NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 2 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
7. Tyson Walker (Michigan State)
The last five years have been quite productive for Walker, who was the CAA Defensive Player of the Year three seasons ago at Northeastern before transferring to Michigan State. He’s become an important backcourt beacon for Tom Izzo and company and continued that productivity in his fifth collegiate season.
The Spartans got solid work from Walker yet again, who averaged 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, helping Michigan State to a 6th place finish in the Big Ten. His shooting numbers were slightly down from last season, but Walker still earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors and ranked fifth in the conference in points and third in steals. A disappointing season from Michigan State’s program still featured some fine play from Walker himself.
Despite falling to James Madison on opening night, Walker was brilliant with 35 points and continued the good work all season long. He was a consistent scorer with numerous 20-point efforts, even dropping 30 against Indiana in the regular season finale. Walker helped lead the Spartans to the NCAA Tournament, scoring 19 in their win over Mississippi State before 24 in a season-ending loss to North Carolina. The Spartans didn’t live up to expectations, but Walker still turned plenty of heads this year.