Wheat Hotchkiss

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Age: 20Years Pro: 1Status: Entering second year of rookie contractKey Stats: Appeared in 33 games as a rookie, averaging 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 10.3 minutes per game. Shot 40 percent from 3-point range on 55 attempts. Averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in 19 games on assignment with the Indiana Mad Ants in the G League.

The Pacers drafted Jarace Walker as a 19-year-old out of the University of Houston with a long-term view. Walker's rookie year was always going to be about his continued development. The eighth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft got extended minutes to hone his game in the G League while also spending plenty of time learning from his veteran teammates in the NBA.

And when he got his opportunities on the court, Walker showed flashes of the potential that had the Pacers' front office so excited to pick him last summer.

"When we drafted Jarace, I think we saw potential for a two-way player," Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said. "I think we saw potential for a guy that could make plays with the ball, could really pass, had a high IQ."

Walker saw limited playing time with the Blue & Gold early in his rookie season, appearing in just eight NBA games before New Year's Day. Most of his minutes were mop-up duty late in blowouts, but he did get thrown in the rotation for the first time on Dec. 16 in Minnesota with the Pacers on the second night of a back-to-back and missing three rotation players due to injury. The 6-8 forward equipped himself well, tallying five points on 2-of-3 shooting (1-of-2 from 3-point range), two rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 24 minutes.

Walker got another opportunity on the Pacers' West Coast road trip in January, where he saw extended minutes in three games.

He stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, four rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks in 26 minutes on Jan. 15 in Utah.

"Jarace has some special abilities, and he showed a lot of those tonight – his vision and playmaking," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said following the game.

Three nights later, Walker set a career high with 15 points, going 6-for-13 from the field and 3-for-8 from beyond the arc, in a win at Sacramento. He narrowly missed out on a double-double three nights later in Phoenix, tallying 10 points and nine boards in 18 minutes.

While he impressed on the road trip, Walker's role was limited for the remainder of the season simply because the players in front of him didn't miss any games. Obi Toppin played in all 82 games and Pascal Siakam appeared in the final 41 games after being acquired from Toronto in mid-January, which meant there simply weren't many openings for Walker to see the floor. The rookie played double-digit minutes just seven times in the second half of the season.

The good news for Walker was that while opportunities were limited in the NBA, he was able to get extended playing time throughout the season in the G League with the Indiana Mad Ants. Because the Pacers' G League affiliate relocated to Indianapolis from Fort Wayne, Walker had several opportunities to play G League games without having to make a drive or catch a flight, a convenience that allowed him at times to play a G League game in the afternoon and then be available off the bench for an NBA game that night.

Walker got to be a primary offensive option when he was with the Mad Ants and had some big nights, averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. Most importantly, Walker proved to be an efficient scorer, posting a .473 field goal percentage and a .380 3-point percentage while taking over seven threes per game.

In addition to his time with the Mad Ants, Walker also appeared in 33 regular season games with the Blue & Gold. He averaged just 10.3 minutes per game, but showed flashes on both ends of the skills that enticed the Pacers to draft him. While Indiana viewed him primarily as a power forward at this stage in his career, he demonstrated his ability to handle the ball and create for others on offense and his potential to guard multiple positions effectively on the other end with his length and athleticism. He also got a taste of the playoffs at the end of his rookie year, receiving limited minutes in nine of Indiana's 17 games during the Pacers' run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The most impressive development in Walker's rookie season was the emergence of his 3-point shot. Not only did he shoot the ball well in the G League, he also went 22-for-55 (40 percent) from beyond the arc in NBA games. Buchanan termed that development "a great surprise" that has expanded the franchise's view of Walker's positional fit, as they now feel confident he could play on the wing as well as the four spot.

While Walker didn't see a ton of minutes as a rookie, the Pacers envision his role expanding over the coming years. He's still very young — he won't turn 21 until September. And Indiana's roster could look different next fall, as both Siakam and Toppin are free agents this summer.

"Things have got to fall into place for a young player to get an opportunity," Buchanan said. "That didn't happen very often for Jarace (as a rookie), but that doesn't have anything to say about our belief in him long term.

"As we told him in his exit interview, (his) growth and development is a big component of us taking another step, whether that's immediately or a year or two down the round. We're still big believers in Jarace and think there's a lot of things that he can do that this roster needs."

June 3: Tyrese HaliburtonJune 4: Aaron NesmithJune 5: T.J. McConnellJune 6: Andrew NembhardJune 7: Myles TurnerJune 8: Ben SheppardJune 9: Jalen SmithJune 10: Pascal SiakamJune 11: Obi ToppinJune 12: Bennedict MathurinJune 13: Jarace WalkerJune 14: Isaiah JacksonJune 15: Doug McDermottJune 16: James JohnsonJune 17: Kendall Brown

player-review-2024-jarace-walker

Player Review 2024: Jarace Walker

Height: 6-3Weight: 200Position: PGCollege: IndianaAge: 24

2023-24 Season StatsPPG: 7.6RPG: 2.6APG: 2.8BLK: 0.3STL: 0.8

indiana-pacers-pre-draft-workouts-xavier-johnson-1-on-1-interview-june-13-2024

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Xavier Johnson 1-on-1 Interview (June 13, 2024)

2023-24 (Redshirt Senior+)• Team Captain• 1,825 career points at IU and PittLimited to 13 starts in 20 appearances due to foot and elbow injuries… averaged 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.8 steals in 25.6 minutes per game… shot 42.5% (48-of-113) from the floor, 36.7% (11-of-30) from the 3-point line, and 68.8% (44-of-64) from the free throw line… hit double figures in six games… Indiana finished 6-1 over his final seven appearances… finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist in the season-opening win over Florida Gulf Coast (Nov. 7)… totaled 19 points on 9-of-9 shooting from the free throw line against Army (Nov. 12) to go with five assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block ... registered nine points, one rebound, one assist, and one block against Wright State (Nov. 16)… compiled four points, one assist, and one steal against No. 5/4 UConn (Nov. 19)... put up 14 points, four rebounds, five assists, and one steal against Louisville (Nov. 20)... recorded three points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal against Harvard (Nov. 26)... recorded two rebounds, three assists, and one steal at Nebraska (Jan. 3)... tallied 18 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block against Ohio State (Jan. 6)... finished with two points, one rebound, two assists, and three steals at Rutgers (Jan. 9)... produced two points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal against Minnesota (Jan. 12)... added two rebounds, two steals, and one block against No. 2/2 Purdue (Jan. 16)... secured eight points, three rebounds, and two assists at No. 11/8 Wisconsin (1/19)... scored 14 points to go along with four rebounds, and two assists at No. 10/11 Illinois (Jan. 27)… recorded nine points, two rebounds, three assists, and one steal against Iowa (Jan. 30)... posted five points, one rebound, and one assist against Wisconsin (Feb. 27)... &nbsp;secured 13 points, three rebounds, six assists, and one steal at Maryland (March 3)... totaled two points, one rebound, five assists, and one steal at Minnesota (March 6)... registered three points, four rebounds, four assists, and one block against Michigan State (March 10)... posted four points, six rebounds, five assists, and one block against Penn State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament (March 14)... charted eight points, five rebounds, five assists, and one steal against Nebraska in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament (March 15).

2022-23 (Redshirt Senior)Started in all 11 games played… averaged 9.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game… suffered a season-ending foot injury at Kansas on Dec. 17... tallied four points, three assists, one rebound, and one steal in the season-opener against Morehead State (Nov. 7)… compiled seven points, six assists, four rebounds, and a steal in the win over Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 10)... scored 23 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal in the road win over Xavier (Nov. 18)… recorded seven points, five rebounds, and four assists in the victory over Miami (Ohio) (Nov. 20)... fell just short of a double-double with nine points and 10 assists to go along with four rebounds in the win over Little Rock (Nov. 23)... scored 16 points to go along with four assists, two rebounds, and two steals in the victory over Jackson State (Nov. 25)... tallied 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals in Indiana’s win over No. 18/15 North Carolina (Nov. 30)... recorded eight points, four assists, and four steals at Rutgers (Dec. 3)... compiled four points, four assists, and one steal in the win over Nebraska (Dec. 7)... charted an 11-point, 11-assist double-double against No. 10/9 Arizona in Las Vegas (Dec. 10)... dished out two assists to go along with one rebound and one steal at No. 8/6 Kansas (Dec. 17).2021-22 (Senior)• Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Media)• Third in Big Ten in assists (5.1), (5.0) in conference play• Ninth in Big Ten in free throw percentage (78.2), (78.3) in conference playStarted all 34 games played... finished second on the team averaging 12.1 points… led the team in assists (172) and steals (40)... second on the team in 3-point shooting (38.3%)... shot 78.2% from the line… second in free throws made with 115… averaged 14.2 points, 5.9 assists and shot 41.4% from long distance in the final 17 games of the season... had 14 points and three assists against EMU... had 13 points, three assists and two steals against NIU... had eight points, an assist and a steal against St. John’s... scored a bucket and had six assists against Louisiana... led the Hoosiers with 14 points and added seven boards and three assists against Jackson State... had a 20-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist and 5-steal night against Marshall... had four points and a season-high nine boards at Syracuse... posted eight points and six rebounds against Nebraska... made all six of his free throws...posted 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists at Wisconsin... notched nine points and four assists against Merrimack... had 11 points and three assists against Notre Dame... had eight points, five boards and five assists against NKU... posted nine points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals at Penn State... notched two points, four boards and three assists against Ohio State... finished with a team-high 14 points, three boards and five assists against Minnesota... had seven points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals at Iowa... notched nine points and five assists at Nebraska... helped carry the offense against Purdue with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal... had 14 points, six assists and three blocks against Michigan... finished with 19 points, six assists and four boards against Penn State... had right points, three rebounds and nine assists at Maryland... finished with 12 points, five boards and five assists against Illinois... had seven points, four assists and a blocked shot at Michigan State... had seven points, five rebounds and two assists against Wisconsin... finished with 16 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals at Ohio State... made 10-of-10 free throws... had a season-high 24 points against Maryland... made all seven field goal attempts, 7-of-8 free throws and all three 3-pointers... added six assists... led the Hoosiers with 24 points and eight assists in road win at Minnesota... added six boards and had just one turnover... made a season-high four 3’s... finished with 13 points, three boards, two assists and three steals against Rutgers... finished with a team-high 18 points and a career-high 12 assists at Purdue... added five boards and three steals... posted 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists against Michigan... had 13 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals against Illinois... finished with 20 points, nine assists and four rebounds against Iowa... averaged 16.7 points in the Big Ten Tournament... set the IU single Big Ten Tournament assist mark with 22...made 15-of-16 free throws and hit 5-of-11 triples... had 10 points, four rebounds and seven assists against Wyoming... finished with 11 points, five assists and two steals against Saint Mary’s.CAREER AT PITTAmassed 1,152 points, 311 rebounds, 415 assists and 124 steals in 84 career games at Pittsburgh... started 81 games … ranked sixth in the Pitt career record books with 4.7 assists per game… first Pitt player to surpass 750 career points and 300 career assists as a sophomore… scored in double figures in 66 of 84 career games... recorded 15 games with 20 or more points scoring, including two 30-point efforts… posted five double-digit assist games ... dished out five or more assists in 45 contests.2020-21 (Junior - Pitt)Averaged 14.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 18 games, making 16 starts… shot 42.6% (80-of-188) from the field and 78.7% (70-of-89) from the free throw line… led the team in assists with 103… scored in double digits in 13-of-18 games… ranked second in the ACC in assists per game, third in assists, sixth in free throw percentage and 13th in scoring… had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists against Florida State… scored 14 points and added three assists against NC State… recorded 13 points with four assists against Virginia Tech… had 10 points with seven assists and four boards against Virginia… put up a career-high 32 points on 11-for-17 shooting while adding seven assists and five rebounds in a victory against Virginia Tech… scored 14 points with eight assists and three boards against Wake… set a season-high with 11 assists, while also adding nine points and three rebounds against Duke… had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds while going a perfect 13-for-13 from the charity stripe against Syracuse… registered 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting with four assists and three boards against Gardner-Webb… scored 21 points, knocking down five 3-pointers, and added seven rebounds and four assists at Northwestern… had 15 points, seven assists, three boards and two steals against Northern Illinois… poured in 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals against Drexel… opened the season with 10 assists, nine points and five rebounds against St. Francis.2019-20 (Sophomore - Pitt)Averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game while starting 32-of-33 games... shot 37.3% (123-of-330) from the field, including 33.0% (31-of-94) from three-point range... also shot 76.1% (108-of-142) from the foul line… shared the team lead with 23 double-figure scoring games, including a pair of 20+ point games… led the team in scoring six times and in assists in 21 games… had five or more assists in a game 19 times ... added 17 games with two or more steals… recorded a team-high 24 offensive fouls drawn… one of four players in the ACC averaging at least 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game… finished sixth in the ACC with 4.94 assists per game... also ranked among the league leaders in steals (t-sixth - 1.76 spg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (13th - 1.47:1)… had 15 points, a career-high eight rebounds and two steals in the second round of the ACC Tournament against NC State… delivered 10 points, five rebounds, eight assists and three steals in an ACC Tournament win over Wake Forest… had 13 points and three assists at NC State… scored 16 points to go along with four assists and a career-high six steals against Virginia… recorded 12 points, four rebounds, seven assists and five steals at Florida State… had 11 points and four rebounds at Virginia Tech… posted 11 points, three steals and seven assists with no turnovers in a win over Georgia Tech… registered 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals at Notre Dame… finished with 13 points, six assists and three steals in a win over Miami… dished out 10 assists in a win over Boston College for his third career double digit assist game... added nine points and four rebounds… scored 20 points in a home win over UNC going 10-of-12 from the foul line ... added six rebounds, six assists and two steals… had 11 points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals versus Louisville… recorded 17 points, three rebounds and three assists in a road win over North Carolina… had 11 points, four rebounds and six assists against Wake Forest… posted 16 points, eight assists and four steals in a win over Canisius… tallied 11 points, four rebounds and three assists versus Northern Illinois… went 6-of-10 from the field and scored 15 points at Louisville… scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field to go along with eight assists in a win over Rutgers… named to the Fort Myers Tip-Off all-tournament team after averaging 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in wins over Kansas State and Northwestern… finished with 11 points, four rebounds and eight assists in the title game against Northwestern… went 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in a 12-point effort against Kansas State… had 13 points, three rebounds, six assists and four steals versus Arkansas Pine Bluff… scored 15 points and added three rebounds and nine assists against Monmouth… had seven points, six rebounds and seven assists in a road win over Robert Morris… recorded 10 points, five rebounds and three assists versus Nicholls State… opened the season with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals in a win over Florida State.2018-19 (Freshman - Pitt)• All-ACC Freshman Team• ACC Honor RollStarted all 33 games played... averaged 15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game... shot 41.5% (159-of-383) from the field, 35.2% (37-of-105) from 3-point range and 75.1% (157-of-209) from the free throw line… led the team in field goals made (159), free throws made (157), free throw attempts (209), points (512), points per game (15.5) and assists (149)... finished second on the team with 43 steals… led the ACC in free throws made (157)... ranked fifth in the conference in assists (149) and assists per game (4.5 apg)... ranked top-15 in the conference in points per game (15.5 ppg)… began his career with 18 straight double-digit games, the longest such streak by a freshman in Pitt history… ended the year with 28 double-digit performances... scored 20 points or more nine times during the season, including one 30-point game… only player in the ACC to average at least 15.0 points and 4.5 assists per game… led Pitt to an ACC Tournament win with 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals against Boston College… recorded 10 points, six assists, five rebounds and one steal against Notre Dame… had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists at Miami… registered 14 points, two rebounds and two assists against Clemson… scored 14 points to go with six assists and two rebounds at Georgia Tech… went 5-of-9 from the field for 18 points and recorded five assists against No. 22 Virginia Tech… dropped 17 points to go with five rebounds against NC State… recorded 23 points, six rebounds and nine assists at Wake Forest… posted 14 points, five rebounds and six assists against Syracuse... was 9-of-12 from the free throw line… went 10-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc, to score 30 points at Clemson... also recorded four rebounds and two steals… scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists at Syracuse... went 3-of-5 from three-point range... recorded the 18th consecutive game double-figure scoring game to start his career… dropped 18 points in a win over Florida State... was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw stripe… had 25 points and two assists at NC State... went 8-of-12 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line… recorded his second double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 assists in an ACC win over Louisville… had 14 points and three rebounds against North Carolina… tallied 11 points, six assists and four rebounds against Colgate… went 3-of-5 from behind the three-point line and 5-of-9 from the field for 21 points against New Orleans... also recorded six assists in the game… registered 12 points and four assists in a win over Maryland Eastern Shore… scored 21 points to go with six rebounds and two steals at West Virginia... went 10-of-11 from the foul line… went 3-of-5 from behind the arc and finished with 19 points against Niagara... added three assists and three steals… finished with 10 points, four rebounds and five assists against Duquesne… dropped 18 points with six assists and four rebounds at Iowa… scored 20 points against Saint Louis... went 6-of-11 from the field and 7-of-8 from the foul line… recorded 23 points, four rebounds and three assists in a win over North Alabama… tallied 12 points with four rebounds and three assists over Central Arkansas… posted 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists against Troy… recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 assists in a win over VMI… dropped 16 points with five rebounds and six assists over Youngstown State.Prep/PersonalPlayed at Bishop O’Connell for head coach Joe Wooten... finished high school career with 1,034 points… led Bishop O’Connell to a 30-9 record and No. 5 state ranking as a senior... averaged 18.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game… led the team to championship game appearances in the Virginia Independent Schools State Tournament and Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament… received Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors... also named first team All-Metro by&nbsp;Washington Post… a 2018 McDonald’s All-American nominee… named first team all-state by the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association… selected Most Outstanding Player at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament… born on Oct. 14, 1999… son of Michael and La’Kesha Johnson... has two brothers, Chaleb and Lathan, and a sister, Mya... cousin, Larry Gibson, played for the Hoosiers from 1969-71.

xavier-johnson-2024-draft-prospect

Xavier Johnson: 2024 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-11Weight: 240Position: CCollege: West VirginiaAge: 24

2023-24 Season StatsPPG: 15.0RPG: 8.0APG: 1.2BLK: 1.7STL: 0.6

indiana-pacers-pre-draft-workouts-jesse-edwards-1-on-1-interview-june-13-2024

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Jesse Edwards 1-on-1 Interview (June 13, 2024)

Player BioCourtesy of West Virginia Athletics

jesse-edwards-2024-draft-prospect

Jesse Edwards: 2024 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-5Weight: 190Position: SGCollege: KentuckyAge: 23

2023-24 Season StatsPPG: 20.2RPG: 4.2APG: 1.6BLK: 0.2STL: 0.7

indiana-pacers-pre-draft-workouts-antonio-reeves-1-on-1-interview-june-13-2024

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Antonio Reeves 1-on-1 Interview (June 13, 2024)

2023-24 (FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR)The Sporting News: All-America Third Team … USBWA All-America Third Team … All-SEC First Team by the coaches and media … Jerry West Award Top 5 … Wooden Award Finalist … College Hoops Today (Rothstein) All-America Third Team … ESPN All-America Third Team …&nbsp; USBWA All-District 20 Team … Averaged 20.2 points per game, the most ever by a UK player under John Calipari … Started all 33 games for the Wildcats, averaging a team-high 31.4 minutes per game … Finished the year shooting 51.2% from the field, 44.7% from 3-point range and 86.3% from the foul line, all career-best marks … Only Power 5 player and one of just three in Division I shooting at least 50% from the field, 44% from 3 and 86% from the charity stripe … Scored in double figures in 32 of 33 games this season, including 20 games with at least 20 points scored … Just the second UK player under Calipari to have 20-plus career 20-or-more scoring efforts in his career, joining Oscar Tshiebwe … Scored 1,155 points in two seasons at Kentucky, the second most in a two-year span at UK behind Bill Spivey with 1,213 … Made 84 threes on the season, becoming just the second player in program history to have two seasons with 80 or more 3-pointers made … Led the team in scoring 15 times this season, while also notching 15 games with three of more 3s made … Tallied a team high 27-points in NCAA Tournament vs. Oakland … Dropped 27 points in road win at No. 4 Tennessee, his seventh-straight game scoring 20 or more points … It was the longest streak of 20-point efforts by a UK player since Jamal Murray had 12-straight in 2016 … Was named AP Player of the Week and SEC Player of the Week following his performance at Tennessee … Scored 22 points vs. Arkansas while going 8 for 10 from the field, his most efficient shooting performance of the season … Became the 62nd player in program history to score 1,000 points at Kentucky, crossing the mark with his 25-point showing at LSU … Team-high 22 points in road win at No. 13 Auburn, including 13 in the second half …&nbsp; Tied career-high with six made 3s at Vanderbilt, scoring 24 points and grabbing six rebounds in the win …&nbsp; Crossed the 2,000-point milestone for his collegiate career with 21 points against Georgia … Paced the team with 27 points and a season-high nine made free throws at home against Mississippi State … Scored a season-high 30 points at Louisville, the most by a UK player vs. UofL in the Calipari era, earning MVP by the Bluegrass Sports Commission … He was just the fourth UK player ever to score 30 or more against Louisville and the fourth Kentucky player under Calipari to have multiple games of 30 or more points … Led the team with 24 points and a career-high eight rebounds vs. Kansas … May 2024 graduate.

2022-23 (SENIOR)Named Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year … Saw action in all 34 games, making 14 starts …. Ranked second on the team with 14.4 points per game, while making a team-high 80 3-pointers … The 80 makes are the 12th most in a single season in UK history … Shot 39.8% from deep … Had four 20-plus-point performances off of the bench, the most in John Calipari’s tenure … Scored in double figures in 26 contests, including 10 20-point games … Poured in a game-high 22 points in the NCAA Tournament win over Providence … Scored a career-high 37 points on 12 of 17 from the field and a perfect 11 for 11 from the free-throw line in win at Arkansas … Posted a team-high 22 points and added a pair of steals in the SEC Tournament vs. Vanderbilt … Poured in 21 points, connecting on 4 of 7 from deep, in win over Auburn … Scored 16 points and added a season-high four assists in the win at Florida … Went for 20 points and a season-high-tying six boards while playing all 40 minutes at Georgia … Had 27 points, six 3-pointers and a season-high two steals in the win at Ole Miss … Scored 10 points and dished out a season-high-tying three assists against No. 9 Kansas … Poured in a game-high 23 points, including five 3-pointers, in win against Texas A&M … Scored a team-high 18 points, connecting on all eight free throws in win at No. 5 Tennessee … Scored a game-high 20 points while pulling down four boards at Alabama … Had 11 points, including three first-half 3-pointers in the win over Michigan … Led the team with 18 points in the win against Bellarmine … Scored a team-high-tying 20 points and added a season-best six boards in the win over North Florida … Charted a team-high 18 points with four 3s against Duquesne … Led the Cats with 22 points in season-opener against Howard, including going 6 of 12 from deep, the most made threes for a UK player in their debut.

2021-22 (at Illinois State)Started all 33 games … Averaged 20.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game … Had 662 points in 33 games which was the fourth-most in Redbirds’ history … He was the first Illinois State player to average at least 20 points per game in a season since 2001 … Named to the Missouri Valley Conference Second Team and was a team captain on the ALL-MVC Most Improved Team … Also a member of the All-District 16 team from the National Association of Basketball Coaches … Scored in double figures in 31 of 33 games … Had 18 games with 20 or more points, which was tied for the sixth-most in program history … Finished the season ranking 19th among all Division I scorers with 20.1 points per game … Had a career-high 34 points with five 3-pointers against Valparaiso … Was an efficient scorer, making 47% of his shots from the field, 39% from 3-point range and 82% from the free-throw line.

2020-21 (at Illinois State)Played in 25 games during the season with 24 starts … Averaged 12.4 points per game, second-most on the team and 13th-most in the Missouri Valley Conference, and ninth-most among returnees for the 2021-22 season … Scored in double-figures 19 times during the year, including each of the last five games … Scored a career-high 27 points at Drake, making 8-of-16 shots from the field, 3 of 5 from long range, and 8 of 9 from the charity stripe … For the year he made 110-of-259 shots (42.5%) from the field and 33 of 108 (30.6%) from beyond the arc … Pulled down 82 rebounds (3.3 per game) with 36 assists (1.4 per game) and also had nine steals … His season-high of seven rebounds came in the season opener against Ohio State … Scored 20 or more points three times … Had 21 against Evansville, notched 27 points in the series opener against Drake, and also 20 points in the series finale against Drake.

2019-20 (at Illinois State)&nbsp;Was named to the MVC All-Bench Team … Averaged 7.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game during the season … Played in 31 games with a trio of starts … Scored in double-figures 10 times during the season, including a season-high 17 points against Missouri State … Had 16 points against Missouri State and against Drake … Pulled down a season-high seven rebounds against Drake … Had two assists in seven games … Made 81-of-211 shots from the field during the season, and 33 of 105 from beyond the arc.

HIGH SCHOOLWas a three-star prospect out of Simeon High School in Chicago … Averaged 21.7 points, six boards and three assists per game … Was an All-City Second-Team selection … Began his high school career at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix … Played for Mike Bibby at Shadow Mountain and the squad went 25-2 overall and captured a state title … Averaged 14.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during the state title season … Had a 3.0 grade-point average.

PERSONALBorn Nov. 20 in Chicago … Parents are Dawn Coulter and Anthony Reeves … Has four siblings, Anthony Marshall, Alexis, Malik and Angelic … Major is communication … He chose No. 12 because he’s been wearing it since his freshman season … Father is his life’s greatest influence … Lists Bad Boys as his favorite movie … Pregame playlist consists of hip hop music … Favorite former UK player is Tyler Herro … Off the court talent is drawing.

antonio-reeves-2024-draft-prospect

Antonio Reeves: 2024 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-9Weight: 275Position: PFCollege: NC StateAge: 23

2023-24 Season StatsPPG: 12.9RPG: 4.0APG: 2.9BLK: 0.6STL: 0.4

indiana-pacers-pre-draft-workouts-d-j-burns-jr-1-on-1-interview-june-13-2024

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: DJ Burns Jr. 1-on-1 Interview (June 13, 2024)

2022-23 – Senior Season (at NC State):&nbsp;Honorable Mention All-ACC team selection … Appeared in 34 games, making 22 starts … Averaged 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game … Led team and ranked fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage, shooting 56.1 percent from the field … Led team in scoring eight times, in rebounding nine times, in assists three times, in steals nine times and in blocks 10 times … Scored in double figures 23 times, including four games over 20 points … Made program debut on 11/7 vs. Austin Peay and had a double-double in 18 minutes off the bench … Was 5-of-5 from the field for 10 points and added 10 rebounds in win over Governors … Made second start of the season on 12/10 at Miami and had 16 points and 8 rebounds … Had 18 points and nine rebounds in win over Vanderbilt on 12/17 … Scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half vs. the Commodores … Scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting in win over Duke on 1/4 … Had 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in win over Miami on 1/14 … Scored 18 points at North Carolina on 1/21 … Scored career-high 31 points in win at Wake Forest on 1/28 … Scored 23 of his 31 points in the second half … Scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds in win over Georgia Tech on 2/4 … Posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in win at Boston College on 2/11 … Scored 18 points in win over North Carolina on 2/19 … Had 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting in win over Wake Forest on 2/22.

2021-22 – Junior Season (at Winthrop):&nbsp;Named Big South Conference Player of the Year … Big South All-Conference First Team … Voted to the NABC All-District First Team … Named to the 2021-22 Lou Henson Player of the Year Mid-Season Watchlist … Big South Conference Player of the Week (12/27/21) … Set career-highs in points per game (15.0), rebounds per game (4.5), and field goal percentage (.626) … Led Big South in field goal percentage and was sixth in points per game … .626 field goal percentage ranked 9th in the NCAA … Reached 1,000 career points in just third season as an Eagle, becoming the fifth player in program history to do so before their senior season … 10th player to reach 1,000 points as an Eagle in three years or less … Became 27th player in program history with 1,000 points … Set career-high in points with 30 in season-opener vs. Mary Baldwin … Posted eight games of 20 or more points and a total of 26 games in double-figures … Posted his first collegiate double-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds vs. Charleston Southern … Posted 24 points along with nine rebounds to help the Eagles pull off an 82-74 win at Washington … Named the 2021-22 Big South Conference Preseason Player of the Year

2020-21 – Sophomore Season (at Winthrop):&nbsp;Finished third on the team in scoring with 10.1 ppg and was second in blocks (12) … Voted All-Big South South Honorable Mention … Voted to the 2021 Big South Conference All-Tournament Team … Named to the Wade Houston Tip-off All-Tourney Team … Posted double-figures in 12 games with a season-high 22 points on Feb. 18 at High Point and in the Big South title game vs. Campbell on Mar. 7 … Averaged 13.3 points, 4.0 rebounds while shooting 68 percent from the floor in the Big South Tournament (3 games) … Tied a career-high of three blocks on Jan. 10 vs. Gardner-Webb

2019-20 - Freshman Season (at Winthrop):&nbsp;Voted as the 2019-20 Big South Conference Freshman of the Year … Voted to the All-Big South Second Team … Named Big South Conference Freshman of the Week five times (tying program record) … Came off the bench and led the team in scoring with 16 points in the Big South Conference title game victory over Hampton … Finished the season with 394 points, second most in a single-season by a freshman in program history … Had a career-high 23 points as he was 11-of-14 from the floor at Charleston Southern … Previous career-high of 22 points (15 minutes) at Hampton (was just his 5th start of the season) … Broke the freshman record for field goals made in the win over Campbell (Feb. 6) and finished with 175 (44 ahead of the previous record) … Led the Big South in field goal percentage (.583) … Finished second on the team in scoring at 11.9 ppg (3rd best scoring average by a freshman in program history) … Was the only player in the Big South Conference to average double-figures while averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game

2018-19 Redshirt Season (at Tennessee):&nbsp;Enrolled at Tennessee in summer of 2018, but did not play in any games and transferred to Winthrop after season.

High School:&nbsp;Recorded over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his career at York Prep Academy … According to the 247Sports.com industry composite for the Class of 2018, Burns was rated as a four-star recruit and the third-ranked prospect in the state of South Carolina … Two prospects ranked ahead of him were Zion Williamson and Ja Morant (the Top 2 picks in the 2019 NBA Draft) … Named the nation’s 12th-ranked center and rated 103rd among all prospects by 247Sports.com.

dj-burns-2024-draft-prospect

DJ Burns: 2024 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-5Weight: 200Position: SGCollege: Morehead State

2023-24 Season StatsPPG: 12.3RPG: 4.3APG: 1.4BLK: 0.1STL: 0.7

indiana-pacers-pre-draft-workouts-kalil-thomas-1-on-1-interview-june-13-2024

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Kalil Thomas 1-on-1 Interview (June 13, 2024)

Player BioCourtesy of Morehead State Athletics

AS A JUNIOR (2022-23)Played in 33 games, starting in 24 of them... Averaged 7.8 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game... Shot .374 from three, which was second best on the team... Finished third on the team in free throw percentage (.733)... Recorded season-high 21 points against Georgia Southern.

PRIOR TO MSUWas a standout at UMass-Lowell for three seasons ... Was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame showcase in 2021 ... Hit 45 percent of his shots in three seasons for the River Hawks, averaging 9.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 2021-22 ...&nbsp;nailed better than 45 percent from three-point range in 2020-2021 ... Ranked second on the team with 53 assists in 2021-22 ... Three-time all-district selection as well as two-time all-metro at New Orleans Holy Cross High School ... scored 1,000 career points, averaging 16.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a senior ... Also received all-state honors following his senior season and was an all-star and Elite Team selection.

kalil-thomas-2024-draft-prospect

Kalil Thomas: 2024 Draft Prospect

Height: 6-7Weight: 220Position: SFCollege: BaylorAge: 23

2023-24 Season StatsPPG: 12.2RPG: 5.7APG: 1.4BLK: 0.6STL: 1.1

indiana-pacers-pre-draft-workouts-jalen-bridges-1-on-1-interview-june-13-2024

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Jalen Bridges 1-on-1 Interview (June 13, 2024)

A 6-foot-7, 220-pound transfer forward … 2024 All-Big 12 Third Team … 2024 Preseason All-Big 12 (Honorable Mention) … 2024 Julius Erving Preseason Top-20 … 2023 NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament Team … Started all 69 games in two seasons with the Bears ...&nbsp;Set a career-high with 32&nbsp;points on 9-14 shooting&nbsp;against Texas (3/4/24) ... Played 61 games and 52 starts over the last two seasons for the West Virginia … Was BU’s third leading scorer in the inaugural GLOBL JAM Tournament (9.8 PPG) … Scored in double figures in four of the five games at GLOBL JAM Averaged 7.3 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 45% from the floor with the Mountaineers … Named to the 2020-21 Big 12 All-Freshman Team … Led Fairmont Senior High School to four-straight state championship games, winning two. With the Polar Bears, he averaged 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 steals per game and was named captain of the Class AA Boys All-State Basketball First Team by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. In 2019, Bridges won the Bill Evans Award, given annually to the state player of the year in West Virginia.

2023-24 (Senior):&nbsp;All-Big 12 Third Team … Preseason All-Big 12 (Honorable Mention) … Julius Erving Preseason Top-20 … NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament Team … Started all 35 games for the Bears … Lone returning starter and only returner from the 2022-23 team that played 20+ minutes … Scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Colgate (3/22/24) … Recorded his second double double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds in the Big 12 Championship Semifinals (3/15/24) … Notched a new career high of 32 points on 6-of-7 shooting from three-point range to go along with nine rebounds in a win vs. UT... Bridges' .857 3-point percentage tied for the fifth best in program history (3/4/24) … Recorded his fourth career double-double and his second at Baylor with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against No. 2 Houston (2/24/24) … Scored a game-high 15 points and pulled down a team-high 8 rebounds against BYU (2/20/24) … Eclipsed the 1,000-career points with 12 points in a road win at UCF (1/31/24) … Found a rhythm with 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting against BYU, while also leading the Bears in rebounds (5) and blocks (1) (1/9/24) … Buried a team-high 16 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc against Northwestern State (12/2/23) … Named to the NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament team on the heels of a 23-point, 5 assist and 3 rebound performance against Florida (11/24/23) … Poured in a then-season high 14 points against Oregon State (11/22/23) … Had a team-high eight rebounds to go along with 13 points in season-opening win over Auburn (11/7/23).

2022-23 (Junior):&nbsp;Started all 34 games for the Bears ...&nbsp;Set a career-high 28 points on 10-11 shooting while setting a career-high and Big 12&nbsp;Tournament Record for 3-pt FG % (7-8, .875) against Iowa State (3/9) ... Notched a team-high 18 points and pulled down 8 rebounds and 4 blocks to push BU past No. 8 Texas (2/25) ... Scored a team-high 18 points and led the team with 8 rebounds and 1 block in his ninth straight double-digit game (2/4) ... Finished first on the team in rebounds per game (5.6) and fourth in points per game (10.3), both career-highs&nbsp;... Notched 18 double-figure scoring games, including a streak of nine&nbsp;(1/7 - 2/4) and two 20+ scoring games ... Improved field goal percentage from .428 to a career-high .506&nbsp;... Recorded career-high assists (35), turnovers (36), blocks (35), rebounds (192), and points (349).2021-22 (Sophomore, WVU):&nbsp;Bridges was the only player to start all 33 games for the Mountaineers … Finished second on the team in rebounds per game (4.6) and fourth in points per game (8.4) … Notched 11 double-figure scoring games … Bridges improved his free throw percentage from .714 in 2020-21 to .823 in 2021-22 … Had a stretch of 26-straight free throw makes over eight Big 12 games … Tied a career-high with 22 points against Oklahoma State (1/11) … Followed that up with 12 points and 11 rebounds at Kansas (1/15).

2020-21 (Freshman, WVU):&nbsp;Named to the 2021 Big 12 All-Freshman team … Averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds … Finished the season shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from three-point range, both of which would have put him among the top-5 in the Big 12 in both categories if he had enough 3-point makes to qualify.

High School:&nbsp;Led Fairmont Senior High School to four-straight state championship games, winning two … Averaged 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 steals per game … Named captain of the Class AA Boys All-State Basketball First Team by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association … In 2019, Bridges won the Bill Evans Award, given annually to the state player of the year in West Virginia.

jalen-bridges-2024-draft-prospect

Jalen Bridges: 2024 Draft Prospect

The Pacers will hold their fourth pre-draft workout in preparation for the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, June 13 at the Ascension St. Vincent Center.

The first workout group includes Jalen Bridges (Baylor), DJ Burns (North Carolina State), Jesse Edwards (West Virginia), Xavier Johnson (Indiana), Antonio Reeves (Kentucky), and Kalil Thomas (Morehead State).

PROSPECT BIOS: Bridges >> Burns >> Edwards >>   Johnson >>   Reeves >>   Thomas >>

The Pacers currently have three second-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft — the 36th, 49th, and 50th overall selections. New this year, the draft will be held over two nights. The first round will be on Wednesday, June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the second round will be on Thursday, June 27 at ESPN's Seaport District Studios in Manhattan.