Glendale, Ariz. — For the second straight year, Sam Walters will compete on one of basketball's biggest stages.
The former member of The Villages High School boys basketball program and current University of Alabama freshman will play in the Final Four on Saturday night, as Walters and the Crimson Tide battle top-seeded UConn from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
After leading the Buffalo to a state runner-up finish at the FHSAA Final Four in 2023, Walters has been a key reserve in Alabama's quest for a national championship in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-10, 198-pound forward averages 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game this season, while shooting 42.7% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc in 12.5 minutes per contest off the bench.
"We're a tough team," Walters said prior to Saturday's national semifinal matchup against the Huskies. "We're obviously very competitive and I think we're a very good defensive team, as well. I think we've especially shown that these last couple games, and I think all of us just want to show that we're tough and one of the best teams in the country."
The numbers and accolades spoke for themselves when it came to Walters' time in a Buffalo uniform. After making an impact as a freshman, Walters returned to VHS for his junior season after a one-year hiatus at Montverde Academy, averaging 24.6 points per game.
Walters saved his best for last at VHS, however, putting together a historic senior season in 2022-23 en route to the program's first-ever state championship game appearance. He finished his career as the owner of 10 individual program records, including the all-time marks for rebounds (711) and blocks (117), while also leaving as the second all-time leading scorer (1,598) in Buffalo history.
After announcing his verbal commitment to the University of Alabama back on June 3, 2022, Walters signed his national letter of intent to officially become a member of the Crimson Tide program later that year on Nov. 9.
Now Walters and his No. 3 seed Alabama teammates will take on No. 1 UConn before a nationally televised audience at 8:49 p.m. Saturday night with a trip to the national championship game on the line.
"When I committed (to Alabama), I saw the other guys coming in and I really thought we were going to get to this point," Walters said. "Even back in the summer practices, I thought we were going to be a really good team, we just had to come together how we have."
Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.
