HOUSTON — University of Houston freshman forward Jarace Walker appears to be heading to the NBA Draft, where he's expected to be a lottery pick in late June.
UH Head Coach Kelvin Sampson said so himself on his radio show on Monday night.
When Sampson was asked if he knows if Walker is going to be "one-and-done" at UH, the coach didn't hesitate with his answer.
"I do know. I've known since the day I signed him. Yes," Sampson said.
Walker, a 6-foot, 8-inch tall forward that weighs about 240 pounds, was born in Baltimore, grew up in Pennsylvania and played high school basketball at the touted IMG Academy in Florida. Walker was a five-star recruit who was also courted by Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Howard, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio State.
He averages about 27 minutes a game for the Cougars while putting up 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds. He also owns the fifth-best defensive rating (86.3) in the NCAA.
ESPN has Walker as the 7th-best prospect in the upcoming draft, according to their "best available" list. They also have him as the top power forward in the class.
