Consistency.
It's a term used to describe things done with regularity and stability. It's also a term that perfectly defines the glowingly historic basketball career of Endicott College's Kamahl Walker.
Since entering the Division 3 hoop ranks with the Gulls back in 2013, the now-senior guard has delivered game in and game out for a team that has gradually improved over the past four seasons. This winter Walker continues to shine, helping his squad to a 13-4 campaign in the ever-competitive Commonwealth Coast Conference while pouring in a team-high 17.4 points per contest.
It may not be the highest PPG mark in his career — he averaged a shade over 20 per night last season — but it's more than enough to put him on the brink of breaking Endicott's all-time career scoring mark set by Eric Simonelli at the turn of the century. With a total of 1,636 points to his name, Walker needs just 41 more points to surpass Simonelli's long-held record of 1,677.
"It feels great," Walker said of potentially setting the new points standard at the Beverly institution. "Since I've been here, I would've told you four or five other guys (on our team) that could be known as the greats. Just knowing that I'm there with them and all the other ones to walk through campus over the years is a blessing."
Endicott head coach Kevin Bettencourt, whose squad hits the road Wednesday against conference rival Curry, said that Walker's ascension has been a pleasure to watch.
"Kamahl has basically re-written the record books and his continued development, both on and off the court, has allowed him to become one of the all time greats at Endicott," said Bettencourt. "He's an extremely talented player who can impact the game in so many ways. He's a complete guard."
Getting started
Like most successful collegiate athletes, Walker began practicing his craft at a young age.
He got his first taste of high school competition at St. Peter-Marian, a private Catholic school in his hometown of Worcester. The situation didn't pan out, however, as Walker struggled to find playing time among a talented group of players.
Following his sophomore season, a big family move jump-started the young guard's career.
"I moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire with my family and would say from that point on that was the biggest transition in my life. That's when I had the most success," said Walker. "I contacted a lot of people, met some mentors that helped me through the process. I didn't know anybody and I was constantly meeting new people; that made me more humble."
Walker went on to shine at Portsmouth High before opting for a post-graduate year at Bridgton Academy to further polish his game.
Still, the college recruitment was few and far between, but Endicott always had their eye on him and it eventually became home.
Walker admits he never even stepped foot on campus prior to accepting an offer, but he knows now that it was the perfect fit and a decision he's more than content with.
"My high school coach at Portsmouth was best friends with (then) Endicott coach (Phil) Rowe, and he would always recruit me hard because of the relationship," recalled Walker. "He came up to Bridgton all the time to watch me play and talked to my high school coach and really just pushed me. I ended up going off his word — and I'm glad I did."
Rising above
At 5-foot-10 inches tall, Walker has had to work for every one of his 1,621 points.
Like any undersized guard, he does it with a strong handle of the basketball, crafty driving ability, good court vision and a reliable jump shot. His increased success of the years has only boosted his overall confidence while further proving that height is just a number.
"I've always accepted my height and honestly, I love my height. I always dreamed that one day I would grow out of nowhere and be 6-4, but I definitely feel like I'm a good size and it's never really held me back," said Walker.
"I think it helps watching (the Celtics' mercurial guard) Isaiah Thomas and how successful he's been, because it let's you know that you can do it on any stage. I always said 'heart over height', and it's worked out just fine for me."
Not only is the speedy guard closing in on the all-time points mark, but he is also among the Endicott greats in a number of other categories as well.
As it stands, Walker is currently first all-time in school annals in free throws made (384) and fourth in free throw percentage (.807); third all-time in field goals made (533); fifth in 3-pointers made (171); eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.378); ninth in assists (270); and 10th in steals (124) and steals per game (1.3).
The numbers speak for themselves, and while Walker has already solidified himself as one of the greatest to ever don the Green-and-Blue sleeveless, he still has a chance to improve those ranks down the 2016-17 homestretch.
Life after college
While Walker still has eight regular season games left before diving into the postseason for one last run, that doesn't mean he hasn't thought about what's next.
His first goal? Continue to play basketball.
"My No. 1 goal is always to see how far I could play basketball. I would love to go anywhere I can; I really don't care where as long as you let me play," said Walker. "Ideally I'd like to go overseas, but playing for a Division 3 school education comes first, so I've always got a Plan B. "
A sports management major, Walker plans to stay close to the game he loves even when his playing career comes to an end. With that being said, his main focus right now is bringing a title to Endicott.
"If I can I would love to stay involved with basketball in the back office of basketball operations," said Walker. "I know people that have done that and went that route who can show me the right path. But I also know that's something I can worry about when the season's over or when my playing career is over. All I'm focusing on right now is getting a national championship to Beverly."
GP GS MIN/G FG/G PCT 3PT/G PCT FT/G PCT PPG
2013-14 24 3 19.4 3.5-8.7 40.9 1.1-3.3 34.2 3.1-4.2 73.3 11.3
2014-15 29 28 27.7 6.1-13.0 46.8 2.2-4.7 47.4 3.4-4.4 77.3 17.8
2015-16 27 27 31.5 6.6-14.6 45.3 1.6-5.2 31.2 5.6-6.6 85.4 20.5
2016-17 17 17 27.2 5.8-12.8 45.4 2.3-5.9 38.6 3.5-4.1 85.5 17.4
Totals 97 75 26.6 5.6-12.3 45.0 1.8-4.7 38.2 4.0-4.9 80.7 16.9
GP GS MIN FG PCT 3PT PCT FT PCT PTS
2013-14 24 3 465 85-208 40.9 27-79 34.2 74-101 73.3 271
2014-15 29 28 802 176-376 46.8 64-135 47.4 99-128 77.3 515
2015-16 27 27 851 179-395 45.3 44-141 31.2 152-178 85.4 554
2016-17 17 17 463 99-218 45.4 39-101 38.6 59-69 85.5 296
Totals 97 75 2581 539-1197 45.0 174-456 38.2 384-476 80.7 1,636*
* Walker's 1,636 career points are second all-time at Endicott, behind only Eric Simonelli (1,677). With eight regular season games remaining, Walker needs just 41 points to move into the No. 1 slot.