Nearly two months after the completion of the NCAA Tournament there are still a long list of names in the transfer portal. This part of the season seems never ending with constant roster churn, but there are still notable players finding their next homes. One of the more prominent decisions was made on Wednesday with Brandon Walker finding home at Mississippi State.
A 6-7 forward originally from Oak Cliff, Texas, Walker flew under the radar at the high school level before landing at UT Arlington to begin his collegiate career. He started a handful of games and had decent production as a true freshman before entering the portal. Walker then landed at Montana State in 2023 where he’d spend these last two seasons with the Bobcats.
Mississippi State lands Montana State transfer Brandon Walker
In his first season with the Bobcats, Walker took that measured step forward we expect out of sophomores, putting up 13.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while earning his first trip to the NCAA Tournament. He started all but one of Montana State’s 35 games and would virtually match that production as a junior.
This past year was slightly different, as Walker averaged 14.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in another productive season. He had a 31-point explosion in a game against UC Riverside and was a very solid piece for first-year head coach Matt Logie’s frontcourt. However, he was held out of the final games of the season and wasn’t part of Montana State’s run to another Big Sky Tournament title.
As a result, it’s not shocking to see Walker in the portal again though this process was clearly laborious. Walker had solid production across more than sixty games in the Big Sky, finishing among the most efficient offense players in the conference during those two seasons.
He finally found that landing spot with Chris Jans and Mississippi State, feeling the fit for him to spend his senior year. The Bulldogs’ roster will look very different than this past season, which included another trip to the Big Dance. The program has already landed great pieces like Achor Achor and Jayden Epps and hope that Walker can be just as productive going forward.
Mississippi State has made the NCAA Tournament in each of Jans’ first three seasons in Starkville. Walker wasn’t part of last year’s action but he’s been in the Big Dance twice with potent Montana State squads. There’s no shortage of competition and excellence in the SEC, but the Bulldogs hope that Walker can be a solid contributor on another postseason roster. Will he settle into an important in this new look rotation?