After two seasons at Florida State, a transfer, and one year getting used to Columbus, C.J. Walker is in his element.
One of two seniors with experience at Ohio State, Walker is embracing his final run as the primary point guard for the Buckeyes.
“This is my last year,” Walker said last week. “I only got one more go-around. There’s no coming back, there’s no regret left.”
In his first 20 games in Chris Holtmann’s program, Walker looked new and a little bit lost. He struggled to find a natural balance between playmaking and shooting, and split time at point guard with freshman D.J. Carton.
He was quickly forced into a much more important role when Carton took a leave of absence from the program and eventually transferred. Walker played the rest of the season without a consistent backup point guard and took on a larger presence on both ends of the court.
In his final 11 games of last season, Walker averaged 33.1 minutes per game. His scoring output jumped from 7.5 to 11.1 points per contest and his assist numbers rose significantly as well.
It was clear there was a more confident leader on the court in the final stretch.
“I feel like last year towards the end of the season- 10, 12 games- it really motivated me to show what I can do in the Big Ten, for myself and for my teammates,” Walker said.
Over the off-season, Walker said his focus was on staying “confident and consistent.” The point guard added that he takes additional shots before and after every team session following an inconsistent shooting season as a junior.
Holtmann knows senior point guards have a massive impact in college basketball. He was pleased with where Walker ended up last season, but added that there is more to be done, emphasizing the impact his primary leader can have on the defensive end after stepping up late last season.
“It was really good to see him and Duane flourish together last year in the back court,” Holtmann said of his point guard. “They really did in our stretch run. We’re gonna need him to take another step forward in every area- be a little bit more consistent shooting the ball, be a little bit more highly detailed defensively, because sometimes he’s gonna guard the best perimeter, and continue to lead at the high level he has.”
Making the transition from a quality starting point guard to a foundational leader within the program is no easy adjustment. Walker was quick to acknowledge that this year’s roster looks very different from the one he stepped into as a junior.
However, the Indianapolis native is not worried about the new faces or a lack of chemistry. He knows how to share the ball, no matter who’s on the receiving end. A lack of cohesiveness won’t be an issue this season.
“Me being the leader on the team, my teammates understand me. Going through team skills, me voicing myself, me being like that, being a leader by example as well,” Walker said. “I feel like if I voice it and I show it, it just makes it that much easier, and my teammates understand that.”
After four seasons of college basketball, Walker is no stranger to success. He has been a part of three NCAA Tournaments, and would have played a crucial role in a fourth if not for COVID-19. The senior has tallied 90 wins over those four years, the most of anyone on the Ohio State roster.
There is not much that he has not seen, and not much for him to experience. On this new-look squad, it all comes back to being a consistent leader, someone to turn to in practice and lean on in close games.
“He’s a terrific kid. He is an exceptional leader. I think he really does embrace kinda how we wanna do things. He’s an every day guy,” Holtmann said. “I love where he’s at right now.”
Walker knows this is it. With the full trust of his head coach, he is Ohio State’s point guard and leader for the season ahead. There’s no looking back.
“This is kinda like that all-or-nothing kind of mentality,” Walker said. “I literally have nothing to lose at this point. So I think about it all the time and I’m really excited about it, to take on any challenge and things like that.
“I’m ready to play.”
