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Manhattan coach Steve Masiello sat courtside for the SNY Invitational championship game last month and had a front-row seat for Aaron Walker’s tournament MVP performance.
While other Division 1 coaches were either slow to perceive Walker’s winning ways — or completely out of touch — Masiello appreciated the talented Cardozo guard and ultimately landed a verbal pledge from him on Tuesday.
“I believe in the coach and he believes in me,” the 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior guard told me by phone after committing. “I asked myself, ‘What am I waiting for?’ I visited [last Thursday] and I loved it, and I was ready to commit that day.”
Walker, averaging 19 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Judges, also wants to study business at the MAAC school.
“They have a really good business school and I want to major in accounting,” said Walker, who also held offers from Siena and Canisius.
With Masiello courtside, Walker went for 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals when Cardozo held off Christ the King, 66-63, to win its second straight SNY Invitational title on Jan. 30 at City College.
Walker’s heroic MVP performance in the final included a breakaway dunk down the stretch and 1-of-2 free throws in the final seconds. A day earlier, he went for 25 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a win over Mount Vernon.
Walker also had the game-winning alley-oop off a pass from Monmouth-bound Ray Salnave when Cardozo beat Christ the King a week before the SNY Invitational.
“He brings a skill and a toughness level to Manhattan that coach Steve Masiello said is as good as he’s seen from a New York City guard in the last 15 years,” said legendary Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio.
Video: SNY Invitational championship highlights
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