Central Michigan University Athletics
Reynold Walters Profile
1/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2005
By Zach Ribble
Sports Information Assistant
Foreign players are not too common in college basketball.
But, Central Michigan University now has two with the addition of Canadian freshman Reynold Walters. He joins fellow Ontario native Sefton Barrett, a sophomore forward.
Making the move over from Toronto, Walters realized the adjustment wasn't going to be easy when first attending CMU.
"It was pretty tough moving from Toronto to Michigan," Walters said. "In Toronto, there was more to do and everything was within walking distance. However, there aren't as many distractions here as there were in Toronto."
Walters has come to enjoy CMU, though, citing his friendship and bonds with teammates as one of the reasons.
Prior to entering the United States, Walters had plenty of success while at Eastern Commerce High School. He was named the Ontario "Defensive Player of the Year" his senior season while leading his team to a third straight AAAA provincial championship game, a feat that had never occurred before. Not only did his school get coverage from the Canadian schools, but right across the border as well.
"It makes me proud of my school because our success put us on the map," Walters said. "Then the schools in the United States found out about us and we started playing some of the top teams in the United States, too."
As a result, Walters was discovered by the coaching staff at CMU. After impressing them at the Hoosier Tournament in Indiana, he began receiving contact from the coaches. Once Walters stepped foot on the Chippewa campus, his decision wasn't so tough. All in all, he liked the coaches, players and especially the atmosphere while on his visit.
Once Walters became a Chippewa, he had to make another adjustment. Throughout his basketball career, he had always been a power forward on the team. However, being the second-shortest Chippewa to Giordan Watson, Walters made the switch to point guard.
"I like point guard better because I don't have to post up against 6-8 guys," Walters said. "I'm also quicker than most guys."
Even though the switch was favorable to Walters and the team, he had to shift his focus to other aspects in his game. Ballhandling became a critical component that Walters worked on. However, offense is not what the Chippewas look for the most in Walters.
"My main strength is my defense," Walters said.
Not only is Walters an excellent defender, but he's also an intelligent player on the court and in the classroom. Reynold plans on majoring in accounting.
