The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2024 2024 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ANTHONY BROOME U -M addressed its need for size and perimeter shooting via the trans- fer portal when it landed Sam Walters, who spent his first collegiate season at Alabama. He was a rotational piece on a team that went to the Final Four, and he brings to the Wolverines a 6-foot-10, 198-pound frame and the ability to play both forward spots. In 37 appearances averaging 12.3 min- utes per game last season, Walters put up 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds each night while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from three-point range. "Sam is an elite shooter and a very skilled forward," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said after he initially signed with the Crimson Tide in 2023. "He has a unique skill set of shooting and ath- leticism, can play on the perimeter and is getting better every time we see him play. "One of his best attributes is his work ethic. Sam is a gym rat and constantly in the gym, working on his game." Shot-making and length, especially on the defensive end of the floor, are going to be critical for Walters, but he could also spend much more time as a ball handler. Dusty May teams are known for their versatility and every guy being capable of bringing the ball up the floor. "My role is a couple things. One, obvi- ously, shooting; that's kind of my main thing," Walters told The Wolverine. "But I can also be a really good defender. I'm still working on it, but I feel like I can be a really good switch defender, as well, and just be a guy that can create mismatches for guys. "I think I'm going to do some more things with the ball this year, as well, if I keep working on my game. I was a solid ball handler last year, but I'm going to keep working on my game, and if Coach needs me to handle a little bit more, then I will." The Michigan staff wants Walters to be able to do several things as opposed to being pigeonholed into a single spot. "That's one of the things we talked about," Walters said. "When you watch FAU play, there's really no difference between the '1' through the '4.' In this system, everyone passes, dribbles and shoots. It's not really a big difference That was exciting to me. "It's really about who can guard on defense and what lineups are in. We have tall guys who are versatile, like me and [Yale center transfer Danny] Wolf, as well. With my shooting, I feel like I can play multiple positions. The Athletic's CJ Moore ranked Wal- ters as the No. 68 overall player available in the transfer portal. "Walters is a three-point specialist who doesn't need much room to shoot," Moore wrote. "The big lefty has a quick and high release, and he shot a solid 39.4 percent from three as a freshman, aver- aging 5.4 points in only 12.3 minutes per game. Walters was a floor spacer for the Crimson Tide, but he wasn't afraid to put it on the floor and attack shot blockers at the rim." ❏ Sweet Shooter 6-Foot-10 Forward Sam Walters Brings Soft Outside Touch Walters By The Numbers • Hailing from The Villages (Fla.) Charter School, Walters was a four-star signee and the No. 144 player in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. This offseason, he ranked 35th nationally among power forwards in the On3 Transfer Portal Industry Ranking. • His career-best performance came last November in a win over South Alabama, when he scored 16 points on 4-for-4 shooting (3-for-3 from three-point range) and was 5-of-6 from the free throw line with 4 rebounds. • Played one of his best offensive games of the season against No. 4 Arizona, scoring 15 points in 20 min - utes with his 3 made field goals all coming from beyond the arc. — Anthony Broome The Athletic ranked Walters as the No. 68 player available in the transfer portal. He shot 39.4 per- cent from three-point range as a freshman at Alabama last season. PHOTO COURTESY ALABAMA ATHLETICS