Walker started the game defending UVA's 6-foot-11, 231-pound center, Kadin Shedrick, without any real issues holding his spots or matching up despite giving up three inches. To provide further context, Shedrick is a legitimate NBA prospect in his own right as an athletic play finisher and shot blocker, but isn't much of a reliable scoring threat.
Shotmaking Versatility and Self-Creation Flashes
Much of Walker’s ceiling depends on his shotmaking, particularly from three and self-creation ability. After burying two catch-and-shoot triples against UVA, he’s now up to 42% from three on 19 total attempts. What stood out to me was that there was no hesitation — one was off some movement and the other at a standstill and he hit both over contested closeouts.
Not only was there some versatility in his made threes, but in his self-creation buckets. Walker connected on a pullup jumper, short roll floater and a contested mid post fadeaway jumper over the 6-foot-6 Gardner. Within those, Walker displayed confidence, touch and tough shot making ability that can be tapped into.
Standout Playmaking Moments
Walker tallied a career-high four assists including some impressive reads and passes, especially as a roll man in short roll situations.
This one resulted in a turnover — but it's the right read — just an inaccurate pass.
I don't anticipate Walker being a primary playmaker, moreso fluctuating between a secondary and tertiary one that can operate pick-and-rolls as both a handler and screener. His potential to become a major NBA short roll threat as passer and mid-range shooter on top of his connective passing is exciting.
Conclusion
Considering his production and opponent, this is a game that scouts and evaluators will look back at as a key resume game and test that Walker passed with flying colors. We already know about his defensive versatility and disruption, but if he furthers his development as a reliable shotmaker and shot creator, Walker will not only entrench himself as lottery pick, but a top ten selection. He’s a swiss army knife and one of the most versatile players projected for the 2023 draft.
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