Nebraska added another transfer to its roster on Wednesday as former Tennessee Volunteer Derrick Walker announced his commitment to the Huskers on Twitter.
— Derrick Walker (@derric__k) May 15, 2019
Walker is a 6-foot-8, 236-pound forward who will have two years of eligibility in Lincoln after sitting out next season.
“Derrick is a physical player who gives us skill and versatility in the post,” Coach Fred Hoiberg said ina release. “He has played in big games over the last two years, and his experience will be an asset for us with so many newcomers on the roster.”
Walker appeared in 30 of Tennessee’s 37 games this season as a sophomore, playing 5.3 minutes per game off the bench behind the likes of Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Kyle Alexander. He scored 25 points and grabbed 32 rebounds while converting 10 of his 19 field goal attempts but only five of his 19 free-throw attempts in 159 minutes.
As a freshman, Walker had a slightly bigger role, averaging 1.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game off the bench, playing in 34 of Tennessee’s 35 games. His best game as a Volunteer came during his freshman year as he put up 10 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes against South Carolina.
Walker was a 3-star recruit coming out of Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kansas, in 2017. He chose the Volunteers over St. John’s, Georgia and a handful of mid-majors.
Walker entered the transfer portal on May 1. He is the second sit-out transfer Fred Hoiberg has added to his roster since taking over, joining Western Kentucky transfer Dalano Banton. Assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih said last month that he likes to have at least two transfers sitting out each year.
“It balances out the roster really well,” Abdelmassih said. “You’re not going to make more than nine to 10 players happy, so 10 eligible players is always something you really want to try and lock in on.
“It’s also important when you take a sit-out transfer that they’re not going on that journey by themselves during that sit-out year, because it is a very lonely one, and to have multiple guys sitting out that can be there with each other definitely has shown a lot of promise and upside.”
With Walker’s commitment, Nebraska has filled all 13 scholarships unless Isaiah Roby remains in the NBA Draft. Roby is in Chicago to participate in the NBA Combine and will have until May 29 to make his decision.
Jacob Padilla has been writing for Hail Varsity since 2015. He covers football, volleyball men’s basketball and prep sports. He also co-hosts the Nebraska Preps Postgame and Nebraska Shootaround podcasts for the Hurrdat Media and Hail Varsity podcast networks. His love of basketball can best be described as an obsession and if you need to find him, he’s probably in a gym somewhere watching, coaching or playing hoops.
