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Jeff Bolzero
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ESPN Staff Writer- Basketball recruiting insider.
- I participated in ESPN in 2014.
- Graduated from the University of Delaware.
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Paul Biancardi
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Basketball recruitment- National Recruiting Director on ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at the Division I level
- Former Horizon League Coach of the Year in Light State
Five-star up-and-coming senior Ja’Kobe Walter announced his commitment to Baylor on Wednesday, two years after Bears first extended his scholarship offer.
Wednesday is another year since Walter visited the Waco, Texas campus.
“It was exciting at first, so we decided to stop hiring, but over time, it starts to get harder,” Walter told ESPN. “The hiring process was starting to repeat.”
Walter, a 6-foot-5-wing from Texas who attends Linkyear Prep (Missouri), chose Baylor over his final list, which included Texas, Auburn, and Alabama. He went to Alabama and Auburn in the fall and winter and traveled to Texas at the end of April. Walter completed his visit earlier this month on another trip to Baylor.
“The history of victory under Coach (Scott) Drew and the person he entered the league,” Walter said when asked why he chose Baylor. “He’s a very energetic guy. I’ve never seen him have a bad day. I like how he builds confidence in his players.”
Ranked 17th in the 2023 class ESPN 100, Walter is considered the second best player after Texas’ top five prospects, Ron Holland. In seven games against Team Trae Young at the Adidas circuit this spring, Walter averaged 22.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, shooting nearly 37% from the 3-point range. He also made 48 out of 52 free throws.
Walter has a size suitable for the position of the shooting guard and can be scored in different ways. He can put the ball on the floor and even make pull-up jumpers and shots from the outside. Walter is comfortable everywhere on the attacking side, and his size, scoring ability, and basketball IQ make him a shot creator.
He could step into Baylor’s wide open boundaries where seniors are rising Adam Flaigler And perhaps one candidate, Keyonte George, is one of the backcoat options this season.
Walter joined Baylor’s second initiative in the 2023 class, Finland’s point guard Milo Little, a four-star prospect at the Helsinki Basketball Academy (Finland).
