Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Grand Canyon adds former New Mexico guard Demetrius Walker

Demetrius Walker

Prior to the start of the Mountain West tournament, New Mexico head coach Steve Alford announced that 6-2 guard Demetrius Walker was suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. Later in March that suspension would turn into Walker having to leave the program, and the fact that he earned his bachelor’s degree allows the Fontana, Calif. native to play next season without having to sit a year.

On Wednesday it was announced by Grand Canyon University, a provisional Division I member that begins play in the WAC this season, that Walker will play for first-year head coach Dan Majerle in 2013-14.

“We are excited to have a player of Demetrius’ ability that has played at both New Mexico and Arizona State,” Majerle said in the release. “It is good to have him here at GCU, as he brings with him a lot of experience and can score the basketball. He will be big for our team next season having a guy that we can go to.”

Walker played one season at Arizona State before transferring to New Mexico, where he averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 2011-12. And the fact that he played some of his best basketball towards the end of the season, reaching double figures in three of New Mexico’s five postseason games (three Mountain West, two NCAA), led many to believe that Walker would be able to take the next step on a team that already had Hugh Greenwood, Tony Snell and Kendall Williams on the perimeter.

But Walker was unable to take that next step, reaching double figures in just one game in 2013 (12 points vs. Nevada on February 2; four double-digit outings in non-conference play) and seeing his last action as a Lobo on February 13 at Fresno State.

Now Walker gets a fresh start at Grand Canyon, which won 23 games in 2012-13 but has to replace leading scorer Joshua Lowery (13.3 ppg). And he’ll get one more night at The Pit, as the Antalopes will visit New Mexico this season.

Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.