Kentucky Wildcats 2013 Basketball Recruiting: Chris Walker

CHRIS WALKER

6’10 205  PF

HOLMES COUNTY – BONIFAY, FL

RIVALS RANKING:  *****, #2 PF, #3 OVERALL

ESPN RANKING:  ***** (98), #2 PF,  #4 OVERALL

SCOUT RANKING:  *****, #3 PF, #14 OVERALL

It is unclear whether Chris Walker has been offered a scholarship yet but he is clearly one of  John Calipari’s Top Targets for 2013.  There are a lot of things on Calipari’s plate before Walker can be offered, like filling his 2012 class and seeing what kind of CBA Agreement the NBA comes up with, if they ever do.  No matter the age limit will be for the NBA, Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist, and maybe even Kyle Wiltjer will be gone from Lexington, so I expect Walker to get that offer eventually.

There is a lot to like about Chris Walker.  He is long and athletic, and a tenacious rebounder.  Walker is one of those players that had a late growth spurt (like Anthony Davis) and at 6’10 handles the ball very well and skill wise right now, is more of a wing player.  He needs to work on his strength and also his post moves, but he has two years for that.  Expect Walker to contend for the top overall ranking in the 2013 class on all scouting reports when all is said and done.

That aside, he seems to really like Kentucky and I personally would love to see him follow the lead of Brandon Knight and Stacey Poole and spurn the Gators and head to UK.  As you would expect, everyone who is anyone is chasing Walker, but he wants to get to Lexington to visit soon and you would have to put Kentucky near the top of his list for one reason:

“John Calipari.  Kentucky stands out for me. Coach Cal told me how many pros he has put in the NBA and what I can do for him. I really do like Kentucky.”

Here is what ESPN has to say about Mr. Walker:

Strengths:
The long thin combo-forward displayed a nice skill level and athleticism. Walker is more of a small forward who can step away from the basket or score facing the goal. His handle is good enough to drive the ball from the high post to make a play at the rim. If he catches the ball on the block he becomes a face-up guy who likes the turn-around jump shot over his defender. Walker does a great job of running the floor in transition and has the ability to finish at the rim in traffic.

Weaknesses:
As usual with a player this age Walker needs to continue to mature physically. He needs to add several pounds to his slim frame while living in the weight room. Once he gets some strength to his frame he needs to develop a back to the basket game which will allow him to set up his face-up game. His activity is good around the goal, but he often gets pushed around and off his base. Also, Walker needs to work on the fundamentals and consistency of his jump shot as it know comes out of his hands flat with little arc. With a few tweaks he could become a good shooter from the perimeter which would make him a tougher match-up.

Bottom Line:
Walker is very talented with tremendous upside. He has room to improve as an elite player, but has the physical gifts to get there. He has the potential to be a defensive stopper as his length creates problems for opponents. With continued progress to his game Walker should become one of the more sought after small forwards in this class

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