Introducing: Jarace Walker (2022)

When IMG Academy's Jarace Walker takes the court, you can't help but notice the chiseled 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard.

He has the lower body of a college running back.

 Then you look at the program and it reads No. 25 ... "freshman."

"He just turned 15," IMG Academy coach Sean McAloon said of Walker. "Freak body and freak talent that goes with it."

Walker, a ninth-grader out of New Freedom, Pa., is a key contributor on a nationally-ranked IMG squad that is off to a 12-1 start. The Ascenders' lone loss is to Mountain Brook (Ala.) at the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers.

In Fort Myers, Walker had 5 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 15 minutes in an 82-68 victory over Gray Collegiate, of South Carolina. 

Walker then had 2 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in an 88-51 rout of defending Class 5A state champion University School.

"Freshman. And he's the first guard off the bench on a team that's pretty good," McAloon said. "He's beyond his years in terms of defense. Handles the ball, shoots the ball and defensively he's much further ahead than any freshman I've ever had.

"He's going to be very, very good."

Walker called playing in the City of Palms Classic a great learning experience.

He said he holds scholarship offers from LSU, Kansas State and Howard.

"I just definitely bring defense," Walker said. "I play hard every day, try to block shots. Just work out with my teammates and do whatever I can to help my team win."

Walker and Co. have held six of IMG's 13 foes to 59-or-less points.

"I feel like our team is just so deep," center Armando Bacot Jr. said.

Asked what he will eventually be looking for in a college, Walker said: "Just a great coach. A great environment. Somewhere I can learn to get better and play with the top players in the country."

If you have high school basketball news, you can reach Pat Lammer via e-mail at PatALammer@Gmail.com or via text at 954-661-9671.