In-state big man Dallas Walton: “The offer from CU was huge”
Dallas Walton admits he has not fully recovered from his most recent knee surgery. The 7-foot-0, 215-pound big man from Arvada (Colo.) West has shown enough on the court this season, though, to earn an offer from Colorado. Some other major conference programs have been evaluating him closely, as well.
“I am about 70-80 percent right now,” said Dallas Walton, who is averaging 16.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game for the 12-6 Arvada West Wildcats. “I am hoping to get closer to 100 percent before the end of the season. It has been good, though. I am playing well and we are looking to make a good run in the tournament. That is the ultimate goal.”
Walton now has offers from Colorado, Brown, Denver, Middle Tennessee State and Wyoming. Nebraska and Purdue are among the other programs that have shown increased interest in the senior big man in recent days.
“Recruiting has definitely been picking up a lot,” he said. “I took an official visit to Middle Tennessee State in the fall and I was 50/50 on signing early. I could have signed early and not had to worry about recruiting my senior season. But in the end I decided to wait.
“My family and friends have been really supportive. I felt I was going to have a successful season, and be able to do what I wanted to do in order to get bigger schools to look at me. Everything has worked out well. The offer from CU was huge.”
Walton admits he does not currently have a plan for reaching his college decision. The late signing period for basketball begins on April 13.
“I am going to talk to my family about it and see what we are going to do,” he said. “I am not quite sure yet.”
Walton has been going up to Boulder to participate in camps and tournaments since he was in middle school. He first developed a relationship with Buffs assistant coach Rodney Billups, and has since formed a bond with the rest of Colorado's staff.
“I like the program a lot. Tad Boyle, the head coach, really knows what he is doing,” Walton said. “I like the fact Tad Boyle is not afraid to tell a player if he is doing something wrong. That is big for a player to be able to develop, and it helps the program build. I like that he is direct.”
Walton was not surprised when he got the offer from Colorado, but it was still a big moment for the local big man.
“I actually knew CU was close [to offering] because I had a conversation with Tad Boyle before the season. He just said his main problem with me was my knee so once I was able to power through that and play well this season, there would be no question,” he said. “So I had a feeling it might happen, I just wasn't sure when it was going to happen.
“Getting the offer from CU was a big, big moment. I went down to the locker room after the CU/Cal game last Sunday and after Tad Boyle finished his post-game [press] conference, we talked about my knee and how I was doing and he made an offer right there.”
Walton first suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during his sophomore year. A second tear to the same ACL late during the rehab process sidelined him for his junior season. The road to recovery was long and painful. There were days Walton wondered if he still wanted to play basketball, but his perseverance has certainly paid off.
“Since I wasn't able to play last year, I lifted a lot of weights and gained some good weight,” he said. “After all that work I put in during the off-season and last year when I was sitting out, to now have all the attention from colleges, it is a surreal feeling right now. It is a blessing to be in the situation I am right now.”
Walton considers his agility, length and quick feet to be his best attributes on the court. Getting full strength back in his left leg and becoming more physical in the paint are his two main goals before continuing his basketball career in college.
