NCAA Basketball: 4 intriguing players to watch for 2022-23 season

Jordan Walker – UAB Blazers

A free-scoring guard who opted to return for his senior season, “Jelly” didn’t get his nickname for no reason. The diminutive guard took over college basketball last season averaging 20.3 points per game while shooting just under 40 percent from deep. He led the Blazers to a 27-8 record and a Conference USA Tournament title also earning Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

After a journeyman start to his college career, Walker has seemingly found his home in Birmingham. He started at Seton Hall in 2017 before transferring to Tulane where he played two seasons with the Green Wave. His nickname “Jelly” comes from the “Jelly fam” trend that took over high school basketball through players like Isaiah Washington and Jahvon Quinerly who centered the trend on smooth finger-roll layups.

Walker doesn’t get overwhelmed despite his 5’11 frame. He attacks relentlessly, creating his own shot, and is a proven multi-level scorer. As Walker returns for his senior season, look for another uptick in scoring and a player who can be a go-to guy when the game is in the balance. See his 40 points and clutch shooting in a three-overtime win over Middle Tennessee in the semifinal of the C-USA tournament as just one example.

Walker loves to stop and pop from mid-range and his quick release helps him get shots off before larger defenders can close down shooting angles.