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Devondrick Walker

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Devondrick Walker (born July 11, 1992) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played three years of college basketball for Texas A&M–Commerce before spending the first three seasons of his professional career in the NBA Development League. He moved overseas for the first time in 2017 to play in Australia for the Perth Wildcats, only to return home prior to the 2017–18 season due to a foot injury.

Devondrick Walker
Walker in 2013
Personal information
Born (1992-07-11) July 11, 1992 (age 32)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolSouth Garland (Garland, Texas)
College
NBA draft2014: undrafted
Playing career2014–present
PositionShooting guard / Small forward
Career history
2014–2015Austin Spurs
2016Westchester Knicks
2016–2017Delaware 87ers
2018Delaware 87ers
2018Pallacanestro Trieste
2019New Basket Brindisi
2019–2020Chorale Roanne Basket
2020South East Melbourne Phoenix
Career highlights and awards

High school career

Walker attended South Garland High School in Garland, Texas, where he was a three-year letterwinner. As a senior in 2009–10, he averaged 10 points, four assists and four steals per game, which earned him all-district honors.[1]

College career

Coming out of high school, Walker had no scholarship offers. Instead, he secured a last-second offer through a connection his high school assistant coach had.[2] In May 2010, Walker signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Northwestern Oklahoma State University in the 2010–11 season.[3] Walker played for former four-year Ranger basketball player and assistant coach at South Garland High School, Dominique Parker.[3] He rarely played, however, and after one season transferred to Texas A&M University–Commerce, a little known Division-II school outside of Dallas. It was there that Walker found someone who believed in him—head coach Sam Walker.[2] Devondrick said in January 2017, "I had an amazing head coach (Sam Walker). He forced me to defend when I didn't want to, forced me to rebound when I didn't want to."[2]

As a sophomore in 2011–12, Walker saw action in all 27 games with 21 starts, and averaged 28.1 minutes, 8.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He ranked 10th in the Lone Star Conference in free throw percentage (76.9) and was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week on February 27, 2012. He scored in double digits in 11 contests, including a career-best 24 points in the regular season finale against Angelo State on February 25, 2012.[1]

As a junior in 2012–13, Walker appeared in all 29 games for the Lions with 14 starts. He averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals in 24.7 minutes per game. He shot 41.5 percent from the floor, including 41.9 percent from three-point range, while hitting 82.3 percent of his free throws, ranking second in the Lone Star Conference. He posted 13 double figure point totals on the year, highlighted by his 20-point performance against Southern Arkansas on November 26, 2012.[1]

As a senior in 2013–14, Walker was a second-team all-Lone Star Conference selection, his first such honor. He finished the season ranked in the top 10 in the league with 13.6 points per game and led the LSC with a 91.3-percent mark from the foul stripe. He also was named to the academic all-LSC team for the second time in his career, graduating in May.[4] On June 5, 2014, he was named the recipient of the 2013–14 Lone Star Conference Scholar-Athlete Award for A&M-Commerce.[4]

Professional career

NBA D-League/G League (2014–2018)

2014–15 season

Upon graduating from college, Walker had no contract offers, and as a result, he thought his playing days had come to a close. However, after attending open tryouts with the Austin Spurs, Texas Legends and Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League,[2] the Spurs added him to their training camp roster in early November 2014.[5] In 2014–15, Walker helped Austin reach the Western Conference Finals of the 2015 NBA D-League Playoffs.[6] In 37 games as a rookie, he averaged 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.[7]

2015–16 season

On October 30, 2015, Walker was reacquired by the Austin Spurs.[8] However, on November 11, 2015, he was waived by the Spurs prior to the start of the 2015–16 D-League regular season.[9] On January 18, 2016, Walker was acquired by the Westchester Knicks.[10] He remained with Westchester for the rest of the 2015–16 season, and in 25 regular-season games, Walker averaged 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.[7]

2016–17 season

On October 31, 2016, Walker was reacquired by the Westchester Knicks.[11] On December 14, 2016, he was traded to the Delaware 87ers in exchange for Von Wafer.[12] Walker was averaging 10 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 21 minutes per game with Westchester prior to the trade.[12] Walker's best month of the 2016–17 season was January, when he averaged 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists. At the 2017 D-League Showcase in Mississauga in late January, over the course of the 87ers' two games, Walker put on perhaps the greatest shooting display the Showcase has ever seen. In just 49 total minutes, he went 15-of-18 from the field, including 12-of-12 from downtown, on his way to 46 points.[2] Five of his six 20-point games with Delaware came after December, including a career-high 24 points in a 131–125 loss to the Maine Red Claws on February 4. Walker also tallied at least 17 points in 12 games, with 10 of those performances coming after December. Having demonstrated the most significant improvement during the 2016–17 NBA D-League season, on April 20, 2017, Walker was named the NBA D-League Most Improved Player.[6] In his third season in the NBA D-League, Walker appeared in 48 games (38 with Delaware, 10 with Westchester), averaging 12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists.[6]

2017–18 season

In July 2017, Walker played for the Utah Jazz Summer League team in Utah and Las Vegas.[13][14] In six games, he averaged 9.3 points in 20 minutes per game.

On July 21, 2017, Walker signed with the Perth Wildcats in Australia for the 2017–18 NBL season.[15] He quickly established himself as a key part of the playing group, but on August 24, 2017, the Wildcats announced that Walker had suffered a fracture in his left foot that would sidelined him for a large portion of the season. After receiving advice from multiple specialists, Walker opted to take a non-surgical approach to repairing the injury.[16] He was subsequently replaced in the squad by J. P. Tokoto.[17]

On March 15, 2018, Walker returned to the Delaware 87ers.[18] In July 2018, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018 NBA Summer League.[19]

Europe (2018–2020)

On July 31, 2018, Walker signed a one-year deal with Italian team Pallacanestro Trieste for the 2018–19 LBA season.[20] He left them after appearing in four games. On January 9, 2019, he signed with New Basket Brindisi for the rest of the LBA season.[21] In seven games for Brindisi, he averaged 11.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

On December 12, 2019, Walker signed with French team Chorale Roanne Basket of the LNB Pro A.[22] He parted ways with Chorale Roanne on January 13, 2020.[23] He appeared in four games for Roanne, averaging 9.3 points in 23 minutes per game.[23]

Return to Australia (2020)

On January 14, 2020, Walker signed with the South East Melbourne Phoenix for the rest of the 2019–20 NBL season, returning to Australia for a second stint.[24] In eight games, he averaged 7.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

Personal

Walker is good friends with former Austin Spurs teammate and current NBA player Jonathon Simmons,[2] and former NBA player Bryce Cotton.[25][26] Walker grew up idolising Detroit Pistons' great Isiah Thomas.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Texas A&M University–Commerce Athletics – Devondrick Walker – 2013–14". LionAthletics.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Maloney, Jack (January 24, 2017). "Like His Shooting Ability, Devondrick Walker's Story Is Remarkable". NBA.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Hintergardt, Ryan (May 17, 2010). "RANGER BASKETBALL SIGNS WALKER". nwosu.edu. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Walker, Minde Named A&M-Commerce LSC Scholar-Athletes". LionAthletics.com. June 5, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  5. ^ "Former Lion Men's Basketball Player Walker On D-League Training Camp Roster". LionAthletics.com. November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Delaware 87ers' Devondrick Walker Named NBA D-League Most Improved Player". NBA.com. April 20, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Devondrick Walker D-League Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  8. ^ "AUSTIN SPURS ANNOUNCE 2015 RETURNING PLAYERS AND TRAINING CAMP INVITEES". NBA.com. October 30, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  9. ^ "Austin Spurs Announce 2015-16 Opening Night Roster". NBA.com. November 11, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  10. ^ "Westchester Knicks Acquire Devondrick Walker". NBA.com. January 18, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  11. ^ "Westchester Knicks Finalize 2016-17 Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. October 31, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  12. ^ a b "RELEASE: SEVENS ACQUIRE DEVONDRICK WALKER". NBA.com. December 14, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  13. ^ Judd, Brandon (June 29, 2017). "Utah Jazz announce summer league roster, includes Exum, Bolomboy, trio of 2017 draft picks". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  14. ^ "Devondrick Walker and Darrell Williams playing in NBA Summer League". LionAthletics.com. July 5, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  15. ^ "WILDCATS SIGN DEVONDRICK WALKER". Wildcats.com.au. July 21, 2017. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017.
  16. ^ "DEVONDRICK WALKER SUFFERS FOOT INJURY". Wildcats.com.au. August 24, 2017. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017.
  17. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (September 7, 2017). "New Perth Wildcats signing Jean-Pierre Tokoto ups case for defence". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  18. ^ "Delaware 87ers Acquire Devondrick Walker". OurSportsCentral.com. March 15, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  19. ^ "2018 Philadelphia Sixers NBA Summer League Roster". RealGM.com. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  20. ^ "Pallacanestro Trieste signs Devondrick Walker". Sportando.basketball. July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  21. ^ "Ingaggiato Devondrick Walker". newbasketbrindisi.it (in Italian). January 9, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  22. ^ "Devondrick Walker renforce la Chorale". chorale-roanne.com (in French). December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  23. ^ a b "Devondrick Walker, Chorale Roanne part ways". sportando.basketball. January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  24. ^ "South East Melbourne Phoenix sign Devondrick Walker". NBL.com.au. January 14, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  25. ^ Robinson, Chris (July 23, 2017). "Bryce Cotton key in luring new import Devondrick Walker to Perth Wildcats". PerthNow.com.au. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  26. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (August 7, 2017). "Bryce Cotton got me to Perth Wildcats, says new import Devondrick Walker". PerthNow.com.au. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  27. ^ Chadwick, Justin (August 8, 2017). "New Wildcat joins Cotton's NBL happy place". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
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