Derrick Walton first player since Dwayne Wade to post 25pts/10assists/5rebs in NCAA tournament (SIAP)

Submitted by Ahriman on

Everyone knows D-Walt has been on a tear recently. This Yahoo article compared him to Kemba Walker and the run he and UConn had to win the NCAA championship. Also, Walton is the first player since Dwayne Wade in 2003 to post 25 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds in an NCAA championship game.

Not bad.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/second-coming-of-kemba-derrick-walton-is-carrying-surging-michigan-through-march-220937249.html

MGoBoard
Basketball

jmblue

March 17th, 2017 at 9:41 PM ^

You know, I've scoffed at the Burke comparisons, but...

Since the "white collar" Illinois game (a stretch of 19 games), Walton is averaging 18.7 points per game, 5.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 44.2% (53-120) from downtown.  That is Burkesque.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102725

Rodriguesqe

March 17th, 2017 at 9:52 PM ^

I was thinking about how important PG play is in Beilein ball. 

Walton has always been a good player here, but only recently has he been a good PG, IME. its leading to tons of easy baskets, but also not letting our offense go adrift whenever Zach tries to take over too  much.

The only time we've had a good team without a good pg was Walton's freshman year when we still had  Stuaskus, Lavert, GRIII, and Morgan.

I'm already excited for next year, but if we're going to be good X needs to make the leap. Hopefully he can contribute  more this tourny too.

Joined: 12/29/2013

MGoPoints: 4222

SD Larry

March 17th, 2017 at 11:05 PM ^

Derrick has been fabulous and amazing.  Thanks for posting.  BTW, Barkley said he is probably the best player in the country the last two weeks earlier today.

 

Joined: 10/05/2014

MGoPoints: 40880

stephenrjking

March 17th, 2017 at 11:45 PM ^

This could all be a footnote after a bad day Sunday, for all we know. But it's been hard and is growing harder not to think of great Tournament runs on otherwise average guard-driven teams. Walker and Napier are the obvious ones winning it all, but this stat reminds of others. Even if this team's ceiling doesn't allow it win it all, guys like Dwayne Wade and Steph Curry carried their teams to incredible results, and Walton is poised to do the same kind of damage. That's not to say that he is as good as those players were or that he could become what they became, but he is getting every ounce of productivity from his skill set and has basically been in NBA Jam mode without interruption since the Morgan quote. What's remarkable to me is that he's doing this with a toolset that doesn't evoke these other greats. He doesn't penetrate and drive like a Burke. We don't think of him as a lights-out shooter like Stauskas. He wasn't known as a fantastic passer, though that's certainly improved. But when the team needs him to do one of these things, he does it and it succeeds. Honestly he is starting to remind me of a flaming Chauncey Billups.

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143524

JMo

March 18th, 2017 at 12:45 AM ^

Two reasons I've never liked D-Wade...

1)  He seemingly gets "injured" and bows out of the season when his teams are horrible and/or he has nothing to play for

2)  His name is ridiculously spelled Dwyane not the commonly misspelled Dwayne - ergo his name should be pronounced Dwi-ane.

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 20893

BLHoke

March 18th, 2017 at 6:14 AM ^

The 3rd time almost occurred in the very same game. Jawun Evans finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists. Had he hit the front end of that 1 and 1 late, and then knocked down the second... He'd have joined the club and OSU would have won by 1 (hypothetically, each made or missed basket affects the approach, decision making and shot selection the next time down the floor.).... Leaving us all as usually sad Panda's. Thank god fatigue showed up in some aspect of the game for him, because he certainly never slowed down!

Joined: 08/17/2011

MGoPoints: 5018