Hello: Chris Walker

Michigan picked up their first in-state verbal commit from the 2012 class when Brother Rice LSM/D Chris Walker became a public commitment to the maize-and-blue.

Chris Walker (Photo via ESPN Rise)

Relevant Articles

Warning in advance: since he’s a defensive player, there’s going to be very little information out there. Since he has an extremely common name, it’s going to be tough to find that information. Bear with me in that regard.

Inside Lacrosse’s commitment article mentions that he’s a “versatile” lefty who stands 6-0, 180 pounds. They also named him defensive man of the session at Blue Chip rising seniors:

This lefty defenseman was all over the place during the morning session. I rarely witnessed him make a mistake and he boasted some exceptional footwork and stick skills. My guess is that he had about a half dozen groundballs with some nice plays to give his teammates the ball. The coaches around me really adored this kid as well.

Lots of talk about stick skills and passing ability sounds like he’s a threat in the clearing game and as an offensive player on the fast break. Good footwork and GBs sound like a guy who’s sound as a defender. He was also named an All-Star at the Reebok 100. He’s on ESPN Rise’s junior watch list.

According to Brother Rice’s athletics website, Walker was first team All-Catholic and Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association selection, in addition to his field All-American selection. He notched 91 ground balls for the Warriors this year, and was one of the team’s co-captains (the only non-senior to earn that honor).

Following a regional final victory over Clarkston, Rice coach Rob Ambrose complimented Walker’s play:

“I think our defense came out wanting to play aggressive,” Ambrose said. “In a game like this, there are usually a lot of nerves so we wanted to put a lot of pressure on them. (Defenseman) Chris Walker played an outstanding game for us. We knew we needed to go out right away and pressure them and try and get the ball out of their hands because Clarkston is a good offensive team.”

Perhaps I’m reading too much into the structure of that paragraph, but it certainly sounds like Walker was one of the key players providing that defensive pressure. His fellow defensive commit Graham Conlan also looks like an aggressive takeaway defender, which might say a bit about what type of defense John Paul and Ken Broschart want to run.

Other Interest

Walker defends in the State Championship game against Forest Hills Eastern/Northern. Photo via West MI All-Star.

According to ESPN Rise’s commitment article, Walker’s other suitors included Georgetown, Ohio State, Brown, Dartmouth, Bucknell, and Delaware. Of those, Georgetown (17), Ohio State (23) and Bucknell (12) finished in LaxPower’s top 25 to end last season. It’s also (unofficially) Michigan’s first lacrosse recruiting victory over the rival Buckeyes, as far as I can tell.

Teammates of Note

Brother Rice is essentially the only game in town as far as the state of Michigan goes (they finished #67 in LaxPower’s national rankings; the next Michigan team was Forest Hills Eastern at #258), and the Warriors have sent a number of players to the D-1 ranks over the past few years. For a look at what some Rice players currently in college did on the field this spring, check out the season-ending The Next Level post. As for 2011 graduates, they’re headed to the following schools:

• Bennett Packer – Delaware
• Luke Timmis and KC Kennedy – Marquette
• Will Meter – Michigan
• Jake Jaskolski – Division-3 Emmanuel

Chris is the first listed recruit for Brother Rice’s class of 2012 (though I can guarantee he won’t be the last).

Walker, along with his 2011 teammate Will Meter, may help Michigan open up a pipeline into Brother Rice. Since it’s the top lacrosse high school in the state, that can only help the Wolverines going forward.

Video

I couldn’t find any video of Walker online. If you’re really dedicated, you can watch the MHSAA final, and keep an eye out for #24. Rice wasn’t on defense much, so don’t blink.

The Upshot

Though he’s listed as an LSM/defenseman to InsideLacrosse (and others), it seems like he’s played mostly close defense to date. Good athleticism could hep him transition to the midfield, and his feet/stick skills also would be of assistance. On the other hand, he could just continue playing D in college.

Either way, he seems like a very strong clearing/transition player, with the stick skills to be an occasional threat offensively. On D, he sounds like an aggressive, takeaway-type defender. As one of Michigan’s highest-profile defensive commits to date, it’s very possible that he contributes early in his career.