A talk with Walker

B.A. Walker, a universally valuable point and shooting guard for the Rams, spoke about the current state and the future of his team, the new coach and his personal values.

About Walker

Hailing from Nandua High School in Onancock, Virginia, Walker was featured in “Who’s Who Among American High School Seniors” for being named Virginia Group A State Player of the Year after his junior and senior years and for setting the South Norfolk Holiday Classic tournament record with 48 points and 11 three-pointers in a single game.

Now, in his senior year at the university, this dedicated basketball player just nailed a season-high 26 points at Saturday night’s game, when VCU scored 102 points on Houston.

He is currently leading the Rams in free throws, sinking 12 of his 13 attempts so far. He is also finding success in his three-point field goal average, making 18 of his 44 attempts this season.

The Team

As fans keep a close eye on Walker, he is keeping his mind focused on what’s most important to him – his team.

Walker has played in every game since the start of his career with VCU and has seen quite a few people come and go, including former head coach Jeff Capel.

Walker would not comment on Capel’s departure from the Rams, concluding that it is something of a mystery to him, but he praised the Rams’ new head coach Anthony Grant, saying “After Capel left, I think they got the right guy. He (Grant) brings a totally different style of play to the game.”

Walker commented on Grant’s ability to turn the Rams into a team that morphs with the competition, making use of the most important feature of human capacities – adaptability.

“He makes us work,” he said and slowly nodded his head in thought.

When asked for his insider’s perspective on where the team is heading, he remained humble but offered some insight. “The changes don’t have to do with me, or just one person. It has to do with everybody. The team changes together,” he said. “That’s just the way it works. That’s how it has to be. It’s on everybody.”

Values

Walker said of all the personal achievements he has acquired, none of them could compare to the achievements of his team and those they aspire to. In fact, he hesitated to acknowledge his own record history. “Since I’ve been here in my freshman year, winning the championship would really be the best feeling for me,” he said. “That would be better than any award or something I could get on my own.”

He said people could make a name for themselves on the team, but it was not anyone’s focus because the general spirit of the team inclined the players to be selfless, thinking only of the benefit and well-being of the team they are a part of.

“Winning the championship would mean more to me than anything I could personally do for myself,” Walker said.

He also said his seniority was not the only thing keeping him in tune with the values of his team. “We all have to care – it’s my last year and somebody else’s first year, so we all have to be careful,” he said.

In Walker’s position of seniority and given his on-court dominance, there is sometimes the impression that he is one of only a few leaders on the court. But he said even the freshmen are calling the seniors out when they slip up, and vice versa. “I think everybody’s a leader; if somebody does wrong on the team, somebody will call him out,” he said.

Walker said after college he would like to get signed into a league so he can keep playing basketball.

But he is currently majoring in sports management and keeping his options open, so that no matter what happens in the future, he will be happy.