Ball State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Adds Jontrell Walker, Zach Hollywood
May 18, 2016 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Ball State men's basketball program has added two players to its roster, signing transfer Jontrell Walker and incoming freshman Zach Hollywood to scholarship papers.
Walker -- who will sit out next season because of NCAA transfer rules -- comes to Ball State from Incarnate Word, a Southland Conference school in San Antonio, Texas. He averaged 13.1 points and 1.9 assists per game over his first two collegiate seasons and was named the 2015 Southland Freshman of the Year by College Hoops Daily.
The 6-foot-1 guard is a 35 percent 3-point shooter and nearly a 90 percent free throw shooter for his career. He led the nation in foul shooting last season at 93.3 percent (98 for 105).
A native of Aurora, Illinois, Walker was an all-state selection as a senior in 2014 at West Aurora High School. He averaged 23.3 points per game in his senior season and graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,772 career points. He also set the school record with 189 career 3-pointers.
"Jontrell has really established himself at the collegiate level," Ball State coach James Whitford said. "He is a versatile guard who can score the basketball and can also create for his teammates. He can play both guard positions. Probably the best thing about Jontrell is his desire to become a great player. What really excited me about recruiting him was his passion for the game and his desire to get better."
Hollywood averaged 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as a senior this year at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School in Bradley, Illinois. He shot 43.5 percent from 3-point range, playing for coach Alex Renchen.
The 6-foot-9 Hollywood was a two-time all-area selection by the Kankakee Daily Journal and a two-time All-Southwest Suburban Conference performer. He played at Bradley-Bourbonnais alongside Valparaiso signee Micah Bradford.
"Zach is a unique talent," Whitford said. "He can shoot the basketball, and he can make plays off the dribble. He is a true inside-out forward who can play all over the court. He is the type of player who really makes the guys around him better because he creates great spacing. Zach has a really bright future. He's a great student, and he will contribute a lot to Ball State both on and off the court."
Walker and Hollywood join Fort Wayne Carroll wing Kyle Mallers, who signed last fall, in comprising the incoming Ball State men's basketball class for 2016-17.
