The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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114 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 G ary Grant, Jalen Rose … and now, Derrick Walton Jr. Several weeks ago, most Michigan fans wouldn't have dreamed of mentioning the latter, U-M basketball's senior leader, in the same breath as "The General" Grant or Rose, whose Fab Five exploits are well documented. But then came January. Though 12 Big Ten games, Walton was shooting a career-high 49.2 percent from the floor and 48.3 percent from three-point range, while averaging 17.2 points per league contest. In a five-game stretch that culminated with an 86-57 blowout of Michigan State Feb. 7, the senior averaged 20.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists with only 1.2 turnovers per contest. Walton reached the 1,000-point milestone with a 20-point game against the Spartans, adding eight assists and five rebounds to join Grant and Rose in the 1,000-point, 400-assist, 400-rebound club. Barring injury, it was going to happen at some point this year, and it probably would have been met with nice applause against anyone else. That it came against MSU seemed fitting, though, given the way he's played and carried the team on his back through 12 Big Ten games. The accomplishment was announced on the scoreboard after Walton checked out with 2:03 remaining in the second half, drawing a standing ovation from the Crisler Center crowd. "It's an honor," an emotional Walton said following the Spartan smackdown. "I didn't notice what was going on. When they told me, I was in awe. "I'm just really thankful for the opportunity to come here. I'm thankful for Coach [John] Beilein having faith in me as a young kid from Detroit, trusting me to run this team. Being in such great company [with Rose and Grant] is a blessing." He was only two rebounds short of 500 and being the only member of the 1,000-500-400 club heading into a Feb. 16 showdown versus Wisconsin, and U-M needed every bit of it with fellow senior Zak Irvin struggling. Irvin had scored only 13 points on 4-of-31 shooting in 135 minutes over a four- game stretch from Jan. 29 to Feb. 12, the lowest scoring output he's had over four contests since he became a starter his sophomore season. "Before the game the guys banded together and told me they wanted me to get this one, really wanted to get this one for me," Walton said. "They played like it, and I'm really appreciative of it. "Everybody played their heart out … we're a brotherhood, and we've been that and play for each other." But they haven't always followed Walton's example. Though he's struggled to finish at the rim at times in his career, played through injuries and had his share of ups and downs, nobody has ever questioned his heart. Against MSU, when he started singing 'The Victors' with the crowd before walking though the postgame handshake line, it seemed to resonate with the fans how important he's been to the program. They started chanting his name, and his huge smile showed how appreciative he was … and just how much it mattered to him. That's a trait head coach John Beilein never doubted. "In practice, I'm probably as hard on Derrick as any player I've had," Beilein said. "I applaud him. He's been able to take that type of coaching and still flourish as he goes along the line. … It's tough to put my finger on [why he's played so well recently]. All I know is that young man has worked so hard." And now it's time for his teams to reward him by playing with the same amount of heart and "want to." The Wolverines were firmly on the NCAA bubble with only a handful of games remaining, but they shouldn't have been. They let home games vs. Virginia Tech and Ohio State get away with lackluster efforts — ESPN analyst Dan Dakich called the latter reminiscent of a meaningless "midseason NBA game," inexcusable for a rivalry matchup — with teammates watching while Walton laid out for loose ball after loose ball and scored 25 points. "I don't mean to be cocky or full of myself, but I know I'm a really good player," Walton said before the MSU beatdown. "That's my main thing, getting back to believing in myself, believing in my ability and my talent. That's served me well. "I hope I can encourage guys to do the same thing." At the very least they can match the effort. They owe it to themselves, to Michigan — and especially to their senior leader — to try. An encouraging sign was the 75-63 win on the road at Indiana Feb. 12, behind Walton's 25-point, five-rebound, four-assist output. ❏ Chris Balas has been with The Wolver- ine since 1997, working part time for five years before joining the staff full time in 2002. Contact him at cbalas@ thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter at Balas_Wolverine. INSIDE MICHIGAN CHRIS BALAS An Example To Emulate Senior Derrick Walton Jr. compiled 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds in an 86-57 win over Michigan State Feb. 7 en route to becoming the third member of U-M's 1,000-point, 400-assist, 400-rebound club, joining Gary Grant and Jalen Rose. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN