Dantez Walton (born December 28, 1997) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Northern Kentucky.
| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 28, 1997 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2020: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2021 | Kataja BC |
| 2021–2022 | BK JIP Pardubice |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life
editWalton attended Lima Central Catholic High School. Alongside future Northern Kentucky teammate Tre Cobbs, Walton led Lima Central Catholic to two state titles in three years.[1] As a junior, he averaged 15.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.[2] He was named Division III Co-Player of the Year as a senior.[3] Walton averaged 18.5 points and 9 rebounds per game during his senior year.[4] He signed with Northern Kentucky in November 2015, choosing the Norse over offers from Toledo and Robert Morris.[2]
College career
editAs a freshman at Northern Kentucky, Walton averaged 3.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.[5] Walton served as the team's sixth man for much of his sophomore season before replacing Carson Williams in the starting lineup. Walton averaged 5.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.[6] During the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Walton scored 11 points and had seven rebounds in the Round of 64 loss to Texas Tech.[7] He averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a junior.[8] On November 23, 2019, he scored a career-high 33 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a 98–96 double-overtime loss to Texas Southern.[9] Walton was named Horizon League player of the week in three consecutive weeks.[10] Walton suffered a shoulder injury on December 15, against Illinois State, and did not make his return until January 31, versus Green Bay. As a senior, he averaged 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc. He was named to the Third Team All-Horizon League.[11] Walton also earned Horizon League Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Season and All-Academic Team honors. During his senior season, the Norse finished 23–9 and won the conference tournament, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Walton finished his college career with 1,008 points and 522 rebounds.[12]
Professional career
editOn September 4, 2020, Walton signed his first professional contract with Kataja BC of the Korisliiga.[13] He averaged 12.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. On August 17, 2021, Walton signed with BK JIP Pardubice of the Czech National Basketball League.[14]
On October 24, 2022, Walton joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce training camp roster.[15] However, he did not make the final roster.
References
edit- ^ Nogueras, Jose (February 15, 2017). "LCC grads Walton, Cobbs adjust to college life". The Lima News. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ a b Bush, John (November 11, 2015). "Lima Central Catholic senior signs with Northern Kentucky University". The Lima News. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ "12 locals named to Div. III All-Ohio basketball team". The Daily Record. March 16, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ "Lima Central Catholic's Walton named co-Ohio player of the year in Division III". Lima Central Catholic Thunderbirds. March 16, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Wical, Larry (March 12, 2020). "Does Anybody In the World Want This First D-I Post-season Win More Than…?". Norse Report. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Hatch, Charlie (December 6, 2018). "Dantez Walton is excelling as a starter for 8–2 Northern Kentucky". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Dietz, Matthew (September 4, 2020). "Former NKU forward Dantez Walton to play overseas". The Northerner. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ "Sunday matinee on tap for NKU MBB, which hosts Coppin State". KySports.TV. November 15, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ "Texas Southern downs N. Kentucky in 98–96 2OT thriller". ESPN. Associated Press. November 23, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Owen, Don (December 10, 2019). "NKU basketball notebook: Norse conditioned to win as Walton joins exclusive club in Horizon League". Northern Kentucky Tribune. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Schmidt, Dakota (July 9, 2020). "Twenty Mid-Major Prospects That Could Get Two-Way Contracts During the 2020 Offseason: Part One". Ridiculous Upside. SB Nation. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ "NKU basketball standout Dantez Walton named Scholar-Athlete of the Season by Horizon League". Northern Kentucky Tribune. April 16, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ "Dantez Walton signs with Kataja Basket". Sportando. September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Roopnarine, Surujh (August 17, 2021). "Pardubice Adds Walton to their roster, ex Kataja". Eurobasket. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "SKYFORCE ANNOUNCES TRAINING CAMP ROSTER AHEAD OF 2022–23 SEASON". gleague.nba.com. October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.