Breakout Candidate: 2018 Derrick Walter Jr.
With Keyshawn Embery leaving the state, the talented 2018 wing Derrick Walter Jr. will be asked to become the man for Midwest City which is why he is a Breakout Candidate.
Whenever the best player in Oklahoma moves away there will be a huge ripple effect.
Midwest City will have to adjust the most considering they were coming into the 17-18 season as the preseason favorite.
Fortunately for MWC, there is a 6’5 sharpshooting wing who wears gold and black who can somewhat fill that scoring role.
Walter Jr. just recently verbally committed to Oklahoma Christian University and you can understand their excitement.
If a D2 coach was asked to build a wing out of high school, Walter would be the prototype.
He has great size at 6’5 and a wiry frame.
He has an effortless stroke that gives off the impression that every shot has a chance of going in.
Where Walter Jr. has improved the most is the ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays.
The intriguing part for OCU is that he still has potential to grow as a playmaker and slasher.
Development is all about training and putting that training into game situations.
MWC will need Walter Jr’s role to grow for a better chance to win but it will also be an opportunity for him to expand his game in real situations versus 6A competition.
No one can replace Keyshawn Embery by themselves but not many schools have a player of Walter Jr’s talent level to try and fill the gap.
Not many schools can lose the best player in the state and still be considered a state championship contender which is a testament to MWC’s history and Walter Jr’s ability to become a breakout star.