Tyson Walker looks to prove himself at Portsmouth Invitational

After three seasons with Michigan State basketball, graduate senior guard Tyson Walker will look to showcase his talent at the annual Portsmouth Invitational in Portsmouth, Va., as he tries to pursue a professional career.

Walker’s time in a Michigan State uniform may be over, but he was certainly a pleasure to watch. Luckily, his basketball dreams aren’t completely over.

The senior guard heads down to Portsmouth to partake in the 70th annual Portsmouth Invitational according to 247 Sports Stephen Brooks. A multi-day basketball tournament that gives senior players a shot to showcase their skills in a professional atmosphere.

It isn’t a guarantee that the event will get you enough looks to get drafted, given how tough the field of players is for the 2024 NBA Draft. However, the event can certainly give Walker and others like him a shot to prove they can play professionally somewhere.

The history of the event can be traced back throughout basketball, as many players that partook in this event have gone on to have hall of fame worthy careers. Some of the most famous alums of this event include Dennis Rodman and John Stockton just to name a few.

This isn’t the first time a former Spartan has participated in the event, and Walker won’t be alone, as AJ Hoggard will also be in Portsmouth.

That last former Spartan to play in the Portsmouth Invitational was Kenny Goins in 2019, and he has since gone on to play professionally in Europe over the past several years. Most famously Bryn Forbes and Matt Costello both partook in the event in 2016, and that led each of them to a shot with the San Antonio Spurs respectively as undrafted free agents.

A lot of the time, going undrafted has been a better route for senior players or even graduate seniors. Tyson isn’t the biggest guy, but he certainly has the skills and tools to make an impact somewhere as a pro player.

Walker was one of the biggest reasons the 2023-24 Spartan team was able to reach the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing in a season that saw the team start the year ranked inside the top five.

Things didn’t go the way everyone wanted, but one thing was for sure, Walker never gave up, and I’m thankful for his effort and hard work in his three seasons in the green and white. Spartan Nation will miss seeing Tyson on the floor.

Wishing Tyson nothing but the best.