2. Ja’Kobe Walter
Baylor is the third seed in the West region and begins its tournament on Friday afternoon against Colgate. The Bears will be significant favorites behind Walter, who is the team’s leading scorer and shot-maker.
It has been a bit of a disappointing freshman season for the 19-year-old. He is known as an elite shooter but has only connected on 34.0 percent of his 203 3-point attempts this season. There is plenty of dynamic tape dating back to his high school days, but his struggles this season, including shooting 37.3 percent from the field, have some thinking he should be taken in the mid-to-late first round.
This class is light on wings and surefire bets. Grabbing a 6’5 wing who can shoot off the bounce or catch with playmaking upside will be difficult to pass on. Walter won’t be the top selection but do not be surprised to see him go in the top ten, especially if he has a few strong performances and leads Baylor on a run in the NCAA Tournament.
The Portland Trail Blazers rank 28th in offensive rating and could use some punch. Ja’Kobe Walter could pop in the NBA as his team finds a more effective way to use his skill set. Could Scoot and Walter form a dynamic duo that has Portland climbing the Western Conference standings? The Baylor Bears are certainly a team to scout during March Madness.