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M.J. Walker looks to take next step for Seminoles

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There were some happy moments for M.J. Walker in Year 1, but the FSU sophomore expects more in 2018-2019.
There were some happy moments for M.J. Walker in Year 1, but the FSU sophomore expects more in 2018-2019. (USA Today Sports Images)

There were moments last year when M.J. Walker looked like the best player on the Florida State men's basketball team.

There was one game in particular, a win over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., where Walker flashed all of his immense potential -- taking over the game for the Seminoles in the second half on his way to a career-high 24 points.

But after that?

It was more of a struggle for the former five-star recruit, who finished the season by scoring just 16 total points in the Seminoles' last eight games and missing his final 13 shots from 3-point range.

He was shooting 39 percent from 3-point range before the slump to end the year.

If the Seminoles are going to have another magical run this season, which starts Tuesday night at home against rival Florida (9 p.m., ESPN2), the Jonesboro, Ga., native knows he needs to be closer to the Virginia Tech Walker than the end-of-2018-season version.

"I wanted physically to get better, to take care of my body," Walker said of his offseason improvement. "I lost a little weight. I was in the film room a lot more. ... I had a little drop-off last season, so I looked at that a lot. I kind of focused on what I can do better to try to stay consistent."

Walker finished his freshman season by averaging exactly 7.0 points per game and 18.8 minutes per contest. He shot 75 percent from the free-throw line and 34.5 percent from 3.

He expects all of those numbers to rise significantly this season, which will be needed after the Seminoles lost their top scoring guard, Braian Angola, to graduation.

Along with spending more time on film study, Walker also changed his diet and his workout habits.

"I'm trying to create a daily ritual to just try to stay consistent on and off the court," Walker said. "As fast-paced as we (play), and most teams we play are fast-paced, you've got to be in shape. Especially for my role this year, I'm probably going to play a lot more. I knew I had to be in a lot better shape. ...

"I feel like I'm more explosive. I feel lighter."

Walker also now knows what it's like to play a full college basketball season. He knows about the ups and downs, the grind, the aches and pains, the pressures of the ACC schedule and the NCAA Tournament. He also knows what it's like to be one of the top names on an opponent's scouting report.

Case in point: The game after his breakout performance against Virginia Tech.

It was against Georgia Tech. Walker still had a solid night, scoring nine points in 14 minutes. But he could see and feel a big difference in how he was guarded.

"They were on me," he said with a laugh. "I was driving, and every time I drove, everybody was collapsing on me and it was just like, 'Wow.' The coaches were telling me, sometimes you're going to have a big game and then the next game you're not going to be able to do what you've able to do.

"I had to learn how to adjust without scoring the ball."

FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton said that can be the toughest adjustment for any college freshman, much less a player who was considered one of the very best high school guards in the country.

When Hamilton watched Walker last season, what he saw was a freshman who played well at times, but pressed at others. Not truly understanding that he could make a significant impact even when his 3-point shot wasn't falling.

"I think sometimes youngsters come in and they want to be great before they get better," Hamilton said. "We try to convince them that if you just get better every day, then you're going to reach your full potential. And that's what he seems to be doing."

Hamilton also mentioned how much film work Walker has been putting in and how long he's staying in the gym to "work on his craft."

Junior guard Trent Forrest has noticed a change, too.

"His basketball IQ has gotten way better," Forrest said of his roommate. "Just his understanding of the offensive and defensive principles, he's come a long way. I feel like he's going to have a big year."

Whether that means 10 points per game or 18 points per game -- or somewhere in between -- remains to be seen. With as many people as Florida State is going to play in its rotation, it's hard to imagine anyone on the roster putting up monster scoring numbers.

But Walker doesn't seem overly concerned with that.

He just wants to make more of a consistent impact. And flash more of that potential that was on full display in Blacksburg last season.

"I feel like I was kind of in a rush sometimes," Walker said of his freshman season. "A lot of the times, I made a decision before reading the defense. I already had in my mind what I was going to do."

Now, with more film study -- watching himself from last season as well as how other teams defended him -- he feels much more comfortable on the court.

"I'm just trying to stay ahead of the game," he said.

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