Game Changer! Northeastern point guard Tyson Walker transferring to MSU

Tom Izzo may not have been in favor of the NCAA’s new immediate-eligibility transfer rule, but Michigan State’s head coach seems to have capitalized on the rule in a major way.

Michigan State made an aggressive move in roster construction via the transfer portal on Saturday when the Spartans gained a transfer commitment from one of the best mid-major point guards in America.

Tyson Walker - a shifty, nifty, multi-talented point guard who can score, dish or shoot from range - announced he has committed to transfer to Michigan State over finalists Texas, Maryland, Kansas, Miami and Vanderbilt.

Walker’s presence immediately provides a new face, and new juice, to a Spartan attack that battled point guard uncertainty throughout the 2020-21 season. Walker has two years of eligibility remaining with an option for a third.

Without major changes, the Spartans seemed destined for more inconsistency and growing pains at point guard next year. But Walker’s commitment completely changes the face of the Spartan backcourt and resets expectations for 2021-22.

Walker, a 6-foot, triple-threat talent, averaged 18.8 points, 4.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds as a sophomore at Northeastern this season.

With 46 steals, the pesky Walker was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association.

He led the CAA in points per conference game at 19.3 and in steals per conference game at 2.5.

He is expected to enroll at Michigan State this summer.

A native of Westbury, N.Y., Walker plays like a true New York City point guard in his aggressive, confident ability to drive to the rim. He can deliver a flashy dime along the way.

He complements his penetration game with good perimeter shooting ability, something that New York City point guards often lack but Walker surely possesses.

Looking for a player comparison? In terms of his thin-but-strong 6-foot body, his explosiveness off the dribble, his flashy ability to pass or score at the rim, his 3-point shooting prowess and his penchant for collecting steals, he shares a lot of physical and skill traits with former Louisville All-America guard Russ Smith. They both averaged 18 points per game in their highest-scoring season. They both happen to be New York City guards, wear the same number (2), and were under-recruited and underrated coming out of high school.

Smith was discovered by Louisville’s Rick Pitino at a time when few others were recruiting him. Walker remained under the recruiting radar throughout his high school career which included four years at New York Christ The King High School and one year at New Hampton School (N.H.).

The biggest difference is that Smith was more of a shooting guard/combo guard at Louisville although he possessed point guard skills.

Smith was one of the pesky defenders and scorers who helped Louisville upset Michigan State in the Sweet 16 in 2012, Draymond Green’s final college game. Smith led Louisville to the Final Four in 2012 and to the National Championship in 2013.

If you take Russ Smith’s skills and frame and combine it with the quarterbacking feel of Michigan’s Mike Smith, a mid-major transfer from Columbia, you might arrive at a vision of the type of player Michigan State hopes to get out of Walker.

Walker was selected First Team All-District 10 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

He is one of 30 finalists for the Lou Henson Award, given annually to the nation’s top mid-major player.

Walker led Northeastern to a 10-9 record, 8-2 in the CAA.

Northeastern was the No. 2 seed in the CAA Conference Tournament but was upset by Drexel, 74-67, in the semifinals. Walker scored 23 points in that game but was held to 10-of-25 shooting.

He scored 30 against James Madison on Jan. 24 and 36 against Towson on Feb. 13.

Is he a bit of a streak shooter at times? Yes. He was 0-for-5 from 3-point range against Hofstra on one night, and then came back and went 7-of-13 from deep against the same Hofstra team two days later.

He was 7-of-12 from 3-point range against Towson on Feb. 13. And then went 1-of-6 from beyond the arc against the same team the next day.

He has the dangerous potential to heat up on any given day, causing defenses to get out on him - which opens space for his ability to drive and create for others.

Walker played against four major conference opponents:

* Against Syracuse on Dec. 16, Northeastern led the Orange 41-36 with six minutes gone in the first half of a game played at the Carrier Dome. But Walker was lost for the game at that juncture when he collided with Syracuse’s Joe Girard as both players went for a loose ball.

Walker missed the remainder of the game. Syracuse applied a full-court press and Northeastern ran into turnover problems without Walker.

While playing 20 minutes of a low-scoring game against Syracuse, Walker finished with 7 points, four assists and four turnovers. He was 2-of-5 from 3-point range. It was his only single-digit scoring game of the season.

* In a 76-58 loss at Georgia on Dec. 22, Walker scored 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting. He was 3-of-5 from 3-point range with six assists and two turnovers.

* In a 73-51 loss at West Virginia on Dec. 29, Walker scored 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. He had three assists and five turnovers.

* In an 82-62 loss at North Carolina on Feb. 17, Walker scored 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range to go with one assist and four turnovers.

As a freshman, Walker averaged 10.4 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 35 percent from 3-point range.

He shot 35 percent from 3-point range and 50 percent from 2-point range in each of his seasons at Northeastern.

Izzo’s eight Final Four teams have been spearheaded by home grown point guards, and the Hall of Fame head coach has become something of a point guard whisperer over the years.

However, the Izzo’s program found itself snagged in an uncomfortable juncture this past season as the Spartans struggled to find a successor at point guard after four highly successful seasons with Cassius Winston at point guard. Winston led the Spartans to shares of three Big Ten titles, earned a Final Four berth in 2019 and became the Big Ten’s all-time leader in assists.

Foster Loyer, a junior this past season, was recruited to be Winston’s successor. However, he failed to deliver the type of all-around play that is needed at the position at Michigan State.

Sophomore Rocket Watts had the opportunity to move from shooting guard and take over the point guard role, but never found a comfort level. He struggled to run the offense and didn’t shoot well from the perimeter this season. Sources have told SpartanMag.com that some close to Watts have encouraged him to consider transferring.

It remains to be seen whether Loyer and/or Watts will retain a slot on the roster at Michigan State for next year as the Spartans move boldly into the new era of roster management with the addition of Walker and attrition a mathematical certainty.

A.J. Hoggard was a spot starter at point guard for Michigan State as a freshman but, like Loyer and Watts, failed to deliver consistent play. Hoggard is a good defender with a strong frame but struggles to shoot from the perimeter.

Michigan State signed combo guard Jaden Akins as part of its 2021 recruiting class. The 6-foot-3 Akins is an explosive leaper and intriguing backcourt talent who could develop into a lead guard or point guard at some point. However, if Akins were entrusted to become the starting point guard from day one at Michigan State, more growing pains and inconsistencies were likely to follow.

With Walker in the picture, Akins can develop as a shooting guard and also as an option as a back-up point guard, similar to the way Charlie Bell developed alongside Mateen Cleaves early in Izzo’s career.

After a year in which Michigan State barely maintained its streak of 23 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the goal now will be to get Walker indoctrinated into the program and push forward to the type of championship contention enjoyed during the Winston and Cleaves years. That’s a high standard, but that’s the standard Izzo demands and the standard Walker wants to be a part of.