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Walker’s emotions sometimes get the best of Kansas State
By HOWARD RICHMANThe Kansas City Star
For James Franklin, it left a mark.
Walker, Kansas State’s combustible, controversial and at times dominant freshman, is known to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Franklin rolls up his sleeve and shows off an inch-long scar on the inside of his bicep that Walker left after one of their practice battles.
“Every time I end up bleeding, people come up and say, ‘Bill did it, didn’t he?’ ” said Franklin, K-State’s senior guard. “I’ve bled from the nose. My lip. My head. I don’t mind because Bill just wants to win so badly. At times, you kind of want him to be controlled in a situation, but at the same time, that’s how he plays.”
Without question, Walker can be a lightning rod for reaction — and his disposition rarely is in neutral.
And the key to a successful run by the Wildcats in the postseason, which begins with tonight’s 8:20 game in the Big 12 tournament, might hinge on how Walker channels his emotions. When there are positive vibes, he can be unstoppable. His spin move that often results in a slam is positively powerful.
When Walker’s emotions get the best of him, it isn’t always pretty. He was involved in a heated exchange with teammate Michael Beasley in a loss at Texas Tech. Walker admittedly lost his cool at Nebraska, getting whistled for a technical foul with 9 minutes, 38 seconds left. He didn’t play again, and the Wildcats lost.
“My actions kind of derailed us from getting that win,” Walker, who averages 16 points and 6.5 rebounds, said earlier this week, “and that’s probably the thing I want to take back the most. I could have just done nothing, walk down the court and try to get this team to win, but I did otherwise and it hurt my team.”
Walker is trying to harness his emotions when something happens he doesn’t like, and try to move past it rather than dwelling on it.
“I feel like I get worse treatment than, say, somebody else would because I’m probably bigger than a lot of people,” he said. “Me putting a finger on somebody or somebody chest-bumping me or elbowing me is different. I’ve come to learn that. I’ve just got to play around it. I don’t want any calls. You’re better off just not calling anything. Just play. Let the players decide the game.”
Based on his emotional ways, it might seem like opposing teams should intentionally try to rattle Walker. But that can be dangerous, too, as noted by perhaps Walker’s most legendary effort as a high school star in Cincinnati.
“When Bill was a senior, we had a sophomore, Arrez Henderson, who blocked his shot out of bounds,” said David Henley, who coaches Holmes High School of Covington, Ky., “and Bill proceeded to drop 50 on us. I should have known. I had talked with one of the coaches in Cincinnati who said, ‘I’ve got some advice for you — don’t tick him off.’”
K-State coach Frank Martin defends Walker. So does Beasley.
“Bill emotionally carries this team almost,” Beasley said. “He brings the energy, brings the intensity, every day. People look at him and see his attitude. It’s just because things are not going the right way. We came off a four-game losing streak. Bill wasn’t happy. I wasn’t happy. I just don’t show it as much as he does.”
Walker said: “I’m a passionate person. I feel if you’re not passionate about what you do, you’re not going to be successful. That’s how I live my life. If I’m not out there with any energy, then the team comes out a little flat. I know that. I just try to be as energized as I can without being too emotional.”
Whether Walker sticks around K-State next season or takes it to the next level, one thing will never change.
“I play the game. I love the game. I get emotional about it,” Walker said. “When I don’t have that, I’ll quit playing basketball.”