'07 OH SF Bill Walker (Kansas State Verbal)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

RIVALS

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North College Hill High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Ht: 6-5
Wt: 190

Ranked by Rivals.com as the #8 player overall in the 2007 class and ranked as the #1 Small Forward in the nation. Considered the #2 player behind his teammate O.J. Mayo in Ohio for 2007.

Not currently listing any schools. FR Reportedly had surgery on his knee as a frosh. Has a stroke to the outside and a strong body. One of the best in the country.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

3/1/05

Walker was named to the first team All-District squad in Division III, he is averaging 20.0 points per contest.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

SCOUT$


3/3/05

Like his teammate O.J. Mayo, he is likely to jump to the NBA unless their is an age limit. Plays above the rim and as excellent jumping ability. Broke a backboard during a game this season. Ranked as the #2 player in Ohio in the 2007 class.

[smitty03]

I saw this kid play a couple of times. He might be one of the best basketball athletes I have seen all season. Reports say he is a good shooter, and I believe it, but for some reason the only thing he tries to do is dunk it. Not sure about this kid's character, I really dont think he could play in a disciplined system. But, like I said he is a great athlete that could go almost anywhere he wanted.

[wadc45]

Photo: North College Hill's Bill Walker dunks the ball with a smile against New Albany in their Southwest District Boys Regional game.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

3/16/05

Walker was named Second Team All-Ohio in Division III.

SECOND TEAM: Bill Walker, Cin. N. College Hill, 6-6, soph., 20.0; Steve Summers, Doylestown Chippewa, 5-10, sr., 18.0; Matt North, Plain City Jonathan Alder, 6-1, sr., 21.2; Kody Babcock, W. Lafayette Ridgewood, 6-5, sr., 19.0; Kyle Miller, Piketon, 6-2, sr., 20.0; Joe Kalb, Bucyrus Wynford, 6-7, jr., 19.3; Chad Reynolds, Delphos St. John's, 6-6, sr., 16.8.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

SCOUT$

3/18/05

Walker had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Loundenville, 75-42.

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

Walker and Mayo could start for Ohio State right now I believe.

These guys will be BIG TIME recruits. Very exciting!

[jimotis4heisman]

big recruit yes, starter i doubt it.

attacks the basket very well. expolsive player. highlight reel dunker. in the loudonville game he was not forced into a perimeter game. very physically mature. good defensive player. i honestly would like to withhold judgment on exactly how good he is until he steps up a little more. loudonville played some triangle and 2 on NCH full time double on mayo and walker didnt step up. its hard to tell often times. aau is actually a better evaultion of talent because talent is better in aau tournaments.

on a side note, unfortunately bill got julius hodged by some chris paul wanna be.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

3/20/05

Walker finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds in the win.

CIN. N. COLLEGE HILL 71, IRONTON 65
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<!-- -->COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One down, two to go.

Mr. Basketball O.J. Mayo had an assist on a critical basket and then scored the final four points for No. 1-ranked Cincinnati North College Hill in a 71-65 win over No. 2 Ironton in the Division III state championship game on Saturday.


Second-team All-Ohioan Bill Walker had 19 points and 14 rebounds, with 6-11 center Keenan Ellis adding 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.


"We had a goal way back in November _ to play for the state championship," Walker said. "We did it. Now the goal is to get two more."


Mayo took a back seat to his teammates most of the game, but with the game teetering in the balance in the final minute the 6-foot-6 sophomore asserted himself in a big way.


What had been a 12-point lead early in the quarter melted away for the Trojans (27-1) until they held a 64-63 advantage with time sifting away.


The Fighting Tigers had a shot at taking the lead with 43.9 seconds to go but Marcus Williams missed two free throws.


North College Hill inbounded to Mayo and he brought the ball down the court and drove the right baseline. He ran out of room at the end line and as he was falling out of bounds, whipped a pass to teammate Damon Butler on the other side of the basket. Butler just got off a shot as he was fouled, the shot going in and his free throw pushing the lead to 67-63 with 30.5 seconds left.


On the ensuing possession, the Fighting Tigers (26-1) missed a shot, rebounded it, and then turned the ball over _ Mayo stealing a pass in the corner. He raced down the court and glanced at a teammate on a 2-on-1 before dunking with 12 seconds remaining.


"We had a trap on the baseline and my job was to rotate to the closest player," Mayo said. "I didn't rotate right away because I wanted him to think he was wide open."


He later closed the scoring with two clinching free throws.


Mayo finished with 22 points, six assists and three rebounds, despite carrying four fouls for most of the second half.


"It was like playing an all-star team out there," Ironton coach Roger Zornes said. "They're very good."


Ironton, which was making its second trip to the final four, received 28 points from center Cliffton Howard, who also had 16 rebounds. Dennis Gagai, a special mention All-Ohio selection, tossed in 22 points.


The Trojans, shuffling players in and out because of foul trouble, took the lead on Butler's 3-pointer and then expanded it to 36-30 with Walker scoring the last eight points for his team.


The Fighting Tigers foundered because of bad free-throw shooting. They hit just three of their first nine and ended the half 7-of-15 at the line _ then hit just 1-of-3 in the second half.


North College Hill was holding a 44-43 lead midway through the third period when Ellis scored on a baseline drive, Walker stole a pass and found Mayo for an easy layup _ Mayo waiting for the defender and then drawing the foul as he flipped in the layup. Ellis then tipped in a Mayo miss before Walker brought the crowd to life.


He stepped in front of a pass at midcourt and soared in for a dunk, windmilling it in while 14,749 at Value City Arena roared. That gave the Trojans a 53-43 lead.


Ironton trailed 64-52 early in the final period after Mayo's 15-foot bank shot, but scratched its way back with an 8-0 run _ Gagai drilling two 3-pointers and also hitting a baseline drive.


"We were getting the right people to shoot the ball and they were showing doubt," Zornes said.


That set up the wild finish, leading to North College Hill's first state title in its second trip to the final four.


"It's a great feeling we'll keep for a couple of months," Trojans coach Jamie Mahaffey said. "Now everybody's going to come after us and we've got to be prepared for everybody to come after us.


<!-- -->Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LINK

3/20/05

Walker was named to the Division III All Tourney Team.

Mayo steals show as most outstanding in Division III
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<!-- -->COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Mr. Basketball O.J. Mayo of state champion Cincinnati North College Hill is the most outstanding player on the 2005 Associated Press Division III all-tournament team.

Mayo, playing within himself instead of trying to put on a show, had 22 points, six assists and three rebounds in the top-ranked Trojans (27-1) 71-65 victory over No. 2 Ironton on Saturday _ despite playing with heavy foul trouble for most of the game.


For the semi and final, he totaled 43 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. He hit 18-of-32 shots from the field, 4-of-12 3-pointers and all three of his free throws.


Joining him on the team are teammate Bill Walker (34 points, 25 rebounds in the two games); Ironton's Dennis Gagai (45 points, eight rebounds and seven assists) and Cliffton Howard (38 points, 26 rebounds); and Loudonville's Kyle Gillette (27 points, 19 rebounds in a semifinals loss).


<!-- -->Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[gmsbears]

Did anyone see the game yesterday? Walker had the sickest break away windmill dunk. It looked like something out of the dunk contest.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Here is some pics of Walker...





LINK

3/21/05

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Monday, March 21, 2005 <!-- ARTICLE HEADLINE -->
NCH's Mayo wants D-III state 3-peat
Future augurs well for Trojans

By Tom Groeschen
Enquirer staff writer

<!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=185 align=right border=0><!-- MAIN PHOTO --><TBODY><TR><TD class=small_text align=middle>
North College Hill sophomore Keenan Ellis (50) has a lot to shout about after the Trojans beat Ironton for the Division III state title Saturday at Ohio State's Value City Arena.
The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger
Zoom </TD></TR><!-- OTHER FEED PHOTOS --><!--RELATED PHOTO GALLERIES--><!-- RELATED MULTIMEDIA ASSETS --><!-- MAIN FACT BOX --><TR><TD class=sidebar_head>LOOKING STRONG</TD></TR><TR><TD class=sidebar_body>North College Hill's chance to repeat in Division III looks bright, as the Trojans only lose one starter to graduation.

DEPARTING SENIORS

*6-3 G, Darion Goins, 8 ppg

6-6 F, George Victorian, 6 ppg

TOP RETURNEES

(SENIORS IN '05-06)

6-4 F, Andre Evans, 7.2 ppg

6-5 F, Paul Leary, 4.4 ppg

(JUNIORS IN '05-06)

*6-5 G, O.J. Mayo, 27.4 ppg

*6-6 F, Bill Walker, 20.8 ppg

*6-11 C, Keenan Ellis, 14 ppg

6-0 G, Nathaniel Glover, 3.6 ppg

(SOPHOMORES IN '05-06)

*6-0 G, Damon Butler, 6 ppg

*Starter this season

</TD></TR><!-- ADDITIONAL PHOTOS --><!-- RELATED ARTICLES --><!-- RELATED EXTERNAL LINKS --></TBODY></TABLE><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->
O.J. Mayo wants to win three consecutive state titles at North College Hill, essentially spiking rumors that he might transfer to another school.

Mayo and fellow sophomores Bill Walker and Keenan Ellis, all rated among the nation's top boys' basketball players in their class, led NCH to a 71-65 win over Ironton in the Ohio Division III state championship game Saturday in Columbus. Mayo had 22 points, Walker 19 and Ellis 14 in the title game.

"We've got a goal to win three state titles in a row and make history," Mayo said. "We want to leave as a dynasty."

Only two other Ohio boys' schools, Dayton Stivers (1928-30) and Columbus Wehrle (1988-90) have won three straight state basketball titles. Stivers won in Class A, then the big-school division. Wehrle won in Division IV, which remains Ohio's smallest classification.

LeBron James' Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary teams won three state titles in James' four seasons (2000-03), losing the Division II state title game to Roger Bacon in James' junior year.

"We want to be remembered as one of the top programs in any class," Mayo said. "We want to be up there with the Moellers and St. Xaviers and Akron St. Vincent-St. Marys."

Mayo and Walker transferred to NCH two years ago from Rose Hill Christian (Ashland, Ky.). Ellis arrived this season from Indianapolis. Rumors persist that Mayo and Co. next will transfer to national prep power Oak Hill Academy, but the players themselves refute such speculation.

"We set a goal to win state, and we did it," Walker said. "That's one. Two more to go."

NCH will lose two seniors, guard Darion Goins and forward George Victorian. Goins was a starter who averaged 8.0 points a game, while Victorian averaged 6.0 points off the bench.

Mayo, rated the nation's No. 1 sophomore by several scouting services, averaged 27.4 points a game this year and was named Ohio Mr. Basketball. Walker, who averaged 20.8 points, is rated anywhere from the No. 2 to No. 4 sophomore nationally. Ellis, who averaged 14.0 points, ranges between No. 12 and No. 55 in national sophomore ratings.

Point guard Damon Butler, who averaged 6.0 points a game as a freshman starter this year, also will return.

"We've got a great feeling right now, and that will last for a couple of months," NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey said. "But then we'll have to get right back at it."

NCH (27-1) pulverized its small-school Miami Valley Conference rivals by 56.1 points a game. NCH and the MVC have agreed the Trojans will be an "associate member" the next two years, playing each team once instead of twice. NCH will not be eligible for the league title.

The Trojans, rated No. 21 nationally by USA Today, lost only to eventual Division I state runner-up St. Xavier this season. Next season, the Trojans look to again play St. X and possibly other big-school Greater Catholic League and Greater Miami Conference teams.

NCH took a lot of heat for having so many transfers on this year's team, but the Ohio High School Athletic Association said the Trojans have played by the rules.

"We know we'll take everybody's best shot again next year," Mahaffey said. "We went through a lot this year, but our team showed a lot of composure and fought through it."

Email tgroeschen@enquirer.com.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

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3/21/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>NCH's Walker Is Nobody's Second Banana
By Steve Helwagen Managing Editor
Date: Mar 21, 2005

North College Hill is more than just O.J. Mayo, and that was proved at the Division III state tournament this past weekend. Sophomore forward Bill Walker had double-doubles in each of his team's wins. Click here for more on this explosive athlete.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
North College Hill sophomore Bill Walker may have been a second-team All-Ohio pick in Division III. But at the state tournament this past weekend, Walker proved he is nobody’s second banana.

The 6-6 Walker joined classmate O.J. Mayo, who was chosen as the state’s Mr. Basketball award winner, in leading North College Hill to the state championship at OSU’s Value City Arena.

"We set a goal to win a state title, and we did it," Walker said. "We're on a roll. Two more to go."

Walker, rated as the top small forward in the 2007 class by ScoutHoops.com, had 15 points and 11 rebounds in NCH’s state semifinal win over Loudonville, a 75-42 laugher.

In that game, he unleashed the best array of dunks seen this side of a slam dunk contest.

He had a two-hand flush off a steal in the backcourt, a jam off a pass off the backboard from Mayo, a breakaway one-hand jam, a one-hand flush off a nice feed from Butler, a one-handed jam after he fielded a rebound in the lane and went back up and, finally, a nice baseline drive and reverse one-handed jam.

Walker then had 19 points and 14 rebounds in NCH’s thrilling 71-65 win over Ironton in the title game.

He helped the Trojans punctuate that win: His breakaway dunk put the Trojans up 53-43 with 2:15 left in the third quarter.

"I just windmilled it and threw it down as hard as I could," said Walker. "I prefer the windmill; it's my favorite."

Walker responded to critics of the Trojans' penchant for throwing it down.

"If you go up for a layup, you could get hammered," said Walker. "The safest alternative is to dunk and at least grab the rim so you can control yourself. People have a problem with it, but if their kid was dunking, it would be a different story."

Walker talked about getting the chance to play before crowds in excess of 14,000 for each game at Value City Arena.

“It’s the final four – four teams out of how many that start the season with the same goal,” Walker said. “It’s basketball. I love it. It was a great atmosphere.”

Walker transferred with Mayo to North College Hill last year. But he suffered a preseason knee injury that denied him his freshman year. So this was his coming out party in Ohio. As a sophomore, he averaged 20.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, three assists and three steals per game.

“I really like to get out and run,” Walker said. “That’s my style. I play pretty physical and that opens the game up for everybody else.”

But Walker wants to be known as more than just an athlete. He understands he will need an all-around game to excel beyond the high school level.

“I have different facets to my game,” Walker said. “But my job right now is to basically rebound and make plays down the court.”

Much has been made about the desire Mayo and Walker will have to leave school and go directly to the NBA draft when they graduate in 2007. A proposed NBA age limit may force the talented pair to consider playing college basketball for at least a year. If that happens, Mayo mentioned he would look at Ohio State, Cincinnati and a host of schools in the ACC, Big East and Big 12.

“Right now, I’m looking at everybody,” Walker said. “I watch everybody.”

In terms of playing together, Walker said, “We would most definitely talk about it, but that’s down the line.”

Next up will be the summer camp and AAU circuit for Mayo, Walker and their NCH teammate, Keenan Ellis. They play AAU ball for the D-One Greyhounds and will again appear at the ABCD Camp in New Jersey in July.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

SCOUT.COM

3/24/05

Here are some pics from the Division III semi final game.....

[crazybuckfan40]

Here are some pics from the Division III championship game

that can't be the finals b/c they played Ironton in the finals and that ain't ironton.