Walker: One to Watch

The class of 2006 is loaded. That isn’t the secret. With several big men making early headlines and several guards scoring a ton of points, several sleepers wait in the wings for their moment to shine. One of those sleepers could be Orlando Walker of Roanoke Catholic School in Virginia.

RivalsHoops had a chance to see Walker up close back in January at the Dell Curry Shootout in Charlotte, NC. We were impressed with his shooting and scoring skills. He isn’t a big two-guard at 6-foot-3 but to his credit he isn’t afraid to mix it up inside for rebounds and has a shot that must be respected out on the perimeter.

Walker and the rest of his young Roanoke Catholic team struggled last Saturday, losing to Notre Dame Academy 45-39 in the Virginia Independent Schools Division II championship game.

The sophomore averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, four assists and three steals a game this season for a team that has eight sophomores and three freshmen.

“Overall, I think we’ve played pretty mediocre. We’ve played the top competition like Oak Hill and a traveling Italian team, so we’ve taken our bumps,” Walker said. “I started off kind of slow but the season picked up and so did my game. I’m just looking to come out with a bang.”

Walker said he’s had some early interest from the likes of Davidson, Marquette, Northwestern and Penn State.

During the AAU period, Walker said he’d play for the Roanoke Hawks. The squad will play at the Tournament of Champions in May as well as other regional events.

His goal this summer with the Hawks is simple: “I want to win the National Championship and just represent the state of Virginia and the city of Roanoke,” Walker said.