Ja'Kobe Walter 2024 NBA mock draft: Former Link Academy star expected to go in first round
Wyatt D. Wheeler
Former Link Academy standout Ja'Kobe Walter will likely be the first player out of the Branson-based high school basketball powerhouse to be selected in the first round of an NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
Walter, coming off a Big 12 Freshman of the Year season at Baylor, is a consensus first-round prospect for this week's draft with some experts mocking him as a lottery pick.
Link Academy, coming off its third season of existence, had two players selected in the 2023 NBA Draft in Julian Phillips and Jordan Walsh, with the latter being a part of the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Walter played his senior season at Link Academy, helping the Lions win the national championship. He was a five-star prospect and ESPN's No. 17-ranked player. Notably, he was the MVP of he 2023 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.
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Ja'Kobe Walter NBA mock draft 2024
Projections for the 2024 NBA Draft vary considerably, due in part to what many analysts consider to be a relatively weak talent pool for the draft and the lack of a clear top prospect.
- USA TODAY For the Win: 20th to the Cleveland Cavaliers
- ESPN: 14th to the Portland Trail Blazers
- The Athletic: 20th to the Cleveland Cavaliers
- The Ringer: 19th to the Toronto Raptors
- Yahoo! Sports: 25th to the New York Knicks
- SB Nation: 13th to the Sacramento Kings
- NBADraft.net: 13th to the Sacramento Kings
When is the 2024 NBA Draft?
The 2024 NBA Draft will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This will mark the first year that the draft has been divided into two days, with the first round taking place on Wednesday and the second round following up on Thursday.
Ja'Kobe Walter stats at Baylor
In addition to his Big 12 Freshman of the Year honor, Walter was an all-league third-teamer who started all 35 games averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He was a 37.6% shooter including a 34.1% clip from the outside.
At 6-foot-5, Walter led Baylor to a 24-11 season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was the team's leading scorer and third-leading rebounder.