Recruiting Report: Walker Andrew (2017)
There was a hole to fill at Heritage once Jack Peck, who averaged 18.4 and 5.7 rebounds as a senior, graduated at the end of last season. Enter Walker Andrew. The 6-5 senior has doubled his scoring average from a…
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Continue ReadingThere was a hole to fill at Heritage once Jack Peck, who averaged 18.4 and 5.7 rebounds as a senior, graduated at the end of last season.
Enter Walker Andrew.
The 6-5 senior has doubled his scoring average from a season ago up to 18.8 points per game. He’s improved his rebounding (6.3) and has become a more complete two-way player for an Eagles squad that, at 6-5 entering Friday’s game at Ponderosa, is already only one victory away from matching its entire total from last season.
“It’s just being in the gym every day trying to better myself and better my teammates,” Andrew said of the big leap he’s taken as a senior. “I wanted to be a better player, and it’s all come through hard work.”
Andrew has had a “lifelong goal” of playing college basketball, but it was around his sophomore year that he began really dedicating himself to the year-round training necessary to achieve that dream. He’s played his spring and summers since then with B&B Academy, developing his offensive game this pass season under the tutelage of coach Reini Reiter.
“He really helped me a lot and was in the gym with me all the time,” Andrew said. “I think that’s one of the big reasons I got a lot better this summer.”
Heritage coach Jentry Byleveld has noticed continued progress from Andrew each season.
“Walker is one of those players who consistently works on his game,” Byleveld said. “He is never satisfied and he has spent hours working on both his strengths and his weaknesses. Over the four years he has been in our program, he has improved tremendously each year.”
That work has helped Andrew saw some recruiting attention over the past year.
“I have a couple of NAIA schools, D-III schools and D-II schools looking at me,” Andrew said. “No offers yet, but they are definitely recruiting me. Western State has talked to me a little bit.”
Andrew gave some insight into what he believes had has helped him make a leap as a scorer who could help a team at the next level.
“I just let the game come to me,” he said. “I like to get inside buckets and then I step outside. Once I get my shot going, I just keep rolling with it.”
The most enjoyable part of coaching Andrew, Byleveld said, is seeing how seriously he takes his desire to improve.
“He is the first and last player in the gym and he works out countless hours on his own,” the coach said. “He is very coachable and has a high basketball IQ. This drive has made him the player he is.”
And one who only keeps improving.