UF senior Erving Walker held scoreless for first time in three seasons
Florida guard Erving Walker had not been held scoreless since a win over Stetson on Dec. 30, 2008. (Orlando Sentinel file photo)
In a 20-point loss at No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday, several Florida players struggled to score. But none had a tougher game that guard Erving Walker.
The senior was held scoreless for the first time since his freshman season, a string of 117 games dating back to Dec. 30, 2008. Walker went 0-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-4 from 3-point range, and had four rebounds, one assist and two turnovers in 26 minutes.
Kentucky point guard Marquis Teague, who is listed at four inches taller than Walker, had a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists.
“He’s got great speed and quickness. He knows where the ball needs to go,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said of Teague. “I thought that was a matchup tonight that probably really hurt us when you look at Teague vs. Walker. That was something that was a big difference in the game. He had five turnovers, Teague, in the game, but I think some of his turnovers were trying to make the right play. But he also had 10 assists.”
In eight career games vs. Kentucky, Walker has marks below his career average in points (9.0 per game against UK vs. 12.4 per game in his career), shooting percentage (.243 vs. .392) and assists (2.5 apg vs. 3.8). Donovan was asked whether Walker’s size has been a factor in games vs. the Wildcats and offered this response.
“I think that that’s one of the things that’s makes them very, very good is they have great length,” said Donovan. “So I think that that’s one thing, they have great length at the basket and they have very good length on the perimeter.”
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