How Michigan State helped prep Walker for the big stage

While NBL26 is set to be Tyson Walker’s first professional stint outside of the USA, the lightning-quick guard isn’t a stranger to playing under bright lights.

For the last three years of his collegiate career, Walker played his home games at Michigan State’s Breslin Center, which regularly housed close to 15,000 raucous Spartan fans.

Across his time with Michigan State, and particularly in his final two seasons, the star playmaker was often the one bringing the Breslin Center crowd to its feet with his electric scoring and lockdown defence.

Now looking at his transition to Melbourne United, Walker believes he is prepared to shine in the biggest moments.

“(College) definitely helped me, especially being at Michigan State, being under the bright lights, having eyes on everywhere you go,” he explained.

“It definitely prepares you to be a professional, you’ve got to go about your days, you’ve got to go about your work very professionally.

“Just doing that, getting a whole bunch of experience in big time moments, helped my growth both physically and mentally.”

Walker’s exemplary college resumé, and the way in which he orchestrated MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo’s game plan was something that helped sell Dean Vickerman on what the tenacious guard could produce in Melbourne.

“Tom Izzo and that program hold people to high standards and prepare them for big games and big stages,” Vickerman said. 

“Tyson was someone that did really well in that environment, he wasn’t phased being coached that way and we think we can do the same.

“Throughout his college career, it was always about what the coach needed from him.

In his senior year, that was scoring, but watching him, you can just see that he always just makes the right decision. He can identify aggressive coverage, move the ball quickly and get his teammates involved. The IQ part of his game, for such a young player, is exceptional.”

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