CJ Walker (basketball)

Walker was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana and attended Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis.{{cite web|url=https://myips.org/blog/district/arsenal-techs-c-j-walker-selected-as-indianapolis-coaches-association-player-of-the-year/|title=Arsenal Tech's C.J. Walker Selected as Indianapolis Coaches Association Player of the Year|website=MyIPS.org}} During his senior season, he won the Indianapolis Coaches Association Player of the Year. His senior season averages were 24.3 points, 5.6 assists and three steals per game.

Walker committed to Florida State on June 20, 2015, over offers from Walker's future head coach at Ohio State Chris Holtmann at Butler, Illinois, and Cincinnati.

{{College Athlete Recruit Start|40=no|collapse=no|year=2016}}

{{College Athlete Recruit Entry

| recruit = CJ Walker

| position = PG

| hometown = Indianapolis, IN

| highschool = Arsenal Tech (IN)

| feet = 6

| inches = 0

| weight = 180

| 40 =

| commitdate = June 20, 2015

| scout stars =

| rivals stars = 3

| 247 stars = 3

| espn stars = 4

| espn grade = 81

}}

{{College Athlete Recruit End

| 40 =

| year = 2016

| rivals ref title = Florida State 2016 Basketball Commitments

| scout ref title =

| espn ref title = 2016 Florida State Seminoles Recruiting Class

| rivals school = floridastate

| scout s =

| espn schoolid = 52

| 247 overall = 185

| rivals overall = 124

| espn overall = —

| accessdate = July 31, 2016

| bball = yes

}}

Walker played in 33 games off the bench during his freshman year, averaging 4.9 points, 1.3 assists, and 0.6 steals per game.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/cj-walker-2.html|title=CJ Walker College Stats|website=Sports Reference}} His season-high in points during the season was 13, against Illinois and Wake Forest.{{cite web|url=https://seminoles.com/sports/basketball/roster/cj-walker/|title=CJ WALKER|website=Florida State Athletics}} He started every game except for one during his sophomore season at Florida State, averaging 8 points, 2.4 assists, and 1 steal per game. He started every game of Florida State's Elite Eight run during the 2018 NCAA tournament, averaging 17.5 minutes per game.{{cite web|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/mensbasketball/2018/03/27/report-c-j-walker-given-release-transfer-florida-state/462130002/|first=Wayne|last=McGahee III|title=C.J. Walker given release to transfer by Florida State|website=Tallahassee Democrat}} Following the season, on March 27, 2018, he transferred from Florida State.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/3/27/17169518/c-j-walker-transfer-florida-state-basketball-program|first=David|last=Visser|title=C.J. Walker to transfer from Florida State basketball program|website=Tomahawk Nation}}

Walker committed to Ohio State on April 8, 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180408/ohio-state-mens-basketball--florida-state-transfer-cj-walker-commits-to-buckeyes?template=ampart|first=Adam|last=Jardy|title= Ohio State men's basketball: Florida State transfer CJ Walker commits to Buckeyes|website=The Columbus Dispatch}} Walker sat out the 2018–19 season due to NCAA transfer rules.{{cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/ohio-state/Article/Ohio-State-Buckeyes-mens-basketball-guard-CJ-Walker-sitting-out-as-a-transfer-this-year-129449454/|first=Steve|last=Helwagen|title=Watch: CJ Walker biding his time waiting for next season|website=Bucknuts}} He had a solid season during his junior season, averaging 8.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He scored a season-high 18 points in a game against Nebraska on January 14, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=401166169|title=Nebraska vs. Ohio State - Basketball|website=ESPN.com}}

Walker missed four games during mid-January due to a nagging hand injury.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/.amp/basketball/ohio-state-basketball-cj-walker-dealing-with-torn-ligaments-in-his-hand|first=Brendan|last=Gulick|title=Ohio State Senior C.J. Walker to Miss Time With Torn Ligaments in Right Hand|website=Buckeyes Now FN}} In Ohio State's Big Ten tournament championship loss, Walker scored 16 points and made a buzzer-beating three-pointer, although the three-pointer did not affect the result of the game as Illinois won the game by three points.{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2021/03/ohio-states-cj-walker-thrills-kills-bettors-with-bad-beat-3-pointer-at-big-ten-tournament-buzzer.html?outputType=amp|first=Nathan|last=Baird|title=Ohio State's C.J. Walker thrills, kills bettors with bad beat 3-pointer at Big Ten tournament buzzer|website=Cleveland.com}} He averaged 9.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. His free throw percentage of 94.0% ranked second in the country.{{cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/individual/142|title=NCAA College Basketball Statistics|website=NCAA.com}}

Walker declared for the 2021 NBA draft on April 12, 2021, forgoing his option to return to college by hiring an agent.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/.amp/basketball/ohio-state-basketball-guard-cj-walker-declares-for-nba-draft|first=Andrew|last=Lind|title=Ohio State Guard C.J. Walker Declares For NBA Draft|website=Buckeyes Nation FN}}

On August 13, 2021, Walker signed his first professional contract with ETHA Engomis of the Cyprus Basketball Division A.{{cite web |title=CJ Walker signs first pro deal with Etha Engomis Nicosia |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/cj-walker-signs-first-pro-deal-with-etha-engomis-nicosia/ |website=Sportando |access-date=August 13, 2021 |date=August 13, 2021}} However he parted ways with the team before playing a game. On September 27, Walker signed with Phoenix Hagen of the German ProA.{{cite web |last1=Poerschke |first1=Daniel |title=Hagen tabs CJ Walker, ex Etha |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Germany/news/706270/Hagen-tabs-CJ-Walker,-ex-Etha |website=Eurobasket |access-date=September 27, 2021 |date=September 27, 2021}}

{{NBA player statistics legend}}

{{NBA player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17

| style="text-align:left;"| Florida State

| 33 || 0 || 12.5 || .397 || .304 || .655 || 1.4 || 1.3 || .6 || .1 || 4.9

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18

| style="text-align:left;"| Florida State

| 35 || 34 || 23.2 || .412 || .355 || .732 || 2.5 || 2.4 || 1.0 || .1 || 8.0

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19

| style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="11"| File:Redshirt.svg Redshirt

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20

| style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State

| 31 || 29 || 29.0 || .427 || .321 || .812 || 3.1 || 3.5 || 1.3 || .1 || 8.7

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21

| style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State

| 27 || 12 || 30.0 || .410 || .265 || .940 || 3.2 || 4.4 || .9 || .1 || 9.5

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 126 || 75 || 23.3 || .413 || .321 || .799 || 2.5 || 2.8 || .9 || .1 || 7.7

{{S-end}}

Walker has a daughter, Summer, in 2019 from a previous Relationship. He is married to Taylor Ramey in 2022 and they had a son in 2023, Skylar.{{cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/sports/20200408/mens-basketball--ohio-states-cj-walker-enjoying-down-time-to-be-dad?template=ampart|first=Adam|last=Jardy|title=Men's basketball {{!}} Ohio State's CJ Walker enjoying down time to be a dad|website=The Columbus Dispatch}} Walker serves as an assistant coach for the Girls Varsity basketball team at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons}}

• [https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/roster/cj-walker/ Ohio State Buckeyes bio]
• [https://seminoles.com/sports/basketball/roster/cj-walker/ Florida State Seminoles bio]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, CJ}}

Category:1997 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American sportsmen

Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen

Category:American men's basketball players

Category:Basketball players from Indianapolis

Category:Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players

Category:Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball players

Category:Phoenix Hagen players