Jabari Walker is ready for more pressure in Year 2 at Colorado

BOUDLER — Colorado’s basketball team stood out in Costa Rica.

“As soon as we landed in the airport, all of the heads we’re turning,” sophomore Buffalo forward Jabari Walker told DNVR on Wednesday. “They hadn’t seen anything like it before.”

For eight days, the Buffaloes toured Costa Rica. They visited a coffee plantation and zip-lined in Los Suenos, near the nation’s coast. They stayed at a resort where most of the team, including Walker, jet-skied for the first time.

Colorado’s entire scholarship roster made the trip, plus walk-on Will Loughlin. Boyle told Loughlin that if he returned for summer practices, they’d make room for him in Costa Rica.

“It helped the guys bond, just off the court,” Walker said. “It was more important just bonding more than anything.”

In terms of basketball, the trip may not have been all that useful.

Colorado won its first game 79-32.

The second score was 104-46.

Then 68-54.

And then 141-31.

The highlight of the trip came from Walker, who ended the third game by breaking the backboard on a dunk attempt in the third quarter.

Walker didn’t realize the glass had broken until it rained down on top of him.

“I wasn’t having the best game so I was just upset and I was like, ‘I just missed another dunk,'” Walker said. “I was like, ‘oh my gosh.’ Then I turn my head, I’m like ‘this isn’t normal.’ I felt the glass, I was like, ‘I just did something.’ It didn’t kick in until, I think it was K.J. (Simpson) came up to me and he was like, ‘you just broke the backboard, bro.'”

Walker had never seen somebody break a backboard before. Neither had any of his teammates.

But, as Walker noted, he missed the dunk.

“I definitely lost a little sleep over it, but I feel like—I’ve watched the video—if I’d made that dunk I don’t think I’d break the rim with it,” Walker said. “The way I held onto the rim is the reason it broke. I’ll take the miss if it comes with breaking the glass.”

On social media, people were quick to point out that he missed the dunk. He’s teammates defended him. Walker thinks “the haters” wouldn’t have so much to say if they’d been in the building to see what happened in person.

But the online conversation turned into a much larger following for Walker.

And his profile on-campus has risen too.

“Walking into class it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re the guy from the basketball team,'” Walker said. “I kind of like that feeling.”

Last year, when Walker was a freshman, all class were online because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He didn’t spend much time walking around campus, and when he did, there weren’t many people around.

Now, Walker is the center of attention.

“I didn’t expect that,” said the 6-foot-8 forward who has dreadlocks shooting out the top of his head in a ponytail. “I didn’t know that’s how the fans would react. But seeing them this year it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is amazing. I love it.'”

Walker’s high profile pays off in class.

“They want to help you out more,” Walker said. “Honestly, they want to help you study. They want to be there to support you.”

The pandemic also meant that only a small number of friends and family were allowed to watch Colorado play at the CU Events Center. Walker didn’t take a recruiting trip to Boulder, either, so he didn’t even get to see the fans from the sideline. The few veterans on the roster have told him that it’s a different game with fans in the stands.

When fans see Walker play in-person for the first time, the big change they’ll see—besides a few more inches on the hair—will be better conditioning.

“Everything comes with being in shape,” Walker said. “My game truly comes from rim-running, rebounding, everything I’ve been working on. I haven’t been in shape to do that, so definitely that. Just playing straight up defense, staying on the floor by not fouling.”

With more than half of Colorado’s minutes played from a year ago no longer with the team, Walker is one of the Buffs who needs to step up for Colorado to make an NCAA tournament run.

“Definitely more pressure on me but I like it, honestly,” Walker said. “I was asking for it last year and now I’ve got it.”

And Walker thinks he’s ready.

“The game is starting to slow down for me,” Walker said. “Just using my mental aspects and finding the right ways to create space, finding new ways to score through the offense and finding when to break the offense to get a bucket.”