College Foes Hendricks, Walker Now Competing for Draft Position

It was a pure scheduling coincidence, but it was fitting that Taylor Hendricks and Jarace Walker both worked out for the Pacers.

The 19-year-old forwards are two of the most popular options in mock drafts for the Pacers to select with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Both turned pro after one season in the American Athletic Conference, where they actually faced off twice on the court last season, with Hendricks at UCF and Walker at Houston.

They didn't match up or even cross paths with one another on Wednesday, but both were at the Ascension St. Vincent Center at different points during the day to audition for the Pacers' brass, Hendricks in the morning and Walker in the afternoon. Each workout was an individual workout, a common practice for players projected to be top-10 picks.

One might think there's a rivalry between the two prospects considering they played against each other in college and are now competing to be drafted by the same group of teams. But they actually share a lot of mutual respect.

"I feel like the Pacers, they really can't miss whether they select me or Jarace," Hendricks told the media after wrapping up his workout. "Jarace is a really good player. So I'm really excited to see where he ends up."

Hendricks, a 6-9, 213-pound forward out of Ft. Lauderdale, wasn't necessarily seen as a one-and-done player when he enrolled at UCF last fall. But Hendricks impressed from the minute he stepped on the court in college, steadily rising up draft boards to the point that it was a no-brainer for him to declare for the draft this spring.

Hendricks led the Knights in scoring (15.1 points per game) and rebounding (7.0 per contest) as a freshman. He displayed impressive consistency from 3-point range, shooting 39.4 percent on nearly five attempts per game and demonstrating the ability to knock down shots both off the bounce and in catch-and-shoot situations.

He made three or more threes in 10 games, topped 20 points six times, and recorded five double-doubles. Hendricks has the size and athleticism (his vertical was measured at 36 inches at the NBA Draft Combine last month) to catch lobs and finish at the rims.

Hendricks is perhaps an even more enticing prospect on the defensive end, where he displayed the versatility to guard multiple positions effectively in college, a skillset coveted by all NBA scouts given how often teams rely on switching at the pro level. Hendricks averaged 1.7 blocks and just under a steal per game in college.

During Wednesday's workout, the Pacers put Hendricks' defensive versatility to the test, asking him to guard Jannero Pargo, a 6-1 guard and 11-year NBA veteran who now serves as a player development coach for Indiana.

Versatility and shooting are two of the most desired attributes for NBA wings right now, which is why Hendricks is a likely top-10 pick.

"I feel like I fit in the modern NBA perfectly," he said Wednesday.

"Just somebody that does everything," he added when asked what his pitch to NBA teams would be. "Anything you need him to do, he can fit in any type of lineup. Just the way he's able to play -- he's able to set screens, be a lob threat, shoot the three ball, defend really well -- you really can't go wrong putting him on the floor."

Tuesday was Hendricks' second workout for an NBA team. He previously visited Orlando (which owns the sixth and 11th picks in the draft) and is also scheduled to work out for most of the other teams picking in the same range as the Pacers, with visits set for Detroit (fifth), Utah (ninth), Dallas (10th), and Oklahoma City (12th).

Hendricks' skillset makes a lot of sense for the Pacers, who are still searching for the right fit at power forward and are looking to improve defensively after finishing 26th in defensive rating in 2021-22. For his part, Hendricks said he would "love to be a part of" the future in Indiana.

"I know they have a really good young core," he said. "I feel like they'll be a team to mess with in the coming years because of Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Jalen Smith, Bennedict Mathurin -- I feel like I would fit right in with those elite guys."

Hendricks couldn't help but marvel at his rise over the past year. He gave a lot of the credit to choosing the right school and his strong relationship with UCF coach Johnny Dawkins and the rest of the Knights staff, who helped him bloom into a likely lottery pick.

"It shows that God's real because not a lot of people would see me in this position," Hendricks said. "Just to be able to be here and work out for these teams and have my name up on these boards is a blessing."

Walker was the more heralded recruit entering college, a five-star prospect and McDonald's All-American when he arrived at Houston.

Playing on one of the country's best teams, Walker lived up to his billing, ranking second on the Cougars in scoring (11.2 points per game), rebounds (6.8), and blocks (1.3).

Though he won't turn 20 until September, Walker is one of the most physically imposing players in this year's draft class. At the combine, he measured at 6-7 without shoes and 248 pounds with a wingspan over 7-2. He also had a 38-inch vertical, the second-best mark of any big man who took part in testing.

Walker is best known for his defensive prowess. He was a key cog in Houston, which had the fifth best defense in all of Division I according to Ken Pomeroy's ratings.

"My length, my quickness, my size," Walker said of what allows him to be successful on the defensive end. "Just real disruptive and I'm quick on my feet so (I'm) able to stay in front of smaller guards but definitely big enough to guard bigger people as well."

Offensively, Walker's physicality allowed him to have his way with defenders in college, particularly on the boards, where he pulled down 2.3 offensive rebounds per game. He also has shown some abilities as a playmaker, as he played guard at times in high school. That wasn't what he was asked to do at Houston, but he did manage to average nearly 2 assists per game out of the post.

Walker wasn't the shooter Hendricks was in college, but he was still a solid threat from beyond the arc, attempting nearly three treys a game and converting them at a nearly 35-percent clip.

While at Houston, Walker had the opportunity to develop under head coach Kelvin Sampson, who has 657 career wins at the college level and also spent six years in the NBA as an assistant with the Bucks and Rockets from 2008-14.

"It was major because he knew exactly what I needed to work on from day one," Walker said of playing for Sampson. "Just his IQ, his smarts, his experience just being around the game for such a long time definitely helped me."

Wednesday's workout was the first for Walker, who has additional ones planned for Detroit and Utah at the moment.

While Hendricks said the player he studies the most in the NBA is Anthony Davis, Walker listed Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kevin Durant -- "versatile two-way players who can score the ball, create for themselves and others" -- as his biggest influences.

Both Hendricks and Walker were unanimous selections to the AAC All-Freshman team and second-team all-conference selections, but Walker edged Hendricks out for AAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Even though they didn't match up with one another on Wednesday, how did the two meetings between Hendricks and Walker go?

It should come as no surprise that Houston -- which went 17-1 in conference and was a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament -- won both matchups. Both players struggled from the field in the first matchup at Houston on Dec. 31 (though Hendricks managed to tally 14 points to Walker's five), but both played well in the rematch in Orlando on Jan. 25.

Hendricks had 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting (2-of-5 from 3-point range), seven rebounds, four blocks, and two assists in that contest. Walker tallied 17 points himself on 6-of-10 shooting (1-of-3 from 3-point range) to go along with four rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal in a 82-71 Houston victory.

Though they didn't meet again on Wednesday, they could again in Summer League or definitely next season in the NBA. Could one of them be wearing a Pacers uniform at that next meeting? We'll know the answer to that question in a little over two weeks.

"Going against him (in college) was pretty fun," Hendricks said. "Just the hype around it. I feel like we're both really good defensive prospects with really good athletic ability and we can both space the floor and offer a lot of things to teams. I just can't wait to go against him next year."