It was never a stretch for Brooke Walker to picture herself in Colorado’s black and gold. It’s a vision she almost chose out of high school.
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Walker ultimately chose another course, playing two seasons at Utah, but in today’s college basketball world Plan B often turns back into Plan A. One of the Buffaloes’ transfer additions, Walker fits the defense-first mentality CU has built under head coach JR Payne.
“I was about to come here out of high school,” Walker said. “They were really high on my list, so I was very familiar with the coaching staff already. I still knew some people on the team. So it was honestly a relatively easy decision for me when transferring because they knew me really well and I knew them really well. I still really vibed with the team.”
Originally from Andover, Kansas, Walker played in 57 games over two seasons at Utah. She made 17 starts last year, averaging 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 21.8 minutes.
Walker might not be the first candidate in line to help a Buffs team that ranked 14th in the Big 12 in 3-point percentage — she went 13-for-44 (.295) from the arc last year. But other backcourt newcomers like Tulane transfer Mecailin Marshall and freshman Lauren Harris can fit that bill.
Walker not only brings a familiarity with the Big 12, but she believes Payne’s program will bring out a few particular skills that might’ve been overlooked at Utah.
“I think their system and they’re overall demeanor here fits my personality a little bit more,” Walker said. “Like defensively, they really lock in and that’s something that I want to bring in my game more. At Utah it was always just to score more than the other team. They love the mid-range game here, and that’s a big part of my game that I haven’t been able to show yet.
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“Having confidence from them for me to take those kinds of shots has been really helpful and will open up a lot more things for me this year.”
Forward thinking
Payne offered credit this week to first-year athletic director Fernando Lovo for a few new approaches to generating interest in Colorado basketball. That includes the Pearl Street SLAMpede, an event Payne’s club was set to participate in on Friday night.
Payne has been impressed with an approach centered on creating repeat customers over simply flooding the fans with free giveaways.
“I think Fernando and his team have really worked hard to strategize,” Payne said. “It’s not just throw more T-shirts at the students, or you’ve got to get Tennessee to come play in Boulder. It’s more strategy. Who are we? Who’s our community? What do the people in Boulder appreciate? What will they come to see?
“I think if people know who we are, if they get an inside glimpse at the young women in this program and the young men in our men’s program, they’re people that they want to root for. They’re great in our community. They volunteer their time all over this area. They’re great basketball players, they’re great students. All the things you want to put your support behind.”
Notable
The Big 12 announced its television schedule this week, and 27 of the Buffs’ 30 regular season games will air on ESPN+. The exceptions are the Jan. 2 home date against Baylor (CBS Sports), a Jan. 31 matchup at TCU (ESPN2) and the Feb. 10 home game against Oklahoma State (FS1). … Aniya’ Foy, Logyn Greer and Zyanna Walker will join Payne at the annual Big 12 media day Tuesday in Kansas City.
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