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PG C.J. Walker (Official Thread)



Re: At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Walker has the size of a point guard but enough shooting ability to play off the ball. As a sophomore starter for the Seminoles during the 2017-18 season, he averaged eight points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3-point range.

Kaleb Wesson called Walker a “bulldog” long before the 2018-19 season even began, and Holtmann used the same word to describe him two weeks ago.

“He's tough. He's competitive,” Holtmann said. “He's got natural intangible leadership ability, I believe. He's certainly a point guard, but he's also a guy where you can play kind of two point guards together, as well. He's going to be a really solid addition.”
 
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SKULL SESSION: OHIO STATE'S BEST 100 GAME STRETCH EVER, TOP RECRUITERS BRIAN HARTLINE AND JEFF HAFLEY, AND TACKLING PRACTICE

DON'T BURN BRIDGES.
Chris Holtmann's a damn good basketball coach, but it also seems like he's also just damn good with people. And ultimately, that helped him win over C.J. Walker in the sequel of his recruitment.

From our favorite Indiana beat writer Taylor Lehman of TheHoosier.com:

“In life, you learn lessons about not burning bridges,” Holtmann said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Day. “I’ve not always been great at that. I think in recruiting now, that’s become more and more important because if you burn a bridge, you might not have a chance with the kids afterwards.”

Going into the 2019-20 season, Holtmann is thanking himself for maintaining a positive relationship with Walker after the former Arsenal Tech star and Indianapolis Player of the Year announced his commitment to Florida State during an official visit June 20, 2015, just a week before he was scheduled to visit Butler officially too.

Walker said Holtmann, the former Butler head basketball coach, never expressed anger when the No. 113 recruit made the decision, and that left the door open when Walker decided to transfer out of Florida State in March 2018.

“There was never bad blood that I made that decision not to go to Butler,” Walker said. “Once my release got out that I was transferring, I was able to talk to him again, and it just felt right, just to be able to play for him. I knew what he stood for, and I knew how he was coaching. I just knew that I couldn’t miss on the opportunity again playing for a coach like him.”

Walker might be the most "people forget!" player in the country. Dude started 34 games for an Elite Eight team in 2017-18, sat out a year, and now is lost in the hype of the three top-50 freshmen joining the squad. He's legit good. Shoutout to Holtmann for getting him here.

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/skul...an-hartline-lebron-james-high-school-buckeyes
 
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I think CJ will bring something that the team needs this year, but I think this article overplays the kind of role CJ had on that E8 FSU team. IT seems the main reason he transferred was because he felt as if he was losing playing time and would be beaten out the following year. Also, while FSU went to the E8, he did not have a good tourney (4.25 ppg, 3 assists, 9 TO's).

We've heard good reports about him in practice last year and having a year in the program could be critical for him to help lead the team. He's a hard nose defender who you have to respect from three, but he's not a dynamic scorer or playmaker. His role will probably be bigger early in the season as the frosh get their feet wet, but if Carton hasn't taken over the lead guard role by the end of December, I will be surprised. CJ will be a great backup option and will help alleviate foul trouble concerns with our back court as he is a more than capable floor general.
 
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If you look back on the highlights of the FSU upset win over Gonzaga, he is out there hitting 3s from way beyond the arc. I think he is going to be in a similar role to his time at FSU, one guy among a group of 9-10 who can come in and contribute and if he doesn't produce much it is OK because there is a deep rotation and the coach will make some adjustments in minutes to give more to the guys that are the best matchup in that particular game.
 
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CJ Walker Has Been Counting the Days
October 30, 2019by Tony Gerdeman0 comments
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Point guard CJ Walker has been an Ohio State Buckeye for about a year and a half, but has yet to play a single minute. That will change tonight in an exhibition contest against Cedarville, and then for real a week from tonight when the Buckeyes open their regular season by hosting the University of Cincinnati.

Walker transferred to Ohio State from Florida State following the 2017-2018 season. The last game he played in was March 24, 2018 in a loss to Michigan in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament. Walker sat out last season as a transfer and watched from the bench as the Buckeyes went to the tournament last year.

Wednesday night he will be back on the court in front of a crowd for the first time in a very long time, and even though it’s just an exhibition game, he is looking forward to it.


“I know I am for a fact,” Walker said on Tuesday. “I haven’t played since — I looked it up the other day, I haven’t played in like 500-something days. I was that desperate to play a game that I looked it up, so I am most definitely ready to play, and play against somebody else in front of a crowd and get to play with my teammates.”

Walker, who has two years of eligibility with the Buckeyes, started as a true sophomore for that Seminoles team that went to the Elite 8.

With last year’s point guards CJ Jackson and Keyshawn Woods both departing Ohio State due to graduation, the Buckeye lineup has a void to fill, and Walker and blue-chip freshman DJ Carton are expected to split time running the show.

Walker will bring experience, while Carton will bring explosion. Walker also has the added benefit of simply sitting and watching last year’s point guards and what Buckeye head coach Chris Holtmann did and didn’t like about the way they played.

“I just kind of took last year as full advantage, just be able to learn how Coach Holtmann wants his team run,” Walker said. “So I was able to learn from CJ Jackson and Keyshawn and kind of see how Coach Holtmann wants things to work out for the team and what he really wants his point guards to do.”

One of the things Walker learned is that he better be able to handle criticism.

“He’s really hard on this point guards, and that’s something that’s a blessing and a curse,” Walker said. “You want a coach to coach you. You just want to get better.”

Watching as he did gave him a vantage point that few players get to experience. He didn’t have to worry about a game plan or a scouting report. He simply watched the game and internalized as much as he could.

“I was just able to see the game from a different perspective, like seeing always from the outside because I obviously didn’t play,” he said. “So I just kind of took that in consideration. Just took it on the floor this year. You know, slowing down a lot, just making the right plays and letting the game come to me and be able to make plays.

“We’ve got big time players on this team that can put the ball in the hole. And just being a leader. It was kind of hard last year not being able to play and trying to say something, but you’re not contributing. So it’s kind of hard to find that balance. I was just able to take that and use it this year and it’s kind of worked out for the better. My teammates believe in me and they’ve got respect for me, and likewise.”

Walker has been with the team for well over a year and been through team workouts and an entire year of practice last season. He might be a new face to those in the stands Wednesday night, but he’s been around for a while now.

Which is all the more reason why he can’t wait to finally get his Buckeye career started.

“He’s pretty eager,” Holtmann said on Tuesday. “He’s pretty eager to get out there, and I said earlier that our fans are going to love him once they get to know him. He’s a tremendous kid and has provided maturity and leadership that we desperately needed with this group. But there’s no question he’s going to be really eager to get out there.”
 
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Buckeye Freshman Point Guard DJ Carton — Safe at Any Speed

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In DJ Carton’s Buckeye debut this past Wednesday, the Ohio State freshman point guard showcased his entire repertoire.

He pushed the ball as much as he could, immediately calling for it following defensive rebounds. Carton would turn his head up court and get running.

When he was in the half court, he made safe, solid passes where they needed to go, and he also hit shots when they presented themselves.

He looked comfortable in every situation, but it was clear that he excelled when it came to the transition game. He not only pushed it for teammates, but also for himself, ending in several dunks for the 6-foot-1 leaper.

Carton scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, hitting his only 3-point attempt, grabbed two rebounds, two steals, and handed out a team-high five assists in Wednesday night’s exhibition game against Division II Cedarville University.

His ability to make things happen with the push is the major reason why head coach Chris Holtmann has told him to speed it up whenever the situation arrives.

“Every time really. Every time I get the ball I’m going to push it because I know that that’s one of my strengths,” Carton said after the game. “And I know like tonight, sometimes the defense was insane and I know we can get easy buckets like that, so every time I do get the ball in position to push, I’m going to do that. And hopefully I can clean things up in the half court and be able to control the offense a little better.”

Asking a true freshman to keep the offense going full speed as much as possible can be a dangerous proposition, which is why Holtmann and his staff will work to keep Carton somewhat grounded in terms of when, where, and against whom.

“I think it’s apparent, he’s explosive in transition,” Holtmann said after the Cedarville game. “Now, some of that, I think time will tell, right? You have to be aware of the floor was broken at times and maybe the competition level and I think we’ll say that to him. It’s gonna be hard for him to get some of those plays that he got tonight, but I thought his decision making was good.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2019/11/buckeye-point-guard-dj-carton-speed/
Wrong thread?
 
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Pretty rough opening game for CJ. Only 1 for 6 from the floor with 4 turnovers. Played much better in the second half and was a big positive 6-6 from free throw line. I think you could see the potential there.
Clutch FT shooter, and those shots vs UC were pure. This is something he also did at FSU, hit big FTs late in the game in obvious foul scenarios. You have to put him out there because you know you can count on him to close out a game from the foul line.
 
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Clutch FT shooter, and those shots vs UC were pure. This is something he also did at FSU, hit big FTs late in the game in obvious foul scenarios. You have to put him out there because you know you can count on him to close out a game from the foul line.
between walker, carton, and washington, i'm immensely more confident about maintaining a lead in the waning minutes. expect that as the team develops, opponents will press at their own peril.
 
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