Freshman Walker always on the go:
“Ten feet.
“It’s what separates two particular doors opposite the South Gym in the Bryce Jordan Center.
“It separates a bottom-of-the-conference team from an Elite Eight contender.
“Ten feet is the distance between the locker rooms of the struggling, not-so-popular Nittany Lion basketball team and the nationally ranked, fan-favorite Lady Lions.
“Freshman guard Mike Walker is among the players on the Penn State men’s basketball team who passes through the less appealing doorway of the side-by-side locker rooms, day-in and day-out. Tired or rejuvenated. Bombarded with school work or not. Whether he feels like it or doesn’t. After a win or loss.
” ‘There’s so much that goes into it,’ Walker said. ‘I mean, every day, just like the girls, who are doing good, we’re doing the same stuff. We’re losing, but it’s not like we aren’t preparing as much.’
“His day doesn’t start and end in the locker room, though. It’s much more complicated than that. …”