Klairus Amir
October 28, 2023
Derrick Walton Jr
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 3/04/95
- Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan (USA)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 183
- Weight (KG): 84
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Michigan (2013–2017)
- NBL DEBUT: 17/09/22
- AGE AT DEBUT: 27
- LAST NBL GAME: 15/03/23
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: Sydney 2023
- Championships: 1
- Sydney (2023)
BIO: Derrick Jr Walton was born in Detroit, Michigan (USA) and attended Chandler Park Academy
(Harper Woods, Michigan).
As a high school senior at Chandler Park Academy in 2013, he was a Parade All-American, the Michigan Boys Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year and the runner-up for the Mr. Basketball of Michigan award.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Derrick Walton Jr made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 27 years of age. He scored 12 points in his first game.
After winning the championship, Sydney would lose its star import trio of Jaylen Adams, Jarrell Martin and Ian Clark to larger overseas deals and be forced to revamp their roster. With the improvement from Xavier Cooks, Dejan Vasiljevic and Angus Glover during the team’s’ title run, Sydney chose to build the team around its local talent and sign imports who could complement their Aussie core. Derrick Walton Jr was brought in to replace the scoring of Jaylen Adams while sharpshooting centre Tim Soares (via Europe) and former Defensive Player of the Year Justin Simon (via Illawarra) became the team’s new import trio. With Makur Maker (to Washington) headed to the NBA, Kouat Noi (via Cairns) was signed and the roster finalised with rookie Jackson Makoi.
Sydney started their quest for back-to-back titles defeating Illawarra, Brisbane and Melbourne to start the season (3-0). The twenty-point win over Melbourne (91-71) was particularly impressive, which included a second quarter where the Kings reeled off a 25-0 while holding United to just six points. The win streak saw Sydney notch up their 15th straight road win – a new NBL record, surpassing the mark set by Canberra’s back-to-back championship team of the mid-80s.
Sydney suffered its first season loss the following game, with the Cairns Taipans delivering a 83-78 upset. Cairns, who played without injured star Tahjere McCall, did everything right on the defensive end while shooting, the Kings shot themselves in the foot with just 14/25 from the foul stripe. Shannon Scott (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) led Cairns in scoring in McCall’s absence, with DJ Hogg (15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) influential as well.
DJ Vasiljevic was at his usual prolific best with 20 points for the Kings, while Cooks (15 points, eight rebounds) and Walton Jr (14 points, nine rebounds, six assists) did their best, but the Kings were almost always held at arm’s length by the resolute Taipans.
Sydney would collect another road win over Brisbane before suffering another home loss against Adelaide (92-88), who had just returned from beating the NBA’s Phoenix Suns in a preseason game.
Sydney had several chances to tie or take the lead in the final minute, but several missed shots and a game-saving defensive effort from Adelaide skipper Mitch McCarron secured the win for the visitors. 36ers import Craig Randall II (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) would finish as the game’s high scorer, while all of Adelaide’s starters scored in double digits. Derrick Walton Jr led the Kings with 23 points, while Dejan Vasiljevic followed with 15 of his own.
In round five, Sydney were on the verge of losing their third consecutive home game until Noi’s nailed a epic buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat his former team Cairns, 106-103. Cooks, who nearly recorded a triple-double ( 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists), was a integral part in helping Sydney over the line victory, which cemented themselves into the top position on the ladder (8-2).
Next, the Kings drew the New Zealand Breakers in a highly anticipated contest featured first vs second on the ladder. Sydney survived a blistering last-quarter comeback from the Breakers to win the game (81-77) but lost Walton Jr to a ankle injury in the first half (he managed 12 points for the match in only 18 minutes) and a ankle injury to Cooks who would miss the next three weeks of games which included the Australian Boomers World Cup Qualifier game against Kazakhstan.
An epic Shaun Bruce buzzer-beater secured a dramatic win against Illawarra (83-82), who seemed on track to deliver an upset with a four-point lead (82-78) with 10 seconds left.
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE ⚡
THE SYDNEY KINGS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN ????
Watch #NBL23 live & free ???? 10 Peach & 10play | Live on ESPN via Kayo & Foxtel pic.twitter.com/CvxWVxOkI8
— NBL (@NBL) November 20, 2022
The Kings received a boost with Cooks returning from injury, albeit in a game where Cairns snapped Sydney’s road winning streak, ending it at 17 in a row. Keanu Pinder (30 points and 13 rebounds) delivered a career-high scoring effort in a Taipans comeback victory that had to be decided in overtime (94-88). Cooks (25 points and 10 rebounds) was to go after being sidelined and scored the first 6 points for the Kings before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
In a heavyweight clash against South East Melbourne, Mitch Creek and Derrick Walton Jr delivered the first 40-point outings of the season, in the same game. Creek (46 points and 10 rebounds) shot 15/27 from the floor, including 4/11 from three and 12/13 at the line, while Kings star Derrick Walton Jr (45 points and 10 assists) shot 14/27 from the field, 5/10 from deep and 12/13 from the foul line. Injuries to South East Melbourne’s Gary Browne (calf) and Ryan Broekhoff (hip), and Sydney’s Xavier Cooks (ankle), didn’t detract from the contest as Creek and Walton Jr delivered a game for the ages, which saw the Kings fall short in a double overtime loss (112-113), resulting in them dropping behind New Zealand on the ladder.
Kings’ Coach Chase Buford was forced to miss the next game against Tasmania JackJumpers due to poor conduct, and assistant Kevin Lisch filled in as Sydney’s head coach as Sydney was able to get into the paint at will, recording 56 points in the paint while shooting a NBL season-high 69 percent from the field to secure a 97-77 victory.
Cooks was relentless, attacking Tasmania’s interior defence leading all scorers with 23 points alongside 7 rebounds. Walton Jr set the table, dishing 7 assists to go with 11 points in the win.
Sydney locked themselves firmly into the top spot with a 49-point beatdown of Brisbane (116-67). The Kings’ 49-point winning margin was the largest achieved during the 40-minute era, as well as being Sydney’s biggest win in franchise history over the Bullets with Cooks (20 points), Soares (20 points), and Walton Jr (18 points) putting the majority of points on the board.
While New Zealand and Cairns fought it out for second place (both finishing with 18 wins for the season), Sydney ended the season on top of the ladder (19-9) despite losing their last two games heading into the playoffs. Xavier Cooks (16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists) was named NBL MVP, beating Perth’s Bryce Cotton and South East Melbourne’s Mitch Creek and Derrick Walton Jr (15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.1 assists) would earn a spot on the All-NBL second team.
With Cairns defeating Perth (91-78) and advancing through the NBL play-in tournament, a semi-final series with the Kings was set. A spectacular performance from Cooks (27 points and 14 rebounds) fuelled the Kings to a game one win (95-87) before a drama-filled game two saw Kings’ coach Buford ejected after Kouat Noi and Sam Waardenburg both went down after hard hits to the head, which included Tim Soares also being charged with striking. Amidst the chaos, DJ Hogg (25 points and 8 rebounds) and Tahjere McCall (20 points and 7 assists) caught fire, and Cairns defeated Sydney (93-82), setting up a do-or-die game three.
In the deciding game, Vasiljevic (15 points and 5 rebounds), who had been almost a non-factor in the first two games, delivered when it counted the most, landing three crucial three-pointers and finished as the King’s game-high scorer. Cooks and Noi racked up identical double-double efforts (11 points and 11 rebounds) to propel Sydney to victory (79-64) and onto the championship series.
On the opposite side of the bracket, New Zealand eliminated Tasmania to reach the championship series before marching into Sydney and claiming game one (95-87) in front of 13,145 shocked Kings fans. William McDowell-White (19 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists) starred for New Zealand, while Barry Brown Jr (19 points) and Jarrell Brantley (16 points and 7 rebounds) also kept the scoreboard ticking over. Simon (18 points and 6 steals) finished as the leading scorer for Sydney in a game where Walton Jr suffered a injured leg that would see him miss the end of this game and struggle through the next.
Game two saw Sydney even the series, despite its stars Derrick Walton Jr (4:50 minutes) and Xavier Cooks (9:05 minutes) seeing their play heavily limited due to injury. Justin Simon (12 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals) was big at both ends, while Noi (20 points) provided the offensive spark required, coming off the bench. The Breakers struggled on the offensive end of the floor, shooting just 36 percent from the field. Barry Brown Jr was New Zealand’s leading scorer with 21 points.
Returning to Sydney, the Kings took a 2-1 lead behind a dominant 91-68 victory over the Breakers in front of the biggest crowd in NBL history. 18,049 fans poured into Qudos Bank Arena, the biggest attendance ever for a NBL game, and watched Derrick Walton Jr shake off his injury concerns to notch up 12 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds while Xavier Cooks, who had signed a NBA contract to play with the Washington Wizards that same day, added 10 points and 8 rebounds. William McDowell-White was New Zealand’s leading scorer with 11 points.
In game four, the Breakers denied the Kings in Auckland (80-70), extending the series to five games. Brantley (23 points), MacDowell-White (19) and Brown Jr (20) all came up big for New Zealand, while Sydney was led by Walton Jr (18 points) and Angus Glover (12 points).
The Sydney Kings squeezed a few extra fans into Qudos Bank Arena for game five, breaking the record for fan attendance set in their previous home game with 18,124 in attendance. In one of the greatest championship games in history, the Kings ripped off a 14-0 run in the final quarter to secure their first back-to-back titles since their 2003-2005 three-peat. Derrick Walton Jr (21 points and 6 assists) was named the Championship Series MVP as Sydney went on to win 77-69. Cooks also added 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Barry Brown Jr had 22 points off the bench for New Zealand.
67,811 fans attended the Championship Series, the highest Grand Final attendance in NBL history.
It was the last game of the season, and it delivered all sorts of drama.
Re-live the best bits thanks to @HungryJacksAU ⤵ pic.twitter.com/KxOiNZnVDW
— NBL (@NBL) March 15, 2023
Derrick Walton Jr played one season in the NBL. He averaged 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in 34 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 22nd in assists per game.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 28 | Sydney | 19-9 (1) | 34 | 931.4 | 541 | 129 | 209 | 8 | 121 | 22 | 0 | 101 | 55 | 180 | 380 | 47% | 45 | 120 | 37.5% | 136 | 167 | 81% | 59% | 53% | 45 | Totals | 34 | 931 | 541 | 129 | 209 | 8 | 121 | 22 | 0 | 101 | 55 | 180 | 380 | 47.4% | 45 | 120 | 37.5% | 136 | 167 | 81.4% | 60% | 53% | 45 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 28 | Sydney | 19-9 (1) | 34 | 27.4 | 15.9 | 3.8 | 6.1 | 0.2 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 5.3 | 11.2 | 47% | 1.3 | 3.5 | 37.5% | 4.0 | 4.9 | 81% | 59% | 53% | 45 | Total | 34 | 27.4 | 15.9 | 3.8 | 6.1 | 0.2 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 5.3 | 11.2 | 47.4% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 37.5% | 1.3 | 3.5 | 81.4% | 60% | 53% | 45 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 45 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Following the season, Walton went undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft and signed to play with the Orlando Magic for the 2017 NBA Summer League. Walton had an impressive summer league performance. He averaged 10.0 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 20.5 minutes in four games while shooting 46.9% (15-of-32) field goal percentage and 50% (6-of-12) on three-point shots.
On July 24, 2017, Walton signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat, meaning he would split his playing time between the Heat and their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
On October 23, Walton was assigned to the Skyforce with the expectation that he would spend most of the season in the G League. He did not play when the Skyforce opened their season on November 4 because he left the team in advance of the game.
With Dion Waiters absent and Rodney McGruder sidelined, Walton was active on November 6 against the Golden State Warriors, when he made his NBA debut, posting one defensive rebound in one minute of play. Walton converted 2 free throws on November 19 against the Indiana Pacers, and he posted his first NBA field goal (a three-point shot) on December 18 against the Atlanta Hawks.
On January 5, 2018, Walton was sidelined with an illness. Over the course of the season, Walton appeared in 16 games with the Heat.
On August 12, 2018, Walton signed with the Chicago Bulls. He was waived by the Bulls on October 12.
Walton joined the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2019 NBA Summer League. After the Summer League ended, Walton signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team.
Walton was then assigned to the Agua Caliente Clippers for the start of the G League season. He made key late free throws to seal wins for Agua Caliente in their first two games of the season.
Walton remained deep on the Clippers bench early in the season as the team used Jerome Robinson and Terance Mann in the backup point guard role. On December 8, with JaMychal Green hobbled and Patrick Patterson, Rodney McGruder, and Landry Shamet sidelined Walton played his first meaningful minutes, posting a career-high 7 points and contributing to a win against the Washington Wizards. On December 31 (New Years Eve), he posted his first double digit scoring effort (10 points on 4-5 shooting) against the Sacramento Kings.
On January 4, 2020, with Paul George joining Patrick Beverley on the sidelines, Walton made his first NBA start against the Memphis Grizzlies.
On February 6, 2020, Walton was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for a protected 2022 second-round draft pick, and the Atlanta Hawks subsequently requested waiver on Walton.
On February 21, 2020, Walton joined his hometown team, the Detroit Pistons, with a 10-day contract. On March 4, 2020, Walton was not retained by the Pistons.
On December 3, Walton signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, but was later released. On September 28, 2021, Walton signed with the Detroit Pistons. He was sent to play in the G League with the Motor City Cruise in October 2021. There, Walton averaged 13.8 points, 7.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
On December 25, 2021, Walton signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons. On January 1, 2022, he delivered a game-winning assist in overtime against the San Antonio Spurs that went between the defenders (Jakob Pöltl) legs to Saddiq Bey.
During the game he posted six assists as well as NBA career highs in points (11), rebounds (6) and steals (4).
On January 4, 2022, Walton was reacquired by the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League.
On January 5, he posted his first G League triple-double as well as the first in the history of the Motor City Cruise franchise with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and a G League career-high 16 assists. Walton led the G League in assists for the 2021–22 season with a 9.5 assists/game average.
Walton Jr played 45 games in the NBA. He averaged 2.2 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- July 24, 2017: Signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat.
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August 14, 2018: Signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls.
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October 13, 2018: Waived by the Chicago Bulls.
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July 26, 2019: Signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
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October 21, 2019: Signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
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February 6, 2020: Traded by the Los Angeles Clippers with cash to the Atlanta Hawks for a 2022 2nd round draft pick. $1.3MM Conditional 2022 2nd-rd pick did not convey
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February 6, 2020: Waived by the Atlanta Hawks.
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February 21, 2020: Signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons.
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November 27, 2020: Signed a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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December 14, 2020: Waived by the Philadelphia 76ers.
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September 27, 2021: Signed a contract with the Detroit Pistons.
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October 16, 2021: Waived by the Detroit Pistons.
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December 25, 2021: Signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 85% | 99% | 66% | 0% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 45 | 13 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 180 | 380 | 47.4% | 45 | 120 | 37.5% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 26 | Detroit | PG | 3 | 3 | 108 | 19 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 26 | 23% | 3 | 13 | 23% | 4 | 4 | 100% | 34% | 29% |
| 2019-20 | 24 | LA Clippers | PG | 23 | 1 | 222 | 50 | 15 | 22 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 17 | 36 | 47% | 9 | 21 | 43% | 7 | 9 | 78% | 63% | 60% |
| 2019-20 | 24 | Detroit | PG | 3 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 33% | 1 | 3 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 50% | 50% |
| 2017-18 | 22 | Miami | PG | 16 | 0 | 147 | 29 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 25 | 32% | 7 | 17 | 41% | 6 | 6 | 100% | 52% | 46% |
| 2017-18 | 22 | Miami | PG | 16 | 0 | 147 | 29 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 25 | 32% | 7 | 17 | 41% | 6 | 6 | 100% | 52% | 46% |
| 2019-20 | 24 | LA Clippers | PG | 23 | 1 | 222 | 50 | 15 | 22 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 17 | 36 | 47% | 9 | 21 | 43% | 7 | 9 | 78% | 63% | 60% |
| 2019-20 | 24 | Detroit | PG | 3 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 33% | 1 | 3 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 50% | 50% |
| 2021-22 | 26 | Detroit | PG | 3 | 3 | 108 | 19 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 26 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 34% | 29% | Total | 45 | 4 | 503 | 101 | 42 | 64 | 6 | 36 | 21 | 7 | 18 | 36 | 32 | 90 | 36% | 20 | 54 | 37% | 17 | 19 | 89% |
NBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 22 | Miami | PG | 16 | 0 | 9.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 32% | 0.4 | 1.1 | 41% | 0.4 | 0.4 | 100% | 52% | 46% |
| 2019-20 | 24 | LA Clippers | PG | 23 | 1 | 9.7 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 47% | 0.4 | 0.9 | 43% | 0.3 | 0.4 | 78% | 63% | 60% |
| 2019-20 | 24 | Detroit | PG | 3 | 0 | 8.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 33% | 0.3 | 1.0 | 33% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 50% | 50% |
| 2021-22 | 26 | Detroit | PG | 3 | 3 | 36.0 | 6.3 | 3.3 | 7.0 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 8.7 | 23% | 1.0 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 34% | 29% | Total | 45 | 4 | 11.2 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 36% | 0.4 | 1.2 | 37% | 0.4 | 0.4 | 89% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Lithuania - Žalgiris (2018–2019) | Germany - Alba Berlin (2019) | France - ASVEL (2020–2021)
On October 18, Žalgiris Kaunas announced that they signed a contract with Walton until the end of the 2018/19 season. On February 12, 2019, Walton, whos playing time had started declining since December, left Žalgiris by terminating his deal with mutual agreement. He averaged 8.4 points and 4.4 assists in the LKL, and 4.6 points and 2.5 assists in the Euroleague.
Walton joined Alba Berlin in mid February 2019. He helped Alba reach the Basketball Bundesliga finals.
On December 18 Walton Jr. signed with French team ASVEL, playing out the remainder of their 2018/19 season.
COLLEGE
He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. The Detroit native was a star with the Michigan Wolverines, starting 125 of 127 games over four seasons from 2013-2017. He was the only player in school history with at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 400 assists.
Walton joined a team that had just lost Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the 2013 NBA draft. The 2012/13 Wolverines had reached the championship game of the 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, losing to Louisville.
He was a 2013/14 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season All-Freshman selection in the Big Ten for the 2013/14 team, which won the Big Ten Conference regular-season championship outright. In September 2013, Sports Illustrated named him the 9th best freshman.
Walton opened his sophomore season with a career-high 22 points against Hillsdale College on November 15. He then missed the final 12 games of the season due to the toe injury.
In its preseason top 100 player rankings, ESPN ranked Walton #87. Walton was named along with Big Ten point guards Yogi Ferrell and Melo Trimble to the 36-man Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List.
After playing only 19 of Michigan's 32 games the prior season for the 2014/15 Wolverines, Walton began the season as a starter against Northern Michigan. He was a 2015/16 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season All-Big Ten third-team selection by the coaches and a honorable mention selection by the media as a junior.
He was a 2016/17 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season All-Big Ten second-team selection by the coaches and the media as a senior. In the first round of the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, Walton posted 26 points and 11 assist in a 92–91 victory over Oklahoma State. It marked the first time a player had had either at least 11 assist and 24 points or at least 25 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds in a NCAA Division I tournament game since Dwyane Wade in 2003.
The team reached the sweet sixteen round of the tournament. Walton was included on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division I All‐District 7 second-team on March 22. His 98 three-point shots made led the Big Ten conference. Walton finished second in minutes played (34.8), free throw percentage (87.6%) and assists/turnover ratio (2.9) in the Big Ten for the season. He finished his career second in career free throw percentage (83.67%), third in career games started (126) fourth in career assists (499) and fourth in career three-point field goals made (233) in school history.
He was selected to participate as a 3-Point Championship contestant in the March 30 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships as part of the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament final four weekend.
Walton is the only Wolverine with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 400 assists and holds the school single-game assist record (16). He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament for the tournament champion 2016/17 Wolverines.
On April 30, 2017, Jeff Goodman of ESPN reported that he was named as a alternate to the NBA Draft Combine. Ultimately, Walton was invited to attend the combine.
AWARDS
- NBA G League assists leader (2022)
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French Cup winner (2021)
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Second-team All-Big Ten (2017)
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Third-team All-Big Ten (2016)
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Big Ten All-Freshman team (2014)
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Big Ten Tournament MVP (2017)
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First-team Parade All-American (2013)
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Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year (2013)
Related
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