May 4, 2017
An explosive 6-foot-7 all-league wing Walter Graves III has signed a National Letter-of-Intent to compete for the San José State University men's basketball team beginning with the 2017-18 season. Head coach Dave Wojcik made the announcement.
"We're getting a tough, athletic wing who plays with a high motor," Wojcik said. "He's a great defender and will rebound at a high level on both ends of the floor."
Graves will graduate from Clovis (Calif.) West High School in the spring. As a senior in 2016-17 Graves was named to the Fresno Bee's All-Star Team and first-team All-Tri-River Athletic Conference (TRAC). He helped lead the Golden Eagles to a 25-5 overall record with an 8-2 mark in TRAC play.
Graves produced big results in some of his teams' most competitive games throughout the year, including a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds against the rival Clovis North High.
Known for his explosiveness and athleticism Graves was featured on USA TODAY's High School Sports' Top-Five California Alley-Oops Countdown (Feb.2).
"He's a high-flyer who can make big plays," Wojcik added. "He has the ability to make tough shots under pressure, and he can create those shots on his own."
Graves played AAU basketball with Splash City. He joins center Oumar Barry and wing Noah Baumann in San José State's 2017-18 NLI signing class.