Alabama basketball lands transfer guard with high school ties to state

A former G.W. Carver-Montgomery prep star is returning to Alabama. Jaykwon Walton, a 6-foot-7 guard from Wichita State, announced his transfer to the Crimson Tide men’s basketball team on Tuesday.

Walton announced his decision on social media to Joe Tipton. In 28 games, Walton averaged 32.3 minutes a game, averaging 13.9 points, 1.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 40% from 3-point range and 53.5% overall.

Walton was rated as a four-star transfer and No. 42 on the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

Alabama players address their futures after Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State

Walton is originally from Georgia and played a year at Northside High as a freshman. He won the AHSAA class 6A state title game with Carver in 2017, becoming a two-time ASWA first-team selection.

Walton went to Georgia after being ranked 77th per 247Sports. He went through an injury-riddled 2019 with “illness and injury” per the team bio and struggled to find minutes in 2020. He came back to Alabama and played a season in Tuscaloosa’s Shelton State, averaging 2.1 3-pointers a game.

When Mississippi State fired Ben Howland in 2022, Walton was released from his commitment and ended up with the Shockers, helping them to a 17-15 record and a win in the American Athletic Conference tournament. Walton scored 20-plus points in six separate games last season, connecting on 42 3-pointers. He hit five 3s at Temple on Feb. 16.

Carver’s Jaykwon Walton (1) goes up for the slam dunk during the Capital City vs Port City Hoops Classic boys basketball game, Saturday, January 19, 2019. (Scott Donaldson | [email protected])Scott Donaldson/al.com

It will likely be a very different roster in the 2022-23 season for Alabama after its Sweet 16 exit to San Diego State — in which 3-point shooting was an issue.

Star freshman Brandon Miller is expected to declare for the NBA Draft and this morning lost its first player to the transfer portal when Nimari Burnett announced. Along with the potential departures of Jahvon Quinerly and Dom Welch, Walton provides a scoring option for coach Nate Oats’ fast-paced system.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].