Get to Know Mizzou's K.J. Walton
7/15/2015 12:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Learn more about the 6-3 freshman guard from Brownsburg, Ind.
| MEET K.J. WALTON | |
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Shoe Size: 14
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COLUMBIA, Mo. - Summer workouts are well underway for the Mizzou Men's Basketball team. The Tigers have regrouped with several fresh faces for the 2015-16 campaign. Get to know each of the new student-athletes on next season's squad with a series of features on MUTigers.com.
Incoming freshman K.J. Walton, a stellar late addition to Mizzou Basketball's 2015 recruiting class, joins the Tigers after averaging 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game as a senior.
Walton attended Brownsburg High School just outside of Indianapolis, where he led his squad to a pair of consecutive sectional titles and a 21-7 record last season.
Walton's eye-opening scoring ability (shot 44.0-percent from the floor) earned him a spot on the 2015 Indiana All-Star team. He chose Mizzou over offers from Minnesota, Xavier, Cincinnati and Illinois State, among others.
Q & A with K.J. Walton:
Q: Describe your style of play and how you approach the game of basketball.
KJW: "I think I'm an all-around player. A lot of people may describe me as a scoring guard, but I think I can play both wing positions well and play well offensively and defensively. So I'd say an all-around player."
Q: What's your favorite memory from high school basketball?
KJW: "I don't have one memory that sticks out, but I played in a lot of big games for my high school against really good teams and those are my favorite memories."
Q: What skills are you working on this summer to get better and prepare for the college level?
KJW: "Absolutely everything. I think I'm well-rounded, but I'm polishing everything and coming to the gym to learn, because there are guys here who have been here two or three years, so it's important to learn from them and get better."
Q: What was it like growing up and playing in Indiana, where there's such a rich basketball tradition?
KJW: "In Indiana, it's all basketball. You can never get enough of it. Coming here to Mizzou, it's similar. I know the fans are behind this program and this team. Even though last year wasn't what they wanted, the fans are still supporting. That's a lot like people in Indiana. Even if there's a down year, everyone still gets behind their team and brings their support."
Q: What was it like playing in the Indiana All-Star game and competing in an environment like that?
KJW: "It was really fun. There's a huge difference between the Indiana All-Star team and high school teams because you're playing with a lot of great players, not just good players. I didn't need to take a lot of shots, so it was fun to be able to play alongside great players like I will in college and get used to that style of play."
Q: How do you hope to make an immediate impact when the season begins in November?
KJW: "Number one is just being the hardest worker I can be. I also want to come in and be a leader and set the tone from the start. As far as the games, I want to be a great defender and then help offensively by scoring the ball as often as possible."
