For the first eight minutes of Saturday’s game, Erving Walker was still struggling to break free of his offensive funk.
On Florida’s fourth possession, the senior point guard dribbled inside the arc, pulled up from 3 feet behind the free throw line and missed badly on a midrange jumper.
On UF’s next try, Walker came running off of a pair of baseline screens and caught the ball on the right wing, where he passed up a wide-open shot.
“I think that’s a good decision,” ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes said on the broadcast. “Walker has really struggled shooting the basketball. He’s a facilitator right now more than anything.”
And for eight minutes, that was Walker’s role. Pass, pass, pass.
Florida’s lead kept growing, but it was as if the offense was running around him, not through him. He racked up a pair of assists, but other than that he was mostly uninvolved. Whether standing on the wing or alone in the corner, it looked as if Walker didn’t even want the ball.
Then, a highlight-reel layup sparked change.
Walker took an inbounds pass with 11:38 left in the opening half and dribbled to the left wing. From there, Walker drove across the perimeter and hesitated slightly at the right elbow before finding a lane and forcing his way to the basket. He extended his right arm and put a lay-up high off the glass, apparently lighting a fire in his play.
Although his return to defense was nonchalant, his offensive game was never the same.
He made smart passes and even smarter shots, racking up five assists and a career-high 31 points on only 12 attempts.
It was the perfect Erving Walker performance. One we’ve never seen before, and one we may never see again.
But a showing like Saturday’s, after an up-and-down season in an up-and-down career, proved that Walker will never be more than a minute away from flipping the switch, transforming himself into an All-American and raising Florida’s caliber to a Final-Four level.
When Arkansas missed again, Walker waved his right hand to call for the ball before UF even crossed half court. The pass found him in the same right-wing spot he caught the ball off the baseline screen, only this time he showed no hesitation. His release was instantaneous, and the shot was pure.
When Arkansas threw the ball away just a few seconds later, Scottie Wilbekin and Walker had a two-on-one from half court. As the defender shaded to Wilbekin and the ball, Walker had a chance to run to the basket for a layup. Instead, he sprinted directly to the corner, waving his right hand to ask for another chance at a three. Again, Walker’s shot was pure.
For the rest of the game, he never put his hand down. Still, despite the apparent confidence surge, he never took bad shots. He drove the lane looking to pass, including a beautiful look-off to Murphy for another open three.
Even when tempers flared and Walker may or may not have thrown the ball at and given a forearm shove to Devonta Abron, who happens to be a foot taller and 78 pounds heavier, Walker kept his game in check.
He’s a liability at his worst and a true game changer at his best. Stringing together six great games in March is probably too much to ask, but he gives the Gators a chance.
And if he can turn the corner and bring his distribution even when his shot is off, then he’ll be precisely the point guard Florida needs.
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org.
