Recruiting Report: Lucas Walford (2016)
October 12th Update New Prague power forward Lucas Walford's timeline has moved over one more step. It started with the trip to the state tournament last winter, he then joined the Minnesota Heat and made an instant impact at Battle…
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Continue ReadingOctober 12th Update
New Prague power forward Lucas Walford's timeline has moved over one more step. It started with the trip to the state tournament last winter, he then joined the Minnesota Heat and made an instant impact at Battle at the Lakes grabbing college coach attention, picked up double figure offers at the NSIC level, gave us a final five schools, and now he is ready to decide on a school.
“I just finished up my visits and am actually hoping to decide in the next couple of days actually,” Lucas told NHR last night.
So what schools will Walford be choosing from?
In August Walford gave us that final list and it was: Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State-Mankato, Augustana, St. Olaf, and St. Johns.
Last winter Walford turned up his play by scoring 62 points in three section games and pushing the Trojans to the section finals and eventually the state tournament.
Lucas scored 13.5 points per game as a junior.
August 28th Update
After picking up offers in four states and taking visits to a double figure college programs in the month of August, Lucas has sat down with his family and put together his list of final five schools.
Four of the five schools are in Minnesota and because Lucas is such a fantastic student, he is going to not only have the scholarship money for basketball, but academic scholarship money as well. Therefore in addition to the NSIC division two schools, there are also quality division three schools from the MIAC.
“I trimmed my list down to Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State-Mankato, Augustana, St. Olaf, and St. Johns,” Walford said.
Mankato and St. Olaf are schools within an hour of Walford's hometown of New Prague while St. John's and Duluth are an hour or two drive north and Augustana about a three hour trip southwest for Walford.
August 14th Update
Quietly Lucas Walford led New Prague to the state tournament a season ago winning 20 games and scoring about 14 points a night. The Trojans had a much better season than anybody expected and Walford became a known name.
Walford next joined the Minnesota Heat Northwest team that won any more games this spring and summer than any other 17 and Under Grassroots squad. Walford improved with every game, impressed every night in just about every way a player can.
“I played a lot more above the rim on offense and defense,” said Walford of his Grassroots season. “I also got better at defending guards and I think I can defend all positions now.
We played against excellent competition and went 42-15 against them. I also really liked the guys I played with
“Lastly, playing for Ernest and Jasper Duberry was awesome.”
With new Coach Bryce Tesdahl the Trojans move on into a new era with Walford as the main player representing on the floor. He’s excited for what lies ahead.
“I feel really good about it,” Lucas said of the upcoming season. “I think we can repeat as conference and section champs if we put in the work. The jump to AAAA will be tough with Rochester JM and the Lakeville schools but if we get our offense down and find our roles we'll be very good and competitive with anyone.”
Walford has offers from Minnesota-Duluth, Sioux Falls, Minot State, Concordia-St. Paul, MN State-Mankato, MN State-Moorhead, and University of Mary. Recruiting is going well and Walford will look at all interested parties.
“I've got 11 visits in August and I'm about halfway through them now. I've already visited Minnesota State-Mankato, Minnesota-Duluth, Concordia St Paul, St Olaf, St. John's, Carleton, Bethel, and St. Scholastica.
“I'm going to visit Minnesota State-Moorhead, Minot State, University of Mary, Southwest Minnesota State, Augustana, Sioux Falls, and Upper Iowa. I may also take officials to UMass Lowell and Western Illinois. I haven't completed my official visit list yet.”
Update from 4/23/15 by Alex Conover
It happens every spring.
You try your best to get out and see kids during the school season, but there are over 400 schools and only one of me. Naturally, some talent slips through the cracks, and it resurfaces in the spring when you see a mobile, tall, skilled player bounding across the floor.
Wait, who is that? I flipped through my roster and found Lucas Walford, the 6-foot-7 forward from New Prague playing with Heat Northwest (Duberry). It only took a few minutes of watching him rebound, run the floor and hit the outside shot to realize he was a prospect. Then our interview confirmed that idea.
“Macalester, Concordia, Gustavus, St. Olaf,” Walford listed as the schools interested in the early stages. “I’ve heard a little bit from Mankato State, mostly just D3s right now. College ball is a goal of mine. It’s a little weird being 16, thinking about it.”
Macalester? Olaf? When I asked if he had good grades, Lucas told me he had a 4.0 GPA and a 30 ACT. Okay, that explains it.
“I’m just looking around right now,” he added. “I want a good basketball program and good academics, which are a big part of it for me. As far as public or private, I don’t really have a preference right now. I’m just working on my post moves, trying to develop a go-to move and continuing to work on my shot. I also want to get better at guarding smaller players.”
With the grades, size and coordination that he has, I could see Walford going anywhere from a high-academic MIAC school to potentially an Ivy League opportunity. Much is yet to be determined.