Demetrius Walker’s Big Weekend: Is He Ready to Step In for James Harden?
Demetrius Walker had a big weekend to lead Phoenix St. Mary’s to the Arizona 5A-I state championship. Will the “man-child” be ready to fill James Harden’s shoes this fall?
We already know that ASU will play UA at noon Thursday in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament. So we’ll take one of our final madness-free moments in March to glance further into the future.
After the weekend that future Sun Devil Demetrius Walker had in the Arizona state tournament, maybe life after Harden won’t be so bad after all.
Walker, who was compared to Lebron James by Sports Illustrated when he was just 14, had a phenomenal Final Four weekend to lead Phoenix St. Mary’s to a state title—something Jerryd Bayless failed to do in three finals appearances at the same high school.
The 6-foot-4 200-pound phenom scored 30 points in an 83-58 semifinal win over Sierra Vista Buena and 27 points in the championship game win over Gilbert Highland.
He did it with more than defense. He swatted a layup three rows out of bounds on Highland’s first possession and hounded highly-touted Indiana recruit Matt Carlino to limit him to just two points in the first half.
Quoth St. Mary’s coach Dave Lopez: “He’s a man-child. Like most great players, the high school game has held him back a little bit because of the way it’s played. I think he’ll do real well at the next level.”
Walker won’t be the only freshman arriving at ASU this fall. He’ll be joined by Minneapolis shooting guard Trent Lockett and Russian big man Ruslan Pateev.
But Walker is especially intriguing because he plays a similar game to James Harden. He’s nearly as big as Harden, and he’s not afraid to get physical when attacking the basket – he shot 12 free throws against Highland.
And we like that Highland coach Mark Carlino said Walker “plays with incredible heart and incredible passion.”
The guess here is that Walker slide right into the starting lineup at Harden’s wing position, joining Derek Glasser and Lockett at guard and Rihards Kuksiks and Eric Boateng upfront.
Will he average 18 points and five rebounds a game as a freshman? No. But he’ll have to put up some numbers, because he’ll be filling some mighty big shoes this fall.
What’s Your Take, Sun Devils
Have you seen Walker play? If so, let us know what you thought of his game in the comments below.
Enjoy this article? Buy us a beer for just $4. (Credit Card / Paypal)More Sun Devil News, Less HassleDon’t fool around with bookmarks or the refresh button. We’ve made it easier to subscribe, so you can have Sun Devil news delivered FREE straight to your inbox.
Good article but one thing I dont agree with is Lockett starting next year in front of Abbott. Yes, Ty has struggled shooting this year, but is high energy on defense and rebounding. Lockett is a shooter that can come off the bench and score, something that a good bench needs. Plus, Ty’s leadership will be there with Glasser since Pendergraph and Harden are gone
Walker looked like a more athletic version of Harden in that game, but he won’t be what Harden was to ASU. He will be a solid, athletic wing player. Jerryd Bayless lost three times in the state title games, but it was to a pretty loaded Mountain View team every time. Waker is a solid player, but Bayless was a once in a lifetime player who supporting cast was never there (they finally came around after he left). I think Walker will be solid, but not on a Harden/Bayless level.
@TheInferno, you may be right. The shooting guard spot is a toss up between Lockett, Abbott and McMillan. Remember, Lockett’s the highest rated player in ASU’s class.
I’d not be surprised to see Abbott come off the bench unless he rediscovers his stroke. You gotta love the way he’s contributing without the shot though.