NC State’s big man with the man bun Wyatt Walker impresses Tony Bennett, No. 3 Cavaliers
It’s hard to imagine N.C. State’s Wyatt Walker being a big part of Virginia’s scouting report.
The Cavaliers’ pregame planning for the Pack surely centered on cutting off the penetration of point guard Markell Johnson, Torin Dorn attacking the basket, Braxton Beverly getting open from the 3-point line ... those kinds of things.
But Walker made an impression Tuesday as the third-ranked Cavaliers eked out a 66-65 overtime victory over the No. 23 Wolfpack at PNC Arena. The big guy with the ponytail/man bun, No. 33 in white, was an all-effort player from start to finish, scoring 11 points, hustling for five offensive rebounds and seven total, blocking three shots.
“He’s just resilient,” Virginia’s Braxton Key said. “He’s going to get to the glass and he made his presence felt. They sub a lot and guys are fresh and coming in giving it 115 percent and going 100 miles an hour. For him to get those offensive rebounds, and he was scoring, too, made it difficult. We didn’t have any answers for him.”
No answers? Virginia always has answers. Virginia coach Tony Bennett always has answers.
But Walker is one of those players who can be hard to judge. Look across the court at him before the game and you might think he looks like one of the Metallica roadies. He doesn’t have great hops. He won’t hurt you with jumpers.
But the 6-9, 240-pound post player has good instincts, good hands. He plays smartly, plays within himself.
“I know my role on this team,” Walker said. “I’m not a guy who needs to have a certain amount of stats or things like that. I just want to be that tough guy. Whatever it calls for in a game, if it’s offensive rebounds or (taking) charges or setting screens, then I’m going to be that guy.”
In one first-half sequence, Walker fought his way around Virginia’s Jack Salt, a 6-10, 250-pound senior, to secure an offensive rebound off a Beverly miss. He passed out to Devon Daniels, who also missed, but Walker outmuscled Salt for the rebound and scored on the putback.
“He’s strong,” Bennett said. “I saw him move Jack a few times, which guys just don’t do. He carved out space.”
N.C. State flashback
Bennett said as watched Walker work he found himself having a “flashback” to former Wolfpack big man Richard Howell, who finished fifth in career rebounds at N.C. State from 2009-13.
“We got owned on the glass by Richard Howell,” Bennett said. “We couldn’t handle him. I remember that feeling. (Walker) is physical. He was very effective.”
Two years ago, Walker was owning the glass for Samford, leading the Southern Conference in rebounding and in double-doubles (17). An injury last season limited him to just two games, and after earning a marketing degree in May he became a graduate transfer to N.C. State. He was eligible to play immediately and was needed with the Pack lacking in big men.
Walker had nine points and 11 rebounds in the Pack’s ACC opener, a 67-62 win at Miami on Jan 3. But the next ACC game, against Pittsburgh at PNC Arena, was a low point for Walker, who was ejected after grabbing the leg of Pitt’s Xavier Johnson after attempting to draw a charging foul and falling on the baseline.
Game ball
But Tuesday’s game was Walker’s best. With the Pack trailing 53-52 late in regulation, he first blocked a shot by Key, then ran the floor in transition and drew a foul, making a free throw that tied the score.
LaPhonso Ellis, the analyst for the ESPN2 telecast, noted there are no “game balls” in basketball -- like football -- but if there was one to be awarded he’d give it to Walker.
“That’s the Wyatt Walker we’ve been waiting for, a guy who plays extremely hard,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said. “When a guy plays that way, or we get something from (freshman) DJ Funderburk, it takes some of the pressure off our guards.”
Walker played extremely hard for 30 minutes against the Cavaliers, later saying he had fun competing against Salt and 7-1 sophomore Jay Huff, even in a tough loss. The Pack fell 14 points behind in the second half but kept pushing. Walker did.
“He brought amazing energy,” the Pack’s Dorn said. “He kept us in the game in the first half with his intensity and his energy on the boards. I think that’s invaluable. Sometimes those things don’t show up on the stat sheet but they’re really important for a team. “That’s the kind of guy he is. He’s a hard-nosed guy, blue collar, works really hard. Any time you’ve got a guy like that, those things will show in a game.”
This story was originally published January 30, 2019 at 4:46 PM.
