Big 12: How The Martez Walker Suspension Will Affect Texas

One would assume that in the midst of the mass media scrutiny shadowing the actions between Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice and his then-fianceé after he punched her in an escalator that sports figures would get the message of domestic violence being highly unacceptable.

Unfortunately, that message didn’t resonate with Texas Longhorns sophomore guard Martez Walker.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Walker assaulted his girlfriend by reportedly hitting her four times in the ribs before dragging her out and throwing her into the dorm hallway. After an arrest warrant, Walker turned himself in to the Travis County Police early Friday morning and then received his personal bond to get out.

Very wisely, head coach Rick Barnes then suspended Walker indefinitely. You can find more about the exact details by reading the post over at the Austin American-Statesman’s website.

From here, we go to how this will affect the Longhorns with the upcoming season only right around the corner.

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For anyone who followed Texas basketball, you know that although Walker closed the season on an exceptionally high note, he hasn’t proven enough yet to make himself irreplaceable on the roster by any means. Walker finished the season averaging 4.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game but scored in double figures in four of their last five games, including a 16-point outing in Texas’ NCAA tournament win over Arizona State.

But the upcoming season will be nothing like it was during Walker’s freshman campaign as far as the roster is concerned, which would ultimately congest his possible playing time whether he fell into this trouble or not. With most of his minutes coming as a small forward, the addition of Myles Turner will likely cause senior Jonathan Holmes to slide over and start on the wing.

In addition to Holmes, another incoming freshman, Jordan Barnett will also assume a large portion of the remaining minutes, and rightfully so with his much needed scoring ability and athleticism.

That alone will cut down a significant amount of what clock time he would have gotten simply because of such a stacked roster. Then, of course you have to factor in Javan Felix looking to step up as a leader, Demarcus Holland demanding his time as a defensive presence while Damarcus Croaker and Kendal Yancy will look to become a valued part of the rotation.

Sow big of an impact will Walker’s absence ultimately have on this Texas program?

Let’s just say the Longhorns will be just fine without their seventh-leading scorer from the previous season. Texas could easily have nine of 10 guys average more than that this season and the Horns’ would never skip a beat from where they ended last season.

Yes, it would help if a returning role layer could find his way back into the locker room, but with the way sports on all stages have been cracking down on violations — especially ones of this magnitude – it’s safe to say Texas will move on and have a much more successful season ahead of them, despite losing Walker indefinitely.