When asked Monday about the NCAA’s handling of freshman forward Chris Walker’s eligibility, coach Billy Donovan paused for about five seconds.
“That’s a loaded question for me,” Donovan said, looking frustrated.
After another five-second pause, he continued.
“Right now, I have hope and optimism that a kid that has been totally forthright and honest and truthful and has given everything he possibly could, that the NCAA will do the right thing, so to speak,” Donovan said.
“I’m not involved with it. Like I said earlier, our administration is. I totally trust them to handle it.”
The NCAA has left Walker, who enrolled at UF on Dec. 14, 2013, once the fall semester ended, in limbo for about a month as it continues to evaluate his academic eligibility before making a ruling. Since he arrived on campus, Walker, a five-star recruit out of Bonifay, has missed all six of Florida’s contests and has only been able to practice with the team.
Walker has clearly been annoyed with the process, as he posted on his Twitter account (@cwalkertime23) on Jan. 3, “#FreeSkyWalker !” before eventually deleting the tweet. Gators fans have shared similar frustration about the way the NCAA has handled the situation, and the hashtag has gained traction on social media websites.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-10, 220-pound Walker has been trying to make up for lost time at practice. More experienced frontcourt players such as Patric Young and Will Yeguete during drills have dominated the freshman hailed by many as a phenom, according to Donovan.
“As practice has kind of unfolded, I think he’s realized, ‘I’m not really ready to play,’” Donovan said of Walker. “It’s been a humbling experience for him … in a positive way.
“‘I may have talent, I may have ability,” Donovan continued, imitating Walker’s thought process, “but I have no idea what we are doing out there right now and I have no idea what is going on. I don’t know how to guard a pick-and-roll. There’s actions, there’s screenings, there’s pressing, this is like foreign to me right now.’
“I think it’s been good he’s had some time to try and play catch-up a little bit right now. I think because of that maybe (he is) disappointed. He obviously wants to play. There is no question about it. But I also think he’s looking at it like, ‘Wow. I can get better through this.’”
Walker’s first month of practice may not have gone as smoothly as he would have expected, but his teammates have seen him gradually make improvements to his game as he awaits a final verdict about his eligibility.
“Freak of nature,” sophomore forward DeVon Walker said. “He’s athletic and he’s willing to learn. He’s getting better every day.”
Added senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin: “Yeah, he wants to play, but he knows it’s a process and he’s just kind of biding his time. He has the mindset of just doing whatever he can to help the team. And right now, that’s practicing and just making the people who are playing better.”
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Chris Walker (middle) watches from the bench during Florida’s 74-58 win against South Carolina on Jan. 8 in the O’Connell Center. The NCAA has not cleared Walker to play for the Gators.
