Ann Arbor — It’s not how Derrick Walton Jr. envisioned his story unfolding.
A highly touted point guard out of Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy and Michigan Mr. Basketball runner-up in 2013, Walton came to Michigan with lofty expectations.
He attended nearly every home game at Crisler Center during his senior year of high school and watched sophomore sensation Trey Burke, the 2012-13 national college player of the year, dazzle as he led the Wolverines to the NCAA national championship game.
When Burke bolted for the NBA, Walton thought he’d be able to step in and follow Burke’s footsteps as a freshman.