It looks like Kentucky High School Basketball could be getting a future superstar in one of its Western Kentucky schools this season.
And only this season.
This from the Chicago Sun-Times:
Walker, a 5-10 point guard, averaged 35 points at Stevenson Middle School in Melrose Park. He played eighth grade ball as a seventh grader. Chikosi Walker doesn’t see any point in his son playing another season at that level, so he’s made a bold decision.
Marquise is moving to Bowling Green, Kentucky. He’ll attend South Warren Middle School and be the starting point guard at South Warren High School. Middle school students are allowed to play high school basketball in Kentucky.
“Playing eighth grade again would waste a year of development,” said Chikosi Walker. “He would be the best player on the court every game and won’t get better. He’s an alpha dog. It’s a no-win situation playing eighth grade ball. You have to see him play to understand what I mean. He hits another level when he plays against the best players in the country.”
Walker said South Warren is a much better school than Stevenson, so the move makes academic sense as well. He plans to spend as much time as possible with his son in Kentucky.
“I’m self-employed so I have a lot of flexibility,” said Chikosi Walker. “I’m getting an apartment down here, they are pretty cheap. I’ve been looking the last couple days. We are in an extended stay hotel for a week or so. I’ll be back and forth throughout the year. I work in real estate, I own some properties and have passive income so I don’t have to be (in Chicago) all the time.”
Chikosi Walker has good friends in the Bowling Green area and his grandfather lives there, so there will be plenty of people to look after Marquise. The plan is to spend one year in Kentucky getting high school playing experience and then return to the Chicago area for four years of high school ball.
“He should be able to step in and start on one of the best teams in the Chicago area as a freshman next year,” said Chikosi Walker. “He’s wide-open for high schools, it has to be the best situation where he can play and qualify for college.”
Pretty interesting situation to say the least.
I wonder if this will promote the KHSAA to take a deeper look into transfer rules for middle school players as well?
Here are highlights:
