There are still some very good prospects in Arizona's 2020 senior class still available for college coaches to take a very hard look at this spring. One of the top unsigned prospects in the country right now is AZ Compass Prep's 6-foot-8, 195-pound senior wing prospect Jabari Walker. Walker has been a consistent top performer for a loaded Compass program all season, and now he is seeing his college recruitment go to another level, as a result.
Walker came to AZ Compass Prep this fall after spending his previous years at Campbell Hall High School (CA). The son of former NBA standout Samaki Walker, Jabari came to AZ Compass for an opportunity to raise his overall level of play and college recruitment - both aspects that have definitely been fulfilled at the Chandler-based program.
Walker has developed a great deal over the past few years as a player, as he has steadily grown physically into the serious college prospects that he has become today. After standing a mere 6-4 in heigth as a sophomore, and being 6-7 and weighing 165 pounds last season as a junior, Walker has grown to now 6-8 and has added 30 pounds to his once thin frame. As a result, Walker has become one of the top unsigned recruiting targets in America's 2020 Class.
The new and very much improved Walker has been excellent in his play this season, and recently, he has come up huge in games for a loaded AZ Compass team, where playing time is valuable. In a recent win over Dream City Christian, Walker came up big late for his team - knocking down several three-pointers and finishing plays in traffic to help lead AZ Compass to an overtime win.
On Saturday evening in a big match-up with Prolific Prep (CA) in the Grind Session's Rising Sun Showcase event held at the PHHacility, Walker again came up very big - knocking down (3) straight three-pointers for AZ Compass to push his team ahead by 10 points, 59-49, with 6 minutes left to play in the contest. While Compass would eventually fall in overtime, Walker's presence was defenitely felt in the game.
Currently, Walker has offers for himself from UMASS, East Carolina, Loyola Marymount, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State, Illinois State, Montana State and Cal State Northridge, with many more schools looking to get involved.
Walker does not seem to have a leader in his college recruitment at this point, but I look for his college recruitment to take more shape as the spring approaches.
Walker is a nice recruiting target as he has excellent size and length with very good overall athleticism and a pure shooting stroke with excellent range on his shot. He has really worked hard on his game and it has shown very well, as he is a very fluid scorer with the basketball in his hands, and also moves very well without the basketball to get open on the floor. He is a good ball handler for his size and can play several positions on the floor, and can also defend several positions on the floor, as he has good lateral quickness on the perimeter, and also very good length of body to defend the post. He runs the floor hard and is a very good finisher in transition and in traffic.
If there are prospects out there that are hot and that college coaches need to consider, Jabari Walker is at the top of the list. Look for him to continue to play at a high level for a loaded AZ Compass team this season.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Jabari is a long, athletic, skilled, versatile and tough player who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. Jabari is a three-level scorer, as he can stretch the floor with his jump-shot consistently from three or mid-range, but what he does best is attacking the rim. He’s capable creating off the bounce, as he has a good handle and good pace to his game, which allows him to get to the rim where he can finish at a high level. He’s very long and explosive as well, so he can finish over defenders or finish through contact. He has a very good motor on the offensive glass and is very hard to keep off the glass when pursuing O Boards, as he’s long, athletic and plays a tough physical style of basketball. He’s a capable cutter off the ball, and has a good feel for the game. Defensively, he can guard positions 1-5, as he’s long but also very mobile, which makes him a very good defender. He can block/alter shots and also create turnovers with his long arms and active hands on defense. Walker's versatility makes him a match-up problem on the floor, as he can guard and play so many different positions. Look for many schools to look to get involved, as he’s been elevating his game lately, and will be a producer at the next level. His size and versatility will give him a chance to extend his career even further, if he continues to improve.
