<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Ohio high school athletic association has just cleared the way for Bill Walker to become a lottery pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Walker, best known as O.J. Mayo's teammate at North College Hill (Ohio) High -- but a legitimate NBA prospect on his own -- was declared ineligible for his senior season on Monday. Basically, the governing body of Ohio high school sports has determined that Walker already has played four years of varsity basketball since completing his eighth grade season. That means Walker, a nomadic sort whose high school background is murky, has met the first half of the NBA's draft-eligible requirements for high school seniors -- which says that a high school senior can enter the draft if it has been a year since his original high school class graduated. The Ohio governing body is essentially stating that Walker's original high school class is the one that graduated in June 2006.</div> Source This makes the 2007 draft even stronger if he decides to declare. I'm stunned right now because I wanted him to go to school.
Oh man, this could be a good class. From what I hear he isn't that good though, he's just been hyped and boosted by playing next to Mayo. If he got his eligibility taken away, I heard Mayo might lose his too, then he could enter too right?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Best Kept Secret:</div><div class="quote_post">How can he go into the 07 draft doesn't he need to be 19 and one year removed from high school?</div> Walker was declared ineligible for his senior season, and he will turn 19 before June of 2007. He would be one year removed from high school (last year was when he was a Junior) and he would be 19 so yes he would be in for the 2007 draft.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SP23:</div><div class="quote_post">So, is he even going to school for his senior year? Or did he graduate?</div> That's what I'm confused about. So is he no longer going to school?
Well he just can't play basketball this season because he's already played in 8 semesters of varsity basketball. He's still a student.
^^^^Liriano BABY!! sorry bout that. this is weird, is this some kind of loop hole that players may now be able to pull off or something?
wow i can't believe it this is gonna be a good pickup for a lot of teams walker in my opinion is better than mayo.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting P.A.P.:</div><div class="quote_post">Well he just can't play basketball this season because he's already played in 8 semesters of varsity basketball. He's still a student.</div> So if he's still going to be a senior... he won't be a year removed from High School and wouldn't be able to enter the draft?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SP23:</div><div class="quote_post">So if he's still going to be a senior... he won't be a year removed from High School and wouldn't be able to enter the draft?</div> this is what im confused about
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting SP23:</div><div class="quote_post">So if he's still going to be a senior... he won't be a year removed from High School and wouldn't be able to enter the draft?</div> He'd be 19 though, and then he'd be 1 year removed from HS because he didn't play b-ball from what I hear, it's sort of confusing at this point
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"It's when you graduate (or when your class would have graduated), not when your eligibility is up," Frank said via e-mail. "So just because Walker is ineligible [to play high school basketball], he still hasn't graduated, so his class is the 2007 class." "Mayo being held back eight years ago does not give you a claim to [the 2006 graduating class] as his 'original class.' " Frank said. "He is clearly scheduled to graduate in 2007."</div> Chad Ford Blog It looks like the NBA won't let him in because the rule strickly states that: "At least one NBA Season has elapsed since the player's graduation from high school (or, if the player did not graduate from high school, since the graduation of the class with which the player would have graduated had he graduated from high school)." We can all expect to see Mayo and Walker in college ball soon, unless they want to mess up the futures.
Don't really see Walker going to college this season, since he didn't even graduate from high school yet..
Has anyone discussed the European route yet? He can spend the next two years overseas getting paid while he waits to become eligible for the draft. If I were him, or any other high school prospect for that matter, the Euroleague would be an option I'd have to seriously think about. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">or, if the player did not graduate from high school, since the graduation of the class with which the player would have graduated had he graduated from high </div> Technically, Walker should have graduated this spring, right? So does that class which he was supposed to be in qualify as the "graduation of the class with which the player would have graduated had he graduated from high school"?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Voodoo Child:</div><div class="quote_post">Has anyone discussed the European route yet? He can spend the next two years overseas getting paid while he waits to become eligible for the draft. If I were him, or any other high school prospect for that matter, the Euroleague would be an option I'd have to seriously think about.</div> Most High School kids aren't exactly ethused about going over seas to play when he can go play in the NBDL and stay in the U.S. If I was a player, why would I want to go somewhere, where I don't speak their language, not fit in, and not be with family? I'd go play in the NBDL with other players that possibly know what it takes to make the NBA. BTW--If he drops out of school, can he go play in NBDL or Overseas right away? Or if he doesn't want to wait and graduate this year but he wants to go to NBA, can he drop and enter draft?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting J_Ray:</div><div class="quote_post">Most High School kids aren't exactly ethused about going over seas to play when he can go play in the NBDL and stay in the U.S. If I was a player, why would I want to go somewhere, where I don't speak their language, not fit in, and not be with family? I'd go play in the NBDL with other players that possibly know what it takes to make the NBA. BTW--If he drops out of school, can he go play in NBDL or Overseas right away? Or if he doesn't want to wait and graduate this year but he wants to go to NBA, can he drop and enter draft?</div> First of all, there are plenty of foreign nations who speak English, and secondly, wouldn't he be in the same situation at college as far as being away from family goes? Overseas basketball can also offer more money and a higher caliber of play. Just being able to spend two years in a nation like England, France, or Italy would be a great life experience. That's why so many college students opt to study abroad. And yes, if he drops out of school, he can go straight overseas.
Overseas will be another option for Billy Walker, I think him and Mayo were both open to the idea. They could probably get $1Million a year to play overseas, but most teams would probably want them to commit for at least two years. Billy Walker should just join one of the Academy's if the NBA doesn't allow him to play, and then go to college for one or two seasons.
