Who is Jarace Walker ? How has the 6'8" freshman forward fared for Houston Cougars so far? All you need to know.

As the clock ticked down in the Cougars' 72-59 victory over the Bengals in Cincinnati, two things were evident. The Cougars' winning streak is real and Jarace Walker's 21 points on 8-14 shooting have shown that he will be the key to this team winning the national championship. Walker has shown that he can be impactful on both sides of the ball(3 steals) with his NBA-ready size and good instincts.

After ESPN analyst Jay Bilas saw Walker in person he was very impressed. "He's obviously skilled and physically gifted. But he seems to blend in with his other teammates to do what's required when it's required. He has the ego of a good player... but he doesn't seem to have a negative way ego. He doesn't look like he wants to skip steps."

Scoring 44 points in his last two games after combining for 38 points in the five games before this stint. After ending with 2 points and 3 rebounds while shooting 0-for-5 from the field against Central Florida, the Pennsylvania native has discovered his ability to be aggressive early and consistent.

That's what Head Coach Kevin Sampson told Walker. When the former IMG star was asked about it, he said Coach Sampson was adamant about it.

"In practice. In games. Just exerting myself early. But also making the right decisions. Being agressive doesn't always mean taking the shot. It can mean getting downhill, making a play for a teammate.

Jarace Walker carving path to NBA

Jarace Walker has lottery-pick potential and will be able to achieve even higher regard if he improves his defensive game. In 16 games, he has averaged two steals and two blocks per 100 possessions. In the win over the Bearcats, Jarace Walker demonstrated his defensive potential.

He is an outstanding communicator defensively and possesses elite above-average defensive instincts for his age on that end of the court.

Jarace Walker has another level of potential within his shooting beyond the arc and when creating space in the mid-range area as well. With his size, he has the opportunity to keep defenses honest as he improves as a shooter, and with his frame, creating opportunities at the rim becomes even easier.

As he continues to have games as he had on Sunday, Walker continues to create a longer leash with Coach Sampson. When asked about the "green light," Walker has Coach Sampson had this to say. "Jarace's kind of has a green hue to it. there are different colors of green."

Jarace Walker and the Cougars will face South Florida at home as they look to extend their winning streak and reclaim first place in the Coaches' and Associated Press' polls.