Two former Dallas-area basketball stars featured in Jay Bilas’ top 10 NBA draft prospects

ESPN college basketball analyst, Jay Bilas, released his top-10 prospects of this year’s NBA draft Tuesday morning.

He featured two Dallas-area stars: former 5-star Duncanville prospect Ron Holland and former Baylor star Ja’Kobe Walter, a McKinney native.

Both players received invites to attend the 2024 NBA draft and sit in the green room, according to ESPN.

And both are projected to be potential lottery picks.

This year’s draft will be the first to be conducted over two days, with the first round taking place on Wednesday at Barclays Center, while the second round will be held Thursday at an ESPN studio in lower Manhattan.

Holland, 18, was named the 2023 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American as a senior after he averaged 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds for Duncanville (29-1), which finished No. 3 in ESPN’s national high school boys basketball rankings.

The 6′8 forward was a Dallas Morning News First Team All-Area honoree as a junior and a senior.

The No. 2 player in ESPN’s class of 2024 national rankings, Holland signed with Texas, but was granted release from his letter of intent last May and signed with G-League Ignite one week later. He averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 14 games played this season.

“One of the youngest prospects in this draft, the Duncanville, Texas, native is a superior athlete with great length and an aggressive mindset,” Bilas wrote. “Holland is a driver and slasher who scored off cuts, in transition and finishes with authority around the rim. Defensively, Holland has all of the tools, but needs to be more consistent with his effort and concentration, which is not uncommon for young prospects. Holland was a McDonald’s All American who chose the G League route and averaged almost 18 points and seven rebounds per game, but he struggled with turnovers and perimeter shooting consistency. Still, Holland has the talent and considerable potential to succeed in the NBA.”

Walter, 19, played at McKinney through his junior year before the five-star transferred to Link Academy (Mo.) in the summer of 2022.

He was a Dallas Morning News Third Team All-Area honoree as a sophomore.

As a junior, Walter led McKinney to its first-ever state championship game, where he scored a team-high 23 points against Duncanville. He averaged 23.3 points and 7.6 rebounds that season, earning 5-6A Offensive Player of the Year and Dallas Morning News First Team All-Area honors.

He was also selected for the 2021-22 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-State Team and the 6A All-State Tournament Team.

The 6′5 guard became Big 12 Freshman of the Year during his lone season in Waco, averaging 14.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

“Walter is one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft — along with Colorado’s Cody Williams– in my judgment,” Bilas wrote. “At 6-5 with a 6-10 wingspan, Walter is an excellent perimeter shooter who has a high release, smooth jumper and is very good at drawing fouls. While Walter had a tough stretch shooting the ball early in Big 12 play, he has excellent potential as a floor-spacing wing. As the 19-year-old gets stronger and matures, he should become a better finisher and defender. Walter shot 47% at the rim, which must — and should — improve as he gets stronger. With his length, Walter can also be a good defender. Whether spotting up, shooting off screens or generating looks for himself, Walter can shoot the ball.”

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