7/16/2015 football Edit

UA Finals: Walker comfortable on the hardwood

Dan McDonald

Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Contributing National Analyst

THE RIVALS150: 2016 | 2017

SUWANEE, Ga. -- Day two of the Under Armour Association Finals started off with more showcase games, but finished with the first round of tournament games. The action didn't disappoint. Many of the country's top coaches were once again in attendance to see some of the top players in the nation play at a high level.

Walker working his way back

Coming into this weekend, some college coaches had expressed concern about M.J. Walker splitting his time in the past couple months between basketball and football and thought it may have negatively impacted his game on the hardwood. Any coach or scout with those concerns about the two-sport star coming into Thursday should

no longer feel that way.

The Atlanta Xpress trailed Earl Watson Elite by double digits for the better of the game on Thursday afternoon, but Walker decided in the second half he was ready to break out of whatever slump he may have been in and brought the Xpress all the way back to a tie game late. The Xpress eventually lost after some questionable calls that led to Walker fouling out, but the four-star guard finished with an impressive 37 points.

Walker, who is a highly recruited wide receiver in football, is a physically imposing 6-foot-5 and showed a very well-rounded game against Earl Watson Elite. He was hitting contested three-pointers, getting to the rim, and even shouldered the majority of ball handling duties late in the game.

Maryland, Georgia and Florida State have offered Walker in basketball and Ohio State has expressed strong interest. In football, he's picked up offers from N.C. State, North Carolina, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Georgia Tech and more. He's yet to decide whether he's going to pick one sport or play both at the next level.

Alexander out-shines Felton

Two of the better guards in the Carolinas in the Class of 2017 matched up on Thursday afternoon when North Carolina commit Jalek Felton's Team Felton squad took on Team Charlotte and Ty-Shon Alexander. Going off rankings alone, you would have expected Felton, a five-star prospect, to be the best player on the court, but that's not how it played out.

Alexander, the No. 100 prospect in Rivals.com's Class of 2017 rankings, led Team Charlotte to a convincing victory over Team Felton and was terrific throughout. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard had the three-point stroke rolling and hit two big three-pointers right before the half to give Team Charlotte some separation, and they never looked back. It wasn't just the perimeter stroke for Alexander, though. He was making plays off the dribble and getting to the rim with some crafty finishes.

Alexander, a three-star prospect, says Clemson, N.C. State and Virginia Tech are the main schools involved in his recruitment and each school has offered. He's visited each unofficially.

Scruggs stands out

Matched up against a long and athletic Louisiana Elite team, it would be easy to assume Paul Scruggs of the Indy Hoosiers would at least be held in check. That was not the case.

Just about any time the four-star guard wanted to get into the paint, he did and did so with little trouble. At about 6-foot-4, Scruggs combines elite athleticism with a strong body and has a very a quick first step. He's not just a great finisher at the rim, but sees the floor very well and is a willing passer. For all those reasons, you can expect he'll be a hot commodity among college coaches because of his ability to play different positions.

Scruggs rattled off a list that included Kentucky, Michigan State, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State and Kansas. Kentucky and Ohio State have yet to offer. He's taken visits to Kentucky and Illinois.

Fellow four-star Kris Wilkes also had a nice showing for the Indy Hoosiers. At about 6-foot-7, Wilkes also possesses great versatility to his game. He's more than capable of battling in the paint with the big men, but he's more than comfortable playing out on the perimeter putting the ball on the floor. On a few different positions, he made really nice passes from the block and out of the high post. He recently added an offer from Vanderbilt while on an unofficial visit.

Anthony PoliteClick Four-star guard Myles CaleClick Team Thad ran away with the game against the Florida Vipers 15U, but Daniel Barker is another one to watch in the 2018 class. Already about 6-foot-6 with a college-ready body, he's an elite athlete and knocked down four three-pointers against Team Thad.Here to view this Link. pumped in at least 20 points in an overtime win for the South Jersey Jazz against the River City Reign. It wasn't his best game as he struggled to finish in the paint, but he scored when it mattered down the stretch and finished the game with a pretty emphatic two-handed slam. He recently added an offer from Xavier.Here to view this Link. looks the part of a high-major prospect in 2017. The 6-foot-6 guard handles the ball, has a pretty lefty stroke, and will surprise people with his athleticism. He rattled off a list of offers that included Virginia TechClick Four-star guard Myles CaleClick Team Thad ran away with the game against the Florida Vipers 15U, but Daniel Barker is another one to watch in the 2018 class. Already about 6-foot-6 with a college-ready body, he's an elite athlete and knocked down four three-pointers against Team Thad.Here to view this Link. pumped in at least 20 points in an overtime win for the South Jersey Jazz against the River City Reign. It wasn't his best game as he struggled to finish in the paint, but he scored when it mattered down the stretch and finished the game with a pretty emphatic two-handed slam. He recently added an offer from Xavier.Here to view this Link., UAB, Central Florida, FIU and FAU. A number of high-majors are tracking him as well.