Southeast Lauderdale shooting guard Christian Walker, center, signs his letter of intent with Belhaven University Thursday morning. Joining him are, from left, Eli Walker, Greg Walker and Marguerite Walker. Southeast Lauderdale head basketball coach Centel Truman stands in the back.

Members of the Southeast Lauderdale basketball team and athletic community filled the school’s library Thursday morning in a show of solidarity for Tigers shooting guard Christian Walker.

Walker, a four-year member of Southeast Lauderdale’s basketball program, made his commitment to further his academic and basketball careers at Belhaven University official during the morning signing ceremony.

“It really means the world to me,” Walker said. “It’s a testament to hard work. Coming from a small town and going to play NCAA in college is a great feeling, and I give all the glory to God, my family, my teammates and coaches.”

Southeast Lauderdale battled a spate of early season injuries this past season but coalesced as the year progressed and reached the Region 5-3A championship game. The Tigers ended their year with a loss in the first round of the Class 3A postseason.

Walker’s contributions heavily influenced the Tigers’ late-season surge. He finished with 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 assists per game.

“No. 1, he’s a great kid,” Southeast Lauderdale head basketball coach Centel Truman said. “He’s a great role model for the other kids in the program. He’s been with me for four years. He’s probably one of the most-winningest kids that I’ve had in this program. He had the opportunity to play in Jackson two years ago and had multiple big games and has beaten 5A and 6A schools. He’s been a big part in getting this program turned around.”

Walker joins a Belhaven Blazers’ program that went 9-16 last year and competes as a member of NCAA Division III’s American Southwest Conference. Walker plans to major in graphic design, and he said a sense of community attracted him to the Jackson university.

“It just felt like home when I went there,” Walker said. “They really know how to promote and advertise their campus to their kids, and I really enjoyed the visit when I went there. The coaches and the players, we all just gelled well.” 

While Walker’s accumulated a trove of experiences at Southeast Lauderdale, including an appearance at Jackson State University in 2017 for the Class 3A tournament, the memories that will withstand the test of time, he said, are the ones he forged with his Tiger teammates.

“The last four years have been crazy,” Walker said. “A whole lot of bonds have been made that I’m going to cherish forever. I’ve enjoyed this process — the whole road to Jackson, the road from playing in ninth grade to varsity. Just the whole experience of playing high school basketball for Coach Truman and the Southeast Lauderdale Tigers was a great experience.”

In Walker, Truman said Belhaven is not only getting a prolific scorer but also a tenacious leader who will be an asset both on and off the court.

“I wish him the best,” Truman said. “I know he’s going to do well. He has a tremendous work ethic, so I know he’s going to be successful in whatever he does in life.”