Bill Walker Ripped Into Bob Huggins

                

www.kansascity.com | 04/18/2007 | K-State’s Walker is healing

MANHATTAN, Kan. | The rehabilitation is ahead of schedule. The anger toward Bob Huggins has been put aside. There is no fear of being lost in the Michael Beasley craze. And the friendly wager with his new coach won’t be decided until at least next March.

Kansas State’s Bill Walker is intent on making the bet last until April.

The whirlwind of activity here in recent weeks, including Huggins leaving and the promotion of Frank Martin to head coach, has subsided. Walker, for one, is glad things seem to finally be normal again.

“I look forward to winning the national championship,” Walker said. “That was my main goal since I went to college.”

Walker, who, along with Beasley, gives K-State a reason to dream big even without Huggins, has moved past the disappointment of Huggins leaving him behind. After all, Huggins was the reason Walker took the accelerated path to K-State, arriving in November.

Walker never believed the West Virginia rumors.

“He gave me every indication that he was staying,” Walker said of Huggins.

When he learned Huggins was leaving, Walker became angry. He didn’t hear about it first from Huggins, and that hurt.

“He’s somebody I trusted,” said Walker, who’ll be a sophomore in 2007-08.

Walker admits he unloaded on Huggins once he told the team he was going.

“Just anger,” Walker said. “I told him what I thought.”

Walker had every right to think he was in no-man’s land. He had come to K-State because of Huggins, and suddenly, he was alone. But not once, Walker insists, did he contemplate leaving.

“I make the best of my situations, regardless of who is the coach,” Walker said. Walker endorses Martin every chance he gets, and Martin champions Walker with a similar fervor.

“He’s as mature of a 19-year-old as I’ve ever been around,” Martin said.

Walker’s take on Martin: “I’ve been around enough teams to know he did more than any assistant coach I have seen. Basically, he was our second coach this past season.”

The season ended early for Walker, who was sidelined for the remainder of the year Jan. 6 when he suffered a knee injury in the Big 12 opener at Texas A&M. He had surgery to repair a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and was expected to need four to six months of rehabilitation.

But according to Walker, he is 80 percent healthy. Walker says he’s able to cut again on the floor, but jumping is a no-no. He says he works out three hours a day.

As for playing with Beasley, rated the No. 1 player in the country by Rivals.com, Walker embraces it.

“If we’re going to win the national championship, we have to coexist,” Walker said. “I respect him. I don’t think I’ll have any problem with him. This doesn’t have to be my team. That’s not what’s important.”

Walker has phoned Huggins and apologized for his tirade. Otherwise, he’s taking 12 hours of classes and working on his outside shot. That’s where the bet enters the picture.

He attempted nine three-point field goals last season and didn’t make any. Walker is determined to dramatically raise that percentage.

“I made a bet with coach Martin I shoot over 40 percent on those,” said Walker, adding it simply was a gentleman’s bet.

Walker went on to say he isn’t considering a challenge of the NBA rules to try and enter the draft in June. Instead, he’s all about continuing to build success at K-State.

“We have enough talent to win it all,” Walker said. “Anything less than that, and we haven’t accomplished anything.”