Where is Derrick Walker?

#1
10cpride

10cpride

Everything Orange
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#1
He has not played much compared to last year. Has he regressed since playing up to 8 minutes a game as a freshman?
 
#2
#2
Has a few valuable skills. But looks.like he just doesn't study for quizzes or does much homework. He's a Jr now and has added no skills to his game, and seems even less coordinated than the past 2 years. I thought he would grow into a solid post player by now, but we have a defensive dropoff and massive offensive loss when he comes in. Plays with decent energy tho.

Looks like the typical results of hippie lettuce, but IDK. We could really use him down the stretch.
 
#3
#3
livefaith said:
Has a few valuable skills. But looks.like he just doesn't study for quizzes or does much homework. He's a Jr now and has added no skills to his game, and seems even less coordinated than the past 2 years. I thought he would grow into a solid post player by now, but we have a defensive dropoff and massive offensive loss when he comes in. Plays with decent energy tho.

Looks like the typical results of hippie lettuce, but IDK. We could really use him down the stretch.
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SMH
 
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#6
#6
He has not taken advantage of his opportunities. It's that simple. For whatever reason he and Jalen Johnson and to a smaller scale Fulkerson have not developed like they should.
 
#10
#10
I'd expect to see a lot less of our 7-10 guys in some of the crucial games coming up. I'll be amazed if they get close to 10 minutes, unless there is serious foul trouble. Don't know why u guys expect them to break in to the line up of our top 6 and play big minutes. think boys.
 
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#13
#13
Bennessee01 said:
Live Faith, See what you started?
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Yeah. I did. Just surmising as to why he's getting little pt. Not trying to be. DW downer. We just just really need him in the paint to give some boost especially when foul trouble comes. He flashes so much potential.
 
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#14
#14
ColinS said:
He has not taken advantage of his opportunities. It's that simple. For whatever reason he and Jalen Johnson and to a smaller scale Fulkerson have not developed like they should.
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Fulkerson had a horrendous injury to his arm as a freshman that cost him that entire season. His situation is not the same as Johnson and Walker.
 
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#15
#15
livefaith said:
Has a few valuable skills. But looks.like he just doesn't study for quizzes or does much homework. He's a Jr now and has added no skills to his game, and seems even less coordinated than the past 2 years. I thought he would grow into a solid post player by now, but we have a defensive dropoff and massive offensive loss when he comes in. Plays with decent energy tho.

Looks like the typical results of hippie lettuce, but IDK. We could really use him down the stretch.
Click to expand...
You would be shocked at your all-time great Vol players that used the hippie lettuce whilst in college. Now it is different thing if he is smoking blunts before practice and games though a la Scooter McFadgon.
 
#16
#16
livefaith said:
Has a few valuable skills. But looks.like he just doesn't study for quizzes or does much homework. He's a Jr now and has added no skills to his game, and seems even less coordinated than the past 2 years. I thought he would grow into a solid post player by now, but we have a defensive dropoff and massive offensive loss when he comes in. Plays with decent energy tho.

Looks like the typical results of hippie lettuce, but IDK. We could really use him down the stretch.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but what is "hippie lettuce"? I guess I'm too told and out of touch. Some of these lol's, fu's and the such are just over my head.
 
#17
#17
calban said:
I'd expect to see a lot less of our 7-10 guys in some of the crucial games coming up. I'll be amazed if they get close to 10 minutes, unless there is serious foul trouble. Don't know why u guys expect them to break in to the line up of our top 6 and play big minutes. think boys.
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This. I’d be interested in seeing who these people would take minutes away from to give to Johnson, Fulkerson, or Walker, right now. Those three weren’t recruited and brought in to start and contribute big minutes off the bat. Realistically, because of injuries, all three of those guys are in their 2nd year of actual game action. The guys ahead of them are more seasoned veterans, and better basketball players. Time will tell if those three can heavily contribute when called upon to do so in heavy doses, but right now isn’t the time to be making rash decisions on their current contributions. They are simply role players to this point that are hopefully developing in practice to more when their time comes.
 
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#20
#20
livefaith said:
Why do you think he barely gets on the court with decreased minutes after 3 years?
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Did you see him try to shoot free throws? enough said. If he wants to play, he needs to get in the gym and act like he is interested in playing. If not, he is wasting his time and the coache's time.
 
#21
#21
cant hit a free throw, not great on defense. He's young. He'll be a 4 year guy that contributes going forward.

And LF, why do you have to assume a kid is using drugs because he's not performing well? Big reach and a shoddy attempt at discrediting a good kid.
 
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#23
#23
Fulkerson is playing just fine. He's playing his role pretty well. He's an energy guy off the bench. Play some defense, get some rebounds and steals, maybe get a couple of layups. That's really his ceiling, and that's ok.

Walker did play a little against Florida, to match up against Stokes. I thought he won that battle at least. Right now, he's just a less athletic but stronger version of Fulky, but is also more prone to mistakes. That's why he isn't playing. He's redundant because of Fulky. He still has a higher ceiling, but he'll have to realize some of that potential to get playing time.
 
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#24
#24
calban said:
I'd expect to see a lot less of our 7-10 guys in some of the crucial games coming up. I'll be amazed if they get close to 10 minutes, unless there is serious foul trouble. Don't know why u guys expect them to break in to the line up of our top 6 and play big minutes. think boys.
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You may be right and far be it from me to second-guess Barnes but I'm not sure I understand the rationale behind such a strategy...beyond the crucial games you mention. From the outside looking in, I would think that now would be a good time to be asking more from our bench, i.e. building depth to at least two more guys. We have a killer stretch coming up to end the regular season and, personally, my uninformed gut tells me to use a solid rotation of 8-9 guys...now, as we approach the home stretch of the season. Rest our racehorses a bit when we can, give some quality minutes to the 8 and 9 guys while coaching the heck out of them to truly contribute, so we enter the tourney knowing we have a bench that can help us win. A lot of folks feel we got knocked out of the tourney last year because Alexander fouled out and there was a significant drop-off with his replacement.

I would think that a rotation of 9 would increase our chances in the tourney. Tell those guys on the bench that this team''s fortunes in the tourney rest with them...how they do when they are on the floor. Time to step up and win it for us, etc. We have eight regular-season games left, then the SEC tourney, then The Show. That's a lot of games for a rotation of 7 who have already played the vast majority of minutes in 23 games.

I mean, what are we gonna do when, for example, Schofield goes down with an injury and Williams fouls out, God forbid, when it's all on the line with five minutes left? And we're playing a quality opponent who have been rotating their own 9 and maybe aren't as gassed as our 7?

Just some thoughts from a fan. All that said with this obvious caveat: Barnes knows what he is doing and I trust him.
 
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