Jarace Walker

As a freshman at Houston, Walker won AAC Rookie of the Year and was voted to the All-AAC Second Team behind 11.2 points on 47/35/66 shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 combined blocks-plus-steals. Walker's bulkiness mixed with his lateral movement as a forward has made him into one of the best defensive prospects in his class. He's shown the ability to both prevent bigs from bullying him and switch out on the perimeter to cut off ballhandlers. The off-ball instincts are great as well, so he can rack up helpside blocks and jump into passing lanes. Offensively, he showed catch-and-shoot three potential at Houston, but Walker's strong frame and vertical athleticism still make him an option in the pick-and-roll. When defenses collapse, he often makes the right pass. Walker's Summer League was aggressive, averaging 14.3 points on 17.5 shots. His efficiency was horrible, but it's clear there was a directive for him to let it fly -- something he won't be doing in the normal flow of Indiana's offense. His standout trait remains his defense, and he averaged 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in his 30.1 minutes in summer action. The potential is there for Walker to begin the season as the Pacers' starting power forward, with upside for 30-plus minutes per game.