Caribbean-American Jarace Walker has been drafted into the NBA after he was selected at No. 8 overall in the first round by the Washington Wizards and was, at once, traded to the Indiana Pacers at No. 8.
Walker, whose parents are Vincentian and Guyanese, is the highest Houston Cougar taken in the NBA Draft since Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Rockets in 1984.
After heavily scouting Walker over the last few years, the Pacers believe they have found a player they can add to their core and continue building with.
They project that Walker can step in and do some unique playmaking at his position, and love his addition to the team.
Walker, after getting a feel for the team and Indianapolis, enjoyed his visit with the Pacers and getting to know head coach Rick Carlisle, according to his parents, Marcia and Horace Walker. Mrs. Walker is Guyanese-born, and Mr. Walker is Vincentian-born.
“He feels it will be a good fit for him,” said the Walkers, telling Caribbean Life that they are “filled with immense pride and gratitude” that their son was drafted into the NBA.
The Walkers said they are proud of Jarace’s “unwavering dedication and countless hours of effort invested in pursuing his dream.”
They said Jarace’s passion for basketball has shown “great results, proving that hard work does pay off,” and adding that they “could not be more proud” of their son.
“I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude as I reflect on being drafted into the NBA,” Jarace said. “The support and guidance from my parents, sisters, coaches, and trainers have played a pivotal role in shaping my journey.
“This moment fills me with pure joy and happiness,” added Jarace, who lives in York County, Pennsylvania with his parents.
Marcia Walker, a former track and field standout in high school, migrated to the US at a young age.
Horace Walker is the son of Esther and Owen Walker of Layou, a town in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Owen Walker was a popular politician and co-founder of the New Democratic Party in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Horace emigrated to Brooklyn, New York in 1978.
The Walkers said their son bypassed his home high school, Susquehannock, to become the rear ninth-grade varsity basketball player at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl.
They said Jarace had an “impressive” high school career at IMG, where he averaged 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a senior. He was invited to the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Nike Hoop Summit.
The five-star recruit decided to play collegiately at the University of Houston, the Walkers said.
As a first-year student at Houston, the Walkers said Jarace won the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Freshman of the Year for 2023, 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 2.23 combined blocks-plus-steals.
The Walkers said Jarace posted career marks of 25 points, four threes, 13 rebounds, five assists, six blocks and three steals.
“He was a unanimous choice to the All-Freshman team,” they said, adding that Houston was the runner-up in its conference tournament and made it to the third round of the 2023 NCAA tournament.
The 6-foot-8, 235 lb., 19-year-old Walker measured in with a 7-foot, 2 1/2-inch wingspan at the combine, and projects to be a player that can wreak havoc in the passing lanes and on-ball defense.
“He is a big forward with tons of natural strength,” Mr. and Mrs. Walker said. “He ranked second in the nation in defensive rating and is viewed as one of the top incoming defenders.”
