2013 Michigan commitment Derrick Walton had 21 points, five assists and just one turnover in a 58-55 victory over Southfield at the Battle of the Best event last Friday. UM Hoops was in attendance to watch Walton, who controlled the game for his Chandler Park squad. Watch footage of Walton’s performance in the embedded media player below and find a scouting report after the jump.
- Walton controlled this game without dominating the ball or taking too many shots – he was 9 of 13 from the field – which is exactly what you want to see from a point guard. He was able to get to any spot on the floor whenever he wanted and did a great job of surveying Southfield’s pressure defense and picking his spots.
- Walton had five assists and just one turnover on the night but he certainly could have had more assists. There were at least five or six plays where a good pass from Walton resulted in an open, but missed, layup or jump shot for his Chandler Park teammates. In the past, Walton has shown great vision in the full court but this was one of the more impressive half court passing performances that I’ve seen from Walton.
- Despite his performance in the half court today, Walton’s game changing abilities lie in transition. If Walton gets a steal, quick outlet pass or a defensive rebound then he’s off to the races. He can beat opponents down the floor and generally made all the proper decisions on the break.
- Possessing great body control around the basket, Walton welcomes contact when he’s driving the lane and is adept at finishing through it despite lacking the size or strength of bigger guards. At times he might try to be a bit too creative at the basket but that’s something that you can live with due to his ability to draw fouls.
- Walton uses his quickness and hustle well defensively but will need to play a more disciplined brand of defense at the next level. He has a few too many high school bad habits of cheating for steals and floating around the perimeter on the defensive end.
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