The 1984 NBA Draft was one of the most memorable in league history because it produced all-time greats in Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon. The Rockets took Olajuwon at No. 1 overall out of the University of Houston, the last time a Houston player went in the top five picks. That may change on June 22 in the 2023 draft as Houston freshman Jarace Walker is priced +300 at DraftKings to be a top-five pick.
While UConn won the NCAA Tournament last season, the best regular-season team was Houston with just three losses (including the AAC title game). The Cougars were the favorites to win the Big Dance but were knocked out in the Sweet 16 by No. 5 seed Miami (Fla.).
Walker, a 6-foot-8 forward from Pennsylvania, was a big part of Houston's success. He was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and All-AAC second team, averaging 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, both second on a very veteran team. Walker also finished second on the team and seventh in the AAC with 1.20 blocked shots per game.
Walker is surely going to need to develop a better 3-point shot to become a good NBA player, and he's a subpar free throw shooter, but he's a big, strong presence with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. The CBS Sports Big Board ranks him as the No. 8 overall player. Some have compared him to current Hawks forward John Collins, a very solid player, and even former No. 1 overall pick Larry Johnson for his physicality and defense. Walker is much rawer coming out of college than Johnson was.
DraftKings also gives Walker an over/under draft position of 6.5, which is right in between Orlando at No. 6 and Indiana at No. 7, with the Over a -190 favorite. That Walker lands at No. 4, presumably with the Rockets to stay in Houston is +2600. That he goes No. 5 to still earn that top-five distinction is +410 at FanDuel, and No. 6 is +430. Note that these props are tied to draft slots, not to which team picks at those slots. The Rockets trading out of the No. 4 pick, for instance, would not change the prop's outcome if Walker is indeed chosen at No. 4.
CBS Sports' Kyle Boone currently has Walker going to Detroit at No. 5 in his mock draft. Gary Parrish has him at No. 7 to Indiana, and the Pacers are thought to covet Walker, so he probably won't slide any further. He is a +175 favorite to go seventh. The 19-year-old worked out for the team last week. Indiana needs size and is set in the backcourt with an excellent young duo of All-Star Tyrese Haliburton and 2022 first-round pick Bennedict Mathurin, who was fourth in NBA Rookie of the Year voting.
"I definitely can see myself fitting into the program. Especially with high-level playmakers like Haliburton and the skill set that Mathurin has. They have Myles Turner too. So they definitely have a good group," Walker said of the Pacers at the NBA Draft combine. "I feel like I could definitely fit right in."
To slip to No. 8 and Washington, which might trade Bradley Beal, Walker is a +430 second favorite behind Arkansas freshman Anthony Black (+200). There's also a DK head-to-head prop on first player drafted between Ausar Thompson (-175) and Walker (+140). Thompson ranks No. 6 in the CBS Sports Big Board.
The last first-round pick from the University of Houston was guard Quentin Grimes at No. 25 overall in 2021 by the Clippers, who was then traded to the Knicks. Prior to that, there hadn't been a Houston first-round pick since Cadillac Anderson went 23rd in 1987.
You can already bet on the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. To no surprise, Victor Wembanyama is the -225 favorite and will go first to San Antonio. Walker is +2500. No former Houson player has won the award. Jordan did so in Olajuwon's draft class.
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