AUBURN — Just a couple months ago, Auburn freshman Simon Walker was in the hospital undergoing foot surgery – a bump in the road at the start of his Tiger career.
The injury came right before the team’s first official practice – not the best timing for the new kid on the Auburn block.
But, Walker, a Huntsville High grad, couldn’t have been in a better place for care and rehab.
“This university gave me the best resources and the best people to help me get back to 100 percent,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence because of the people around me.
“They’ve been pushing me the past eight weeks to get back to where I was before.”
And, the pushing seems to have given Walker a nice boost.
In his Auburn debut Wednesday, Walker was five-for-five in 3-pointers in the final seven minutes of the Tigers’ (4-1) 112-66 win over Jackson State.
“Definitely a lot of nerves there, especially coming off an injury and not having a ton of reps,” Walker said after the game. “Once you get out there and the ball’s in play, you only have time to react. I know one thing, shooters shoot. It was good to get that weight off my shoulders and get settled in.
“You see the first one hit the bottom of the net and you’re like, ‘Oh, here we go.’”
And there he went!
“Simon attacks everything aggressively,” Auburn Head Coach Steven Pearl said. “Guys who can make shots and can sit down and defend are going to have a chance to play. Simon’s a specialist in that area.
“He plays with a ton of confidence, so it was great to see him have some success.”
Simon and his No. 22 ranked Auburn teammates will return to the court Monday in Las Vegas against Oregon in the Players Era Championship. Tipoff is 7 p.m. CT on truTV and the Auburn Sports Network.
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