By SAM LANCE
KANSAS CITY — Four-star power forward Nigel Walls of St. Francis Episcopal School (TX) and the JL3 Elite Nike EYBL AAU program isn’t your typical 6-foot-10 prospect at 195 pounds.
“I’m more a shooter, kind of stretch four that can handle the ball,” Walls said of his game. “I’m on kind of the lighter side, so I use more finesse than power. But I can stretch the floor, run the floor. I feel like my shooting is on an elite level.”
During Session 4, Walls took on more of a scoring load with JL3 Elite missing four-star guard Shelton Henderson to Team USA. The big man averaged 10.0 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 12-of-28 (42.8%) from 3-point range.
“Any big has to step out on me and I feel like I’m more athletic than any of them to get past them,” Walls said. “And if they don’t step up on my shot I can just knock it down.”
Walls certainly showed these abilities in Kansas City. He also updated his recruitment to ZAGSBLOG.com during Session 4, saying Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas are recruiting him hardest. He also said those four schools have been recruiting him for the longest period of time. Here’s his breakdown of each program:
Oklahoma State: “They weren’t the best last year, but I still like what their going to. And coach Mike [Ekanem] has been talking to me about how their rebranding, playing a new pace of basketball, getting up and down the court. I like what they’re doing.”
On the new staff: “So far I don’t really know too much. “But I know coach Mike — he was at George Mason before and now he’s at Oklahoma State — I always like how he keeps the relationship and talks to me all the time.”
Kansas State: “They really get up and down, having just kind of like posistionless basketball like you see in the league today. So they just go up and down, switch out everything, are able to shoot and get to the lane and kick out.”
On head coach Jerome Tang: “Just a family dude, God first. Just real positive. I like everything about him. He brings a lot of joy to the room.”
Oklahoma: “Same thing just really up and down the floor, defensive minded. I like how they run. I like how coach [Ryan] Humphrey just talks to me, even as a friend and as a mentor. He’s not trying to recruit me all the time, and I really like how he just mentors me.”
Texas: “Coach [Rodney] Terry talks to me a lot. Coach Byron Jones talks to me a lot. They have mentioned what I need to work on to improve, to get to the league and get to my goals. I also like the mentorship they have.”
So far, Walls has taken just one visit, an unofficial to Kansas State.
“I really like the campus, really like the coaches,” Walls said. “Really like everything about it. Just a friendly environment. Love how they play. Love coach Tang. Love all of it.”
Walls doesn’t have any official visits planned right now or a timetable for when he’d like to take them. He’s just focused on working hard and staying in the gym. Walls is currently participating in NBPA Top 100 camp in Orlando.
When selecting a school, Walls is looking most for a family environment and a program that plays a fast-paced style that translates well to the NBA. Walls ultimate goal is making the NBA.
Walls is ranked the No. 40 overall prospect in the 2025 class per 247Sports and the No. 3 player in the state of Texas. His favorite NBA player is Kevin Durant.
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