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Rondel Walker Commitment Primer: Predicting Where the Four-Star SG Lands

What to know before Walker makes his Halloween decision.

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Four-star in-state shooting guard Rondel Walker, the No. 2-ranked player in the state for the 2020 recruiting class, will make his college commitment on Halloween. Here’s what to know before he pledges and where we think he chooses.

The contenders: Walker holds more than a dozen scholarship offers from across the country, but he’s picking between a top five of Kansas State, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Texas. 

The favorite: Right now, all signs point to Oklahoma State as the frontrunner here. 247’s crystal ball reads 100 percent orange and black, as does Rivals’, with four analysts from that site this past month all placing predictions in favor of OSU.

The timing of Walker’s commitment seems to indicate OSU is in a good position, too. To kick off the month, four-star guard Davonte Davis, a long-time OSU pledge, de-committed from the program. Two weeks later, Walker announced he’s ready to make a decision.

OSU was Walker’s first scholarship offer all the way back in the summer of 2017. He had a breakout summer on the AAU circuit in recent months that forced OSU, after some outside questions about whether the offer was a committable one or not, to re-engage him in a full-force push.

What to expect from Walker, the talent: Tell me if this sounds familiar.

Has a slender build but expected to put on weight. A smooth athlete who has some explosiveness. Shoots the ball at a high clip from three. Has point guard skills as a shooting guard. Has a quality assist/turnover ratio. Can attack and make plays with either hand. Rebounds at a high clip for a guard. Versatile defender who racks up steals. [247Sports]

They’re not the same player by any stretch, but that scouting report from 247 is eerily similar to OSU freshman Avery Anderson’s. Long. Slender. Versatile. Good shooter. Walker fits the profile of a two-way guard who can defend and play multiple positions.

Connections: Walker, a Putnam City West product, played AAU ball this summer with two big-name OSU recruits: Mike Miles, a 2020 point guard who holds an offer from the Pokes, and Cade Cunningham, himself a 2020 point guard who right now is OSU’s biggest target on the board.

The trio made a visit to OSU together back in September along with 2020 forward JT Thor. Walker is also familiar with five-star prospect Bryce Thompson, the No. 1 player in the state. After he announced his top five last month, the two shared a rather interesting exchange:

Prediction: Oklahoma State. I’ve long thought that Walker would be a Cowboy if OSU made an effort and prioritized him. And with Davis no longer a pledge it paved the way for OSU to make him a priority while also giving the staff another great pitch to Cunningham, the five-star target: Come to OSU and you can play with your most productive AAU teammate.

Production: On the Nike EYBL circuit this past summer, Walker averaged 10.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from 3.

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