Saturday, September 25, 2010

Sharpshooter? Yeah, Walton qualifies

To clarify, headlines on Rivals.com sites automatically change as they move down the front page chronologically. The lead story always has a short headline, and the subsequent older stories load a longer, reworded headline that's put in ahead of time. They aren't changed because of perceived "scrutiny."

This is relevant to what, you ask? Let's preface by saying if some UNT basketball prospects saw some of the stuff written about them on a message board after they took the time and effort to take an official visit, they'd probably regret ever showing up in the first place. Yeah, that's a little strong, but in this case some folks have it coming.

The prospect in question here is Casper College combo guard Brandan Walton, who was the third scoring option as a freshman last season on a team that won 29 games. Walton averaged 12 points per game but made 68 3-pointers, which in most seasons I believe qualifies as some kind of sharpshooter. Maybe his percentage (37 percent) wasn't what folks believe lives up to the description in TMGR's original short headline, but referring to a kid who undoubtedly can help your program as "marginal" -- apparently because to some he's unworthy of an offer before the early signing period -- is arrogant or lacks any real insight.

Remember, Walton will be a sophomore this season, and I'd guess his numbers will improve significantly. Then again, they're just numbers and only part of the overall evaluation process. Last I checked, UNT assistant Bill Foy was the guy who brought you Eric Tramiel and Dominique Johnson in recent years, as well as others I can't think of at 12:35 a.m. Yeah, he's out there watching JUCO showcases in the middle of the summer in hopes of landing "marginal" players. Good grief.

I don't purport to know everything, but this time I'll err on the side of knowing there are folks out there who have confirmed Walton is a pretty good player -- and a damn sight better than marginal.

Maybe that would make a good headline.

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