Tyson Walker’s ability to adapt crucial for Spartans’ success
EAST LANSING, Mich. (BVM) — About a year ago, Tyson Walker was scoring over 18 points a game at Northeastern and was viewed as the “go-to” guy. While he may not be putting up the same scoring at Michigan State, his contributions are just as valuable, if not more valuable to the team.
Before embarking on his college career, Walker played solid basketball for four years at Christ the King in New York and a year post-grad at the New Hampton School in New Hampshire. Walker led the New Hampton School team to a 23-7 record before making the decision to continue his basketball career at Northeastern. Northeastern was only about an hour or two drive from the New Hampton School and it seemed like a solid fit for Walker. He arrived at Northeastern and made an immediate impact, averaging over 10 points per game.
While Walker had a nice freshman season at Northeastern, he shined in his sophomore year. He was third in the conference in points per game, averaging 18.8. He also was a first team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) player. Walker brought more to the table than just scoring too, as he was the defensive player of the year in the CAA.
After his fantastic sophomore season, Walker decided to enter the transfer portal. Michigan State University desperately looked for a point guard after its struggles in the 2020-21 season following standout guard Cassius Winston’s graduation. The match between the two was a no-brainer, and Walker enrolled, becoming immediately eligible for the 2021-22 season.
Going from the CAA to the Big Ten is undoubtedly a challenge. Michigan State constantly has high expectations for its basketball team, plays a challenging non-conference schedule, and plays in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA. Walker was in for the biggest challenge of his basketball career.
Despite these potential challenges, Walker has done very well for the Spartans. He may not be averaging the 18-plus points per game that he was getting at Northeastern, but he’s on pace to set a new career high in assists per game (5), and he’s also improved on limiting his turnovers – a major point of emphasis for the Spartans.
Walker has embraced his new role at Michigan State and adapted beautifully. The Spartans needed a true point guard, a true facilitator, someone who’s not afraid to shoot and not be selfish with the ball. Walker has fit all of that criteria thus far.
Understandably, Walker needed a bit of time to adjust. His first few games with the Spartans were far from his best games of basketball.
“It took a while to get comfortable,” Walker said after Michigan State’s win over Penn State earlier this season. “But I definitely am way more comfortable than I was before.”
Once Walker had a few games under his belt as a Spartan, his new style of play started to show significant improvements. However, the key for Walker and the Spartans will be finding a healthy balance of aggression and shot selection.
“Kind of wish he’d look for a shot a little bit more,” head coach Tom Izzo said following the Spartans’ Jan. 5 win over Nebraska.
In seven of the Spartans’ last 10 games, Walker has been a double-digit scorer and has started to look more aggressive. In that stretch, Walker is averaging 8.6 points per game, which is a major improvement to the 5.1 points per game he was averaging before his recent scoring spike.
Michigan State’s point guard play has played a significant role in why the Spartans are 15-3 and are competing for the Big Ten title. After a hard-fought road win at Wisconsin on Jan. 21, the Spartans now are in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. That title will be put to the test this week when the Spartans travel to Champaign to take on a scrappy Illinois team and then come back home for an intense rivalry game against Michigan.
Walker’s play will ultimately be a deciding factor of whether the Spartans can hold their lead in the conference. As Walker continues to improve, so will the Spartans, which could make them a dangerous draw for any opponent come March.
