Recruiting report: Jordan Walton (2018)
SPRINGFIELD — Glendale rising 2018 guard Jordan Walton has put together a big spring playing for Yanders Law on the NY2LA circuit and college coaches have started to take notice. At 6-foot, Walton can play either guard position and has…
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Continue ReadingSPRINGFIELD — Glendale rising 2018 guard Jordan Walton has put together a big spring playing for Yanders Law on the NY2LA circuit and college coaches have started to take notice.
At 6-foot, Walton can play either guard position and has become known for his outside shooting and flashy play. He burst on the scene as a freshman at Glendale two years ago, setting a single-season Springfield Public Schools record for points and earned All-Ozark Conference honors in the process.
“I would describe my game as an exciting/flashy style of play, yet very effective,” Walton said. “Some people get very excited over moves and passes that I make, but in my mind they are the smartest and easiest way to get things done on the court.”
Although he doesn’t yet hold any offers, Walton has heard from several NCAA Division I schools, including Northern Iowa, Drake, Kansas State, Missouri and Missouri State.
Walton says he has spent the offseason working on his foot speed, quickness, and agility while competing for Yanders Law.
“I realize for the next level my defense will have to be a lot better than it is now and I am doing my best to prepare for that now,” he said.
At the offensive end, Walton is working on his ball handling and mid-range jumper.
After spending much of his freshman season playing off the ball, Walton made the move to the point guard position at Glendale last season as he replaced graduated senior Garrett Skipworth.
“(Point) guard has always been my natural position,” he said. “Finding the balance between knowing when to score, and when to facilitate to get others involved was the hardest adjustment in my sophomore year.”
Walton says his mom, dad, Doug Shockley and Rob Yanders have been the biggest influences on his game.
“My mom and dad because they have always been there for me through the tough parts of basketball and the exciting/fun things,” he said. “My dad has always taught and talked the game with me at such a high level. He’s never held anything back from me and has always been extremely honest and I can’t thank him enough for that.
“Doug Shockley is the person who get into my head that I could be good at the game of basketball if I worked hard. He gave me since of swagger and that I needed to be confident/border line cocky to get to where I want to be in this game, and I feel my play on the court reflects that. Rob Yanders is my AAU coach now and he’s already taken my game to the next level in such a short amount of time. He has taught me some many little things about the game that I wouldn’t have thought of if it wasn’t for him.”
On the court, Walton says he enjoys watching Goran Dragic and Jason Kidd play.
“Dragic for offensive footwork and how he picks his spots on defense so well,” he said. “Also even though he’s retired now I enjoyed watching Jason Kidd because of his basketball IQ, vision, and rebounding abilities at the point guard spot. I also try and incorporate the confidence and edge that Russell Westbrook has to his game.”