# Jarace Walker

Jarace Isaiah Walker (/ˈdʒɛərəs/ JAIR-əss; born September 4, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Houston Cougars. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class.

## High school career

Walker attended Susquehannock High School in York County, Pennsylvania for his freshman year before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. As a senior, he averaged 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and four assists per game. He was selected to play in the 2022 McDonalds All-American Game.

### Recruiting

Walker was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class, according to major recruiting services. On November 4, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for Houston over offers from Alabama and Auburn.
College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jarace Walker PF | New Freedom, PA | IMG Academy (FL) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Nov 4, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 92 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 12 247Sports: 12 ESPN: 10 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Houston 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 14, 2022. "2022 Houston Cougars Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 14, 2022. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 14, 2022. ||||||

## Professional career
### Indiana Pacers (2023—present)

The Washington Wizards selected Walker with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft and traded him to the Indiana Pacers along with two future second-round picks for the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly, the seventh overall pick. Walker became the highest-drafted prospect from the University of Houston since Hall-of-Famer Hakeem Olajuwon was taken with the first overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 1984. On July 1, 2023, Walker signed his rookie contract with the Pacers alongside the 26th overall pick Ben Sheppard. Walker's playing time was limited his rookie season, playing behind Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin as the team reached the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.

## Personal life

Walker is the son of Marcia and Horace Walker. He has three older sisters: Jaden, Natichia and Sherelle. Sherelle played volleyball at UMBC and sister Jaden played basketball at Saint Joseph's.

## Career statistics
### NBA
#### Regular season

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2023–24 | Indiana | 33 | 0 | 10.3 | .409 | .400 | .889 | 1.9 | 1.2 | .5 | .3 | 3.6 |
| Career | Career | 33 | 0 | 10.3 | .409 | .400 | .889 | 1.9 | 1.2 | .5 | .3 | 3.6 |

#### Playoffs

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2024 | Indiana | 9 | 0 | 3.4 | .300 | .000 | .667 | .4 | .4 | .2 | .1 | .9 |
| Career | Career | 9 | 0 | 3.4 | .300 | .000 | .667 | .4 | .4 | .2 | .1 | .9 |

### College

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2022–23 | Houston | 36 | 35 | 27.6 | .465 | .347 | .663 | 6.8 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 11.2 |