McDonald's All-American Jordan Walsh Is A Two-Way Menace In The Paint

Playing in the McDonald’s All-American game has long been rite of passage for the top high-school basketball recruits in the country. Since the showcase began in 1977, over 90 of its participants have gone on to be named NBA All-Stars. Along the path to the NBA, playing in this game is a seminal moment. It is no surprise that Jordan Walsh from Cedar Hill, Texas was selected to participate in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American game.

Jordan Walsh is a five-star high school prospect who is currently enrolled at Link Academy. Even though you may notice Walsh is completely bald, which is a characteristic of Alopecia, a condition that causes the complete loss of hair, he doesn’t let that define him. Once Walsh steps on the basketball court the only noticeable thing is how talented this young man is. Standing at 6’7” with a 7’3” wingspan, Walsh has developed into one of the best two-way players in the country at his age. 

Due to his combination of size and length, Walsh is an elite rim protector. Beyond just his ability to guard on the ball, Walsh switches and helps with stunning speed, regularly registering chase-down blocks at the rim. On the offensive end, Walsh plays like he has springboards built into his sneakers—he has the ability to take flight against any defender in his path. Walsh has all the intangibles to be an elite two-way player at the collegiate level, and potentially even the NBA. 

The most underrated aspect of Walsh’s game is passing ability. With a similar wing-span to Nikola Jokic, Walsh regularly swings passes through traffic to find the open teammate. Combine that with smart decision making, and you have the recipe for an elite point-forward. Accordingly, Walsh is an elite transition player, scanning for hit-ahead passes in transition as soon as he collects a rebound or a steal. 

Now in his senior year, Walsh has focused on expanding his game and becoming more comfortable on the perimeter. If Walsh can develop a consistent jumper, he would be a truly devastating offensive player. But even if his jumper doesn’t become a real weapon, Walsh is such an active cutter and offensive rebounder that he’s a dangerous offensive threat all the same.

Currently sitting as the tenth ranked player in the 2022 class, Walsh will continue his basketball career at the University of Arkansas next year. Under the guidance of coach Eric Musselman, the sky's the limit for Jordan Walsh.