NCAA Basketball: Analyzing 10 finalists for five-star guard Ja’Kobe Walter

We have another five-star class of 2022 NCAA Basketball prospect coming up with a list of options, this time in Ja’Kobe Walter. One of the top shooting guards in the group, the 6’5 guard is ranked in the top-20 overall, according to 247sports.

Walter, who hails from McKinney, Texas, has been one of the top risers in the past few months, showing off an elite scoring ability. He can shoot it from just about everywhere on the court and is an offensive juggernaut.

Many D-I programs in the southwest region of the United States have long been aware of Walter and have been making a big effort recently. The five-star prospect has made his potential suitors public, with 10 teams officially in the running.

The recruiting process for Walter is just beginning but one of these 10 teams is going to land a major offensive weapon. Here’s a look at how he potentially fits with each of them.

Alabama Crimson Tide

The Tide has a top-10 incoming class, led by five-star commits, JD Davison and Charles Bediako. As far as the shooting guard position goes, Joshua Primo likely will be gone either this or next season, along with All-SEC guard Jaden Shackelford. The team did add former five-star prospect and Texas Tech transfer Nimari Burnett but it’s yet to be seen how he fits into the system.

Either way, there projects to be an opening on the 2022-23 lineup for the Tide at either the shooting guard or wing position. Walter’s size would allow him to play there without issue and he fits with the high-scoring and fast-paced offense without issue. This is a team I think can be one of the finalists in this battle if Walter is willing to leave the state of Texas.

Baylor Bears

The reigning national champions may have lost their star trio backcourt but don’t expect much of a dropoff next season. The Bears added Arizona point guard James Akinjo and have a top-15 recruiting class, led by top-30 shooting guards Kendall Brown and Langston Love. There’s a chance that at least one of them will go pro after their freshman season but that’s not usually what the program does.

If both of them come back, Walter would likely have to come off the bench as a freshman, which may or not be a good selling point. However, playing for currently the best program in the state is a good selling point, and the developmental skills of head coach Scott Drew can help make Walter into a ready-made NBA prospect.