Walker IV Declares for NBA Draft
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami freshman guard Lonnie Walker IV announced Wednesday that he is declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft and will forego his final three years of eligibility. Walker plans to hire an agent.
The NBA Draft will be held June 21 in Brooklyn.
“The University of Miami exceeded my expectations,” Walker said. “From school, sports, the environment and, last but not least, the Canes fans. This city has welcomed me with open arms and supported me at my lowest of lows but also my highest of highs. I made friends and memories that will last a lifetime and can’t thank anyone but the man above for giving me such an amazing experience.
“I thank the coaching staff and teammates for helping me enhance my skills on the court, but also challenging me off the court to be the best person I can be. I want to thank my family for the sacrifices they’ve made throughout the years. Without my family, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. And now, on April 4th, 2018, I’m here making a decision that I thought would never come true. After reviewing my options with family and coaches, I’ve decided to enter the 2018 NBA Draft and will hire an agent.”
“My staff and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach Lonnie Walker this season,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “He’s an extremely mature and talented young man, both as a player and as a student. We have tremendous confidence in him and believe he is going to be a terrific NBA player. Whichever organization drafts him will have a gem on their hands. Lonnie’s size, athletic ability and skill make him an ideal shooting guard but with the strong potential to be able to play both the 1 and the 2 at the NBA level. He is as classy a young man as I’ve ever had the privilege to coach. We wish him nothing but the best. He will always be a part of our Miami family and program.”
A 6-foot, 5-inch guard from Reading, Pa., who was a 2017 McDonald’s All-American, Walker had a strong rookie season at Miami, earning Honorable Mention All-ACC honors as well as a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team. He averaged a team-leading 11.5 points as well as 2.6 rebounds while playing in all 32 games, including 18 starts.
Walker is the first freshman to lead the Hurricanes in scoring since Darius Rice during the 2000-01 season and just the fourth in program history, joining Eric Brown (1985-86), Steven Edwards (1992-93) and Rice. He scored 368 points, the second most by any Miami freshman during the Hurricanes’ time in the ACC, which dates to the 2004-05 season.
After a slow start to the season while recovering from offseason knee surgery, Walker played his best basketball during ACC play, averaging 13.6 points per game, while shooting 41 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free-throw line.
Walker was a three-time ACC Rookie of the Week honoree. His 25-point outing against Louisville and 23-point game against Florida State mark two of the top six scoring performances by a Miami freshman in 14 seasons of conference play in the ACC.
Walker came up with some huge plays over the course of the season, and each was critical as Miami finished with a 22-10 record, including an 11-7 record and third-place finish in the ACC, as the Hurricanes reached their third straight NCAA Tournament. He drilled the go-ahead 3-pointer with just over two seconds remaining in Miami’s comeback win over Boston College on Feb. 24. He also hit an acrobatic shot in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime in the Jan. 24 win over Louisville and nailed the game-tying shot in the final minute in the Canes’ March 3 win over Virginia Tech.
To keep up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesHoops on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
