That’s A Wrap: Anthony Walker
Welcome to “That’s A Wrap,” our player-by-player recap of the 2023-24 Indiana Hoosiers. Today: Anthony Walker.
Walker (32 games): 5.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 48.3 FG% in 14.1 minutes per game.
Previously: Gabe Cupps, Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau, Kel’el Ware, Kaleb Banks, CJ Gunn, Payton Sparks, Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal
A transfer portal addition from Miami (FL) last spring, Anthony Walker brought no shortage of experience when he arrived on campus late last summer.
A 6-foot-8 forward originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Walker spent four seasons playing for the Hurricanes in the ACC and reached an Elite Eight in 2022 and a Final Four in 2023.
Indiana was familiar with Walker from the 2023 NCAA tournament when he scored four points and grabbed two rebounds for Miami in an 85-69 win over IU at MVP Arena in Albany, New York.
From day one, Walker stood out for his positivity and communication skills. He almost always had a smile on his face, whether in media interviews, on the bench or the court.
“I’m going to make sure everyone is always loose, even in very tough adversity situations I’m going to make sure everyone’s always loose and comfortable,” Walker said last fall at media day. “That’s something I take pride in.”
A member of the rotation all season, Walker served as a backup for freshman Mackenzie Mgbako at the three and Malik Reneau at the four. He posted an offensive rating of 106.8, easily the highest of his five-year career.
Walker shot 54.5 percent on 2s for the season and 75 percent from the free-throw line. He got to the line 64 times and posted a free-throw rate (FTA/FGA) of 55.2 percent, which was just behind Xavier Johnson for the top spot on the team among rotation regulars.
While the 3-point shot wasn’t a strength for Walker – he shot just 2-for-17 from distance – he was able to impact games with his athleticism in the paint regularly.
He was pivotal in IU’s come-from-behind win against Louisville at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 20, scoring 11 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 20 minutes.
In a three-game stretch in late December, Walker scored in double figures in three straight games, including an 18-point, nine-rebound effort against Morehead State. The Hoosiers, who trailed 64-49 with 8:58 in that contest, would not have prevailed without Walker’s scoring punch.
“Phenomenal. He deserves the MVP tonight,” Mike Woodson said of Walker postgame. “He played 22 minutes, had 18 points, nine rebounds. By far his best game since he’s been wearing an Indiana uniform. We needed every bit of it to win this game tonight. He gets the game ball based on what he did tonight.”
Walker didn’t score in double figures once in a Big Ten game, but he was the closest thing Indiana had to a regular offensive contributor off the bench.
Near the end of the regular season, Walker had to leave the Minnesota road game with an apparent knee injury, but he was able to suit up and play in the final three games against Michigan State, Penn State and Nebraska to close out his career.
Bottom line: Walker was a solid addition to the Indiana roster, providing positive energy when he entered the game off the bench. His athleticism and offensive game in and around the paint were strengths for most of the season. His contributions against Louisville and Morehead State were game-savers for the Hoosiers and he always seemed to have a smile on his face regardless of the situation.
Quotable: “I always say momentum is a powerful force and that’s the beautiful part about this sport is once things start going well, everything starts going well. I think the most important part of their run is the fact that we didn’t stray away from each other. We kind of stayed together, kept encouraging each other, kept playing Indiana basketball because mistakes are going to happen.” – Walker after IU erased a 15-point deficit against Morehead State on Dec. 19.
Filed to: Anthony Walker