Ben Sheppard

Wheat Hotchkiss

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Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard Arrive in Indiana

Pacers first round picks Jarace Walker & Ben Sheppard, as well as head coach Rick Carlisle and general manager Chad Buchanan speak to the media following the 2023 NBA Draft.

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Indiana Pacers: Jarace Walker And Ben Sheppard Introductory Press Conference (June 23, 2023)

Scouting the NBA Draft is a multi-year process and every prospect has their own unique journey to the league. Teams track a player's progress for years before ultimately picking them on draft night. There are so many unseen moments, games, and interactions along the way that play a part in a front office coming to the conclusion that "This is our guy."

The Pacers have been tracking Jarace Walker since he was a decorated high school recruit at IMG Academy and through his freshman season at the University of Houston. But it was his visit to Indiana weeks ago where he really formed a connection with the franchise, bonding with head coach Rick Carlisle over Italian food and jazz and then impressing in a pre-draft workout.

When Indiana scouts first noticed Ben Sheppard at the 2020 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, no one would have guessed that he would be an NBA draft pick. He was wrapping up a freshman season where he came off the bench and averaged 2.9 points per game. But with steady improvement over the next three years, Sheppard ultimately grew into a first round pick.

Their journeys couldn't be more different, but both Walker and Sheppard are now Pacers rookies. Indiana acquired Walker, who went eighth overall in last night's draft, in a trade to be finalized later. The Blue & Gold then selected Sheppard with the 26th overall pick, adding two more talented young pieces to an up-and-coming Indiana team.

They may have taken different paths to this point, but Walker and Sheppard share several qualities that are priorities for the Pacers: playmaking, defensive focus, and versatility, as well as high character.

"These were two guys we had targeted a long, long time ago," Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said at Walker and Sheppard's introductory press conference on Friday afternoon at the Ascension St. Vincent Center. "And to walk away with both of them last night felt like a huge, huge victory for us."

Walker's selection was likely confusing for Pacers fans that weren't following closely along on NBA Twitter on Thursday night. Indiana had the seventh overall pick and Walker seemed like a strong possibility for the Pacers when they went on the clock, but Indiana wound up selecting French guard Bilal Coulibaly.

Washington, picking next, then took Walker. But the Wizards were actually making the pick for the Pacers and Indiana had taken Coulibaly for the Wizards. A short while later, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced  that the two teams had agreed in principle to a trade to swap picks, with Indiana picking up future compensation in a deal to be finalized at a later date.

So while Walker briefly wore a Wizards hat, he was really a Pacer all along, which is exactly what he wanted.

It's hard to find a better fit for Walker than Indiana. The Pacers entered the offseason looking to make upgrades defensively, where they ranked 26th out of 30 teams last season in defensive rating, and to add talent at the power forward position, the one spot that they didn't have a true fit last year, often deploying undersized wings like Aaron Nesmith at the position.

Enter Walker, a physical specimen at 6-8, 240 pounds that Buchanan said Friday "looks like a linebacker" and was a valuable part of a top-five ranked defense as a true freshman at Houston.

"Jarace is a player we feel can guard multiple players, multiple positions," Buchanan said. "Very defensive-minded. As we got to know him in the pre-draft process, I think that's where he views himself, as a defender first, which is a great trait for what our team needs."

When Walker visited for an individual workout on June 7, the Pacers put his defense to the test, tasking him with guarding player development coach Jannero Pargo. Pargo is 43 now, but the 6-1 guard is an 11-year NBA veteran and still has plenty of game, creating quite the challenge for a bigger player like Walker to stick with him one-on-one.

Walker held his own with Pargo, in what Buchanan called "the sealer" in realizing that he was the right fit for the Pacers.

"I'm sure Jarace wanted to punch him by the end of the workout, but you saw his competitive juices come out," Buchanan said. "And I think at that point, we were like, 'This is our guy.'"

The night before that workout, Walker went out to dinner with Carlisle, assistant general manager Kelly Krauskopf, and Vice President of Basketball Operations Ted Wu. They took Walker to Iaria's, then Carlisle drove him back to the team facility to give him a tour. Walker said on Friday that they quickly developed a rapport, listening to jazz in the car as they drove around the city.

"Me and coach were kicking it for a little bit," Walker said. "So just the connection we kind of built in such a little time, I just felt like it was definitely the right city and the right place for me."

Walker is just 19 years old, but should fit right in with a talented young Pacers team that features 23-year-old All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and 21-year-old Bennedict Mathurin, a first-team All-Rookie selection last season. Walker could slot right in at power forward and provide a nice defensive compliment in the front court to center Myles Turner, one of the league's top rim protectors, while also adding different dimensions to what is already one of the NBA's best offenses.

Walker was the American Athletic Conference's Freshman of the Year last season, averaging 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on one of the best teams in the NCAA.

"I feel like we have a fast-paced team, get up and down the floor," Walker said. "High IQ guys, a lot of shot-makers. Obviously we've got great rim protectors in Myles (Turner) and Stix (Jalen Smith).

"I feel like we have a bunch of pieces. I feel like what I bring to the table is exactly what this team was missing. Just an extra defender, extra rebounder, extra shot creator. Just somebody that brings a little bit of everything to the table."

Walker isn't wasting any time getting ready for his rookie season. Carlisle revealed that Buchanan texted him Friday morning saying that Walker had asked if he could work out in the afternoon after his press conference.

"I think we can oblige you on that," Carlisle quipped.

Sheppard visited Indiana for his own pre-draft workout the day after Walker. He competed in a group workout that included decorated college guards like Kansas State's Markquis Nowell, UCLA's Tyger Campbell, and Kansas' Jalen Wilson.

Sheppard may have played in more obscurity at Belmont, but he developed into a true NBA prospect over the past three years. He took on a larger role each year, becoming a starter and averaging 10.5 points as a sophomore, taking on a primary scoring role and averaging 16.2 points as a junior, and then enjoying his best year as a senior, when he averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

The 6-6 wing is an outstanding shooter who grew more efficient even as his role increased each season. He shot 27.9 percent from 3-point range as a freshman, 32.8 percent as a sophomore, 37.1 percent as a junior, and 41.5 percent as a senior.

The 21-year-old Sheppard is a versatile player who can play either wing position and even handled the point at times in college. The combination of his shooting prowess and his ability to guard multiple positions have had Pacers scouts "pounding the table on (Sheppard) for two years" according to Buchanan.

"He's kind of a little off the radar maybe to some people, but he's a player that's got better and better with each year at Belmont," Buchanan said. "A guy that just moves without the ball, knows how to play without the ball, is a high-level shooter."

Like Walker, Sheppard said he felt an instant connection during his pre-draft visit with the Pacers. When he got the call that he was headed to Indiana, it felt like it was meant to be.

"It's still surreal," Sheppard said. "It still hasn't really hit me yet. But throughout this whole process, I just tried to prove myself in any workout and whenever there was eyes on me. I knew in my workout with Indiana that this is an organization that I'd love to play for."

Culturally, Sheppard and Walker both seem like ideal fits in an already tight-knit Pacers locker room. Haliburton's energetic personality and overt love for the game have set the foundation there and Walker -- with his mention of "good vibes" -- and Sheppard -- with a million-watt grin that was voted "Best Smile" in his high school yearbook -- are seemingly solid additions.

"They just have an infectious spirit when they play," Carlisle said. "...(These are) the kind of players that we're adding to this organization. Guys that love the game, that play the game with a pure heart, with an infectious spirit, and that are versatile and just have fun playing the game of basketball."

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Walker, Sheppard Ideal Fits in Indiana, On the Court and Off

PACERS ALSO SELECT BEN SHEPPARD WITH&nbsp;THE&nbsp;26TH&nbsp;OVERALL PICK AND ISAIAH WONG WITH&nbsp;THE&nbsp;55TH&nbsp;OVERALL PICK; ACQUIRE DRAFT RIGHTS TO MOJAVE KING

 INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to forward Jarace (JARE-us) Walker, the 8th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, as part of a trade to be finalized later that involves the Washington Wizards.

While at the University of Houston, Walker was named the AAC Rookie of the Year and was voted to the All-AAC Second Team after averaging 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game on 47% shooting from the floor.&nbsp;

Additionally, the Pacers selected&nbsp;guard&nbsp;Ben Sheppard with the 26th&nbsp;overall pick and&nbsp;guard&nbsp;Isaiah Wong with the 55th&nbsp;overall pick.&nbsp;In a separate trade, the Indiana Pacers also acquired the draft rights to guard Mojave King, the 47th&nbsp;overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.&nbsp;

Sheppard completed his career at Belmont with back-to-back All-MVC First Team honors after averaging 18.8 points on 48% shooting from the field and 42% from three-point range during his senior season. Wong, the ACC Player of the Year, led the University of Miami in scoring at 16.2 points per game while leading the Hurricanes to their first ever Final Four appearance.&nbsp;&nbsp;King, a New Zealand native, played in 30 games with the G League Ignite and averaged 25.1 minutes per game, 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 41.3 percent from the floor.

Walker will wear #1 and Sheppard will wear #26 with the Pacers.

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Indiana Pacers Agree in Principle to Acquire Draft Rights to Jarace Walker

Jordan Morey

As it turned out, Jarace Walker’s first pre-draft workout was the most consequential.The University of Houston forward visited the Indiana Pacers on June 7 for an individual session to meet with the franchise ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. During his time in the Circle City, Walker impressed both on and off the court; propelling himself to the top of the organization’s list leading up to draft day.As the picks fell into place on Thursday night in New York City, the Pacers got the man they wanted by the time they were on the board. In a trade still to be finalized, Indiana agreed in principle to acquire Walker after swapping the seventh overall pick, Bilal Coulibaly of France, to the Washington Wizards for Walker at eighth.

“I was super excited,” Walker said. “Just to know where I’m going, just to take that deep breath. The butterflies let loose. I was definitely happy.”

This summer, the Pacers worked out 62 different players in Indianapolis leading up to the draft. From the start, a special connection formed between the 19-year-old from Baltimore and the Pacers staff.

“It was my first visit, but I feel like it was one of my better ones for sure,” Walker said. “Just being able to show them my versatility, what I could bring to them immediately, just having an immediate impact, ready to go from the jump. I definitely felt like it could be a good fit."&nbsp;

The American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and All-AAC Second Team member averaged 11.2 points per game on 46.5 percent shooting (34.7 percent 3-point range), 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. Walker is the first Houston player to be selected in the top 10 since Hakeem Olajuwon went first overall in 1984.

In his lone season at Houston, Walker helped lead the Cougars to a 33-4 record which included an AAC regular season championship and helping UH to the Sweet 16.

Walker, 6-foot-8 and 248 pounds, showed advanced defensive skills and versatility during his time with the Cougars. Thanks to his physical attributes, which includes a 7-3 wingspan, Walker has the ability to play at both the power forward position or as center in a small-ball lineup, and switch onto guards as needed. He also has a 38-inch vertical, the second-best mark of any big man who took part in testing before the draft.

Already considered a high-level shotblocker, Walker will get to work with veteran center Myles Turner, who has the second-most blocks in Pacers franchise history and has led the league in swats twice.&nbsp;

Walker could make an immediate impact on the Pacers’ defense. On the defensive end, the Pacers ranked 29th in opponent points of second chances and were 26th in defensive rating, according to NBA.com.

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Jarace Walker Media Availability (June 22, 2023) | Indiana Pacers

On offense, Walker has been praised for his playmaking ability – especially in transition – offensive rebounding and midrange game. He will benefit from the playmaking ability – including in the pick and roll – with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton.“I feel like I definitely fit in with the group, just being able to defend multiple positions, keep the ball in front of me, protect the rim, play passing lanes, get steals,” Walker said.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Walker has the chance to be a “special” player at the four with the skills he’s bringing to Indiana.“He’s a guy that’s almost impossible not to like when you watch him play," Carlisle said. "His defense is very very good, his rebounding is very good; those are areas where we need to improve. He played in a great system at the University of Houston for Kelvin Sampson … whose teams are always known for hard, unselfish play.”

During pre-draft interviews, Walker said he felt like he wanted to continue improving on his outside shot, and felt like he would fit in “perfect” with the Pacers thanks to his size and playing style.

“In a league where defensive versatility (and) the ability to switch and contain is so important, we believe he can do that,” Carlisle said. “And then offensively, there’s a chance here that he could really evolve into a special kind of four man in this league. A guy that can rebound it and take it coast to coast and make plays and finish at the rim and do all that stuff."

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Rick Carlisle Media Availability (June 22, 2023) | Indiana Pacers

With the 26th overall pick, the Pacers selected wing Ben Sheppard from Belmont University.In his senior season, Sheppard, 21, averaged 18.8 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting (41.5 percent 3-point), 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Sheppard was First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference as a senior and First Team All-Mountain Valley Conference in his junior season.

The Atlanta&nbsp;native is listed at 6-6 and 190 pounds, is a highly efficient shooter from both close and long range, and was a three-year starter at Belmont and a finalist for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award in 2023 which is given to the most outstanding mid-major college basketball player. He is only the third player from Belmont ever drafted to the NBA.

Since the end of his final collegiate season, Sheppard boosted his stock with a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine. In the first game of the draft combine, Sheppard led all scorers with 25 points (8-for-10 shooting) in his final scrimmage in Chicago.

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Ben Sheppard One-on-One Interview (June 8, 2023)

Sheppard came to Indianapolis on June 8 and worked out for the Pacers, and Carlisle said that during his workout the prospect “showed out” on both ends of the floor.

“He’s a unique prospect in that he has length, he has quickness, he has really good ball skills,” Carlisle said. “It appears to me that he could play some point guard in a pinch, but his natural position is two and three. But that kind of versatility is very important in today’s game.”

Carlisle has high hopes for both first round picks.&nbsp;

"These are the kind of guys we want to build this roster and this organization with, so we're really thrilled with the first round,” he said.

Indiana finished 11th in the Eastern Conference last season with a record of 35-47, missing the postseason for a second straight season. The Pacers last made the Play-In Tournament in 2021 and haven’t earned a playoffs berth since finishing fourth in the East 2020.

Concluding the night’s picks for Indiana, the Pacers selected University of Miami guard Isaiah Wong with the 55th overall pick.

After earning Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year honors, the fourth-year junior made headlines in March by helping lead the Hurricanes to the program’s first Final Four.

In his final season at Miami, Wong played in 37 total games and averaged 16.2 points on 44.5 percent shooting (38.4 percent 3-point), 83 percent from the free throw line, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game. The high-scoring guard with a motor worked out for the Pacers on May 31.

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Isaiah Wong One-on-One Interview (May 31, 2023)

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Pacers Add Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard in 2023 NBA Draft

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle speaks with media following the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. Pacers draft coverage is presented by NerdWallet.

Group pre-draft workouts always create an interesting dynamic, with six prospects -- all with their own unique journeys to professional basketball -- coming together for essentially one practice session with hopes of impressing an NBA team.

That naturally creates a competitive environment, but there was something in particular about Thursday's group of prospects that auditioned for the Pacers' brass at the Ascension St. Vincent Center that seemed to bring out the best in one another.

The combination of established college stars with a winning pedigree (UCLA's Tyger Campbell, Kansas State's Markquis Nowell, and Kansas' Jalen Wilson) with players that have turned heads during the pre-draft process (G League Ignite's Sidy Cissoko, Belmont's Ben Sheppard, and Clemson's Hunter Tyson) created a fun dynamic.

"This workout definitely had more talent it," Nowell told the media afterwards. "We got guys like Jalen Wilson, Tyger, Sid. You got guys that played at a high level in college. This is probably one of the most (fun) ones because you've got guys like that. It was a good group because we all competed, but also showed that respect for one another to dap each other up and root for each other."

"Once I saw the list, I knew it'd be fun," Sheppard added.

Nowell is probably the name most familiar to casual college basketball fans after his sensational showing in this year's NCAA Tournament. The diminutive 5-7 guard dazzled while leading Kansas State to the Elite Eight, averaging 23.5 points and 13.5 assists over four tournament games.

Nowell's star shined the brightest on the big stage of Madison Square Garden. The Harlem native tallied 20 points, a tournament-record 19 assists, and five steals in a Sweet Sixteen win over Michigan State, then followed that up with 30 points, 12 assists, and five steals in his final collegiate game two days later against Florida Atlantic.

"It was so surreal because you've got tons of family in the arena calling your name and then you've got celebrities like Carmelo (Anthony) coming out showing you love and Spike Lee," Nowell said of his magical March.

Despite his performance in the tournament, Nowell's name doesn't appear in many mock drafts. That's nothing new for the undersized guard, who has been overlooked and underestimated his whole life because of his height.

While Nowell is small and older than most prospects (he spent five years in college between Little Rock and Kansas State and will turn 24 on Christmas), he does possess the attributes that teams covet in backup point guards. He plays with energy and grit, is a capable playmaker (he finished last season second in the country in assists at 8.3 per game), a tenacious on-ball defender (averaging 2.6 steals per night as a senior), and a fearless competitor.

"I feel like I have different intangibles I can bring to a team, just from my leadership, from my winning mindset, and (my ability) to defend and compete at a high level," Nowell said. "This game is not hard when you give it all you've got every single day. So I just feel like if I can bring that winning mindset and that fierce, tough New York City point guard-type mindset, it would definitely help an NBA team."

Nowell has spent a lot of time studying other undersized guards that have carved out a niche in the NBA, players like Muggsy Bogues, Spud Webb, Kemba Walker, and Jose Alvarado. He can also look at someone like Pacers guard T.J. McConnell, who went undrafted but proved to be a valuable NBA guard thanks to the combination of his effort and work ethic.

Despite his strong showing in the tournament, Nowell was the only player of the six at Thursday's workout that did not get invited to the combine last month. That doesn't faze him, though. He has relished the chance to compete with any and all comers in workouts.

His performance in Madison Square Garden cemented his status as a March Madness legend, but Nowell is hoping to not be the basketball version of a one-hit wonder.

"I got bigger goals than just being in March," Nowell said. "That's the momentum that I want to keep building on. March definitely was good to me. So now I'm just trying to elevate and get better."

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Markquis Nowell One-on-One Interview (June 8, 2023)

The two prospects from Thursday's group considered to have the best chance of being drafted in the first round are Cissoko and Sheppard.

Cissoko, a 6-8 wing from France, was the first European player ever to sign with G League Ignite, the NBA's developmental team that competes against G League competition. On Ignite, Cissoko played alongside likely top-three pick Scoot Henderson and projected first-round selection Leonard Miller, who worked out for the Pacers last week.

Cissoko averaged 12.8 points and 3.6 assists over 28 games in the G League this season, where he often matched up with professional players 10 years his senior. While Cissoko said it was intimidating at first competing against older competition with years of professional experience, it ultimately accelerated his development.

"Everyone wants to play against us," he said. "We're like the team that they want to kill every time. It's tough. You've got a lot of pressure at the beginning because a lot of scouts are coming and everything and only our games are on ESPN and everything."

Cissoko's best attribute is his versatility. Though he played the guard positions, Ignite often deployed him at power forward. Cissoko said he feels comfortable guarding four positions. He has a nearly 6-10 wingspan and a 35-inch vertical according to combine testing.

He displayed some playmaking ability last season with his assist total. Teams will want to see growth from him as a shooter (he converted just 30.4 percent of his 3-point attempts), though he said he has grown more comfortable over time with the 3-point line, which is farther away from the basket in the NBA/G League than what he was accustomed to in Europe.

Cissoko is a part of inarguably the best draft class of French prospects ever. Victor Wembanyama is a virtual certainty to be the number one pick in the draft and fellow Frenchmen Bilal Coulibaly and Rayan Rupert give France a potential four first-round selections.

Cissoko keeps close tabs on his fellow countrymen and is in frequent contact with his old Ignite teammates as they all prepare for the draft.

"We have a group chat," he said about Henderson, Miller, and his other Ignite teammates. "We're still talking even though we're not a team anymore. But we're still a family."

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Sidy Cissoko One-on-One Interview (June 8, 2023)

Sheppard has been rising up draft boards after a strong showing at the combine, where he scored 35 points over two scrimmages, dropping 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting (3-of-5 from 3-point range) in his second game.

The 6-6 guard may not be a household name to many college basketball fans, but he had quite the career at Belmont. Sheppard averaged 16.2 points per game on nearly 50 percent shooting as a junior in 2021-22, then was even better last season, when he averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals.

Sheppard is known first and foremost for his shooting and he got better each year in college even as he increased the volume of his attempts. Sheppard's 3-point percentage improved from .279 as a freshman to .328 as a sophomore to .371 as a junior and finally .415 on six attempts per game as a senior.

"Super versatile, both on the defensive and offensive side," Sheppard said of his game. "I feel like I can do a lot. Most people know me as a shooter, 3-and-D type guy, but I think I'm more than that."

Coming from a mid-major, Sheppard is used to being overlooked, but is starting to get the attention he always craved.

"I feel like I've flown under the radar most of my life honestly in basketball," he told the media on Thursday.

"Just constantly improving myself," he added in his one-on-one interview with Pacers.com. "I play with a chip on my shoulder and I try to let that show in places like the combine and workouts like today."

Sheppard would be just the third player from Belmont to be drafted, joining Indianapolis native and Perry Meridian graduate Dylan Windler (taken by the Cavaliers with the 26th pick in 2019) and Joe Gaines, a sixth-round pick by Portland in 1972.

No player in Thursday's workout accomplished more at the collegiate level than Wilson, who helped lead Kansas to a national championship as a junior in 2022. He tested the draft waters at that time, but elected to return to school, where he blossomed into one of the nation's best players as a senior, averaging 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds and was named a consensus first-team All-American and won the Julius Erving Award presented to the country's best small forward.

The 6-7, 230-pound Wilson acknowledged on Thursday that he will be asked to take on a different role at the next level. His .316 3-point percentage in college is one area where NBA teams will want to see growth, but Wilson hopes he can make an impact with his defense and rebounding.

He also believes that his four years of experience playing at the highest level of college basketball help him stand out when compared to younger players from other programs.

"The NBA, all the stakes are high every single day," Wilson said. "And being at a place like Kansas, the stakes are high every single game there. People were gunning at us every single day. I just think it prepared me for a lot of different things that the NBA brings as far as the pressure."

Wilson's college teammate, Christian Braun, has emerged as an invaluable contributor for the Nuggets this summer in their run to the NBA Finals. Wilson is hopeful his shared pedigree can allow him to make a similar impact at the next level.

"A winner," Wilson said when asked what the team that drafts him will be getting. "A guy that's going to come in and compete. Mature leader and just a voice, a guy that's going to come in and want to embrace the culture and improve wherever we're at and just go out and win."

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Jalen Wilson One-on-One Interview (June 8, 2023)

Nowell's presence created a bit of an unusual dynamic for Tyger Campbell, who is used to being the smallest player on the floor. That wasn't the case on Thursday, but the 5-11 Campbell is facing many of the same questions as his even shorter counterpart.

"I think just my toughness," Campbell said about how he can help NBA teams despite his shorter stature. "I'm willing to pretty much do anything to get the job done. And I think that at this level, teams like guys like that."

Campbell put together quite the career at UCLA, finishing second on the program's all-time assists chart. He was an instrumental part in the Bruins' surprise run from the First Four to the Final Four in the 2021 NCAA Tournament that was staged in Central Indiana and he averaged 13.4 points, 5 assists, and 1.2 steals last season as a senior.

Campbell demonstrated significant improvement as an outside shooter as a junior, improving his 3-point percentage from 25 percent in 2020-21 to 41 percent in 2022-23. That figured dipped back down to 33.8 percent last year, but Campbell has continued to work on his shot and hopes to show a consistent stroke during the pre-draft process.

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Tyger Campbell Media Availability (June 8, 2023)

The final player at Thursday's workout was Tyson, a 6-7 forward who spent five years at Clemson. Tyson took full advantage of his extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting together a breakout campaign for the Tigers this year as a graduate student.

Tyson averaged 15.3 points and 9.6 rebounds last season, both career highs by a considerable margin and was a first-team All-ACC selection.

While he was always a threat to shoot from the outside, Tyson also significantly increased his volume of attempts last season. After making 86 total threes over his first four years of college, Tyson knocked down 83 triples last season alone, converting them at a highly efficient 40.5-percent clip.

His development as a shooter is particularly enticing to NBA teams. Tyson was initially invited to the G League Elite Camp in Chicago in May and impressed enough to be one of eight prospects from that camp invited to the combine.

"I've just gone out there and tried to play my game and tried to play hard every opportunity I've been blessed with," Tyson said of his success in the pre-draft process.

Tyson, who turns 23 on Tuesday, might have been a bit of a late-bloomer as a pro prospect, but he's turning heads at the right time.

"I think I'll be a guy who comes in and plays with a lot of toughness, not scared to stick his nose in there and rebound as well as space the floor," Tyson said of the role he can play in the NBA.

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Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Hunter Tyson One-on-One Interview (June 8, 2023)

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Nowell Still Hungry to Prove He Belongs Even After March Success

Belmont guard Ben Sheppard sits down to discuss his versatile game, players he studies, and his pride in representing Belmont. Pacers draft coverage is presented by NerdWallet.