East Lansing, Mich. – It didn't take long for Michigan State to find its point guard this offseason.
The Spartans quickly reached out to Tyson Walker after he entered the transfer portal on March 12.
And when Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo called, Walker's decision to leave Northeastern became an easy one.
"I watched a lot of Michigan State growing up and what they do with their point guards and how they let them play," Walker told reporters in a videoconference. "Once I got the call, my mind was made up after that."
Walker helped lead the Huskies to their fourth CAA regular-season title last season as Northeastern finished 10-8. In 18 contests, the 6-foot-0 floor general averaged 18.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, which ranked 13th in the nation.
In doing so, Walker felt he belonged at a Power 5 school, and his performance against North Carolina, where he scored 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting, convinced him raising the level of competition would be in his best interest.
"I felt like I was the best person on the court," said Walker. "I'm just like, 'I need to be at a bigger place that can be seen more.'"
Walker's timing couldn't have been better, considering MSU didn't establish a starting point guard in 2020 and experienced a myriad of inconsistent play. But, in watching the Spartans from afar, he liked what he saw.
"I watched a lot when they had Cassius (Winston)," Walker said. And just how they get up and down; a lot of pick and rolls with him and kind of let him flow through the offense. I just liked playing like that."
The New Hampshire native has been on campus since mid-May and will participate in his first official practice when Michigan State begins its summer practice session next week, meaning Walker's challenges are already right in front of him.
Izzo isn't fond of starting a point guard on day one in his first season; even Winston came off the bench early in his career. So if Walker wants to become MSU's starting point guard come opening night, he needs to learn the Spartans' system and personnel immediately.
Though, he seems prepared and willing to build team chemistry on and off the court.
"Just knowing what they like to do, how they want to be talked to, stuff like that," said Walker. "The little things help you; the relationships also help."
Yet, in many ways, Walker has already proven himself, winning defensive player of the year honors in the CAA, earning an All-CAA first-team selection, and posting double-figure scoring digits in 17 of 18 games last year.
With his confidence at an all-time high, he's ready for the next level.
"I think it's going to be smooth," Walker said. "I'm not worried about it. I played against Power 5 schools this year, played pretty well, so I think I'll be fine."
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MSU Basketball: Tyson Walker Anticipates 'Smooth' Transition to Power 5 Competition - Spartan Nation
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