Although the proclaimed “Mecca of Basketball” lies in the heart of Manhattan, Long Island has it’s own rich history of ballers – from legends such as Carl Braun and Julius Erving to some of today’s young studs in Danny Green and Tobias Harris.

It would not be a shock if Ahmad Walker’s name is one day added to that list.

“I consider myself a Long Island guy,” Walker said. ” I grew up here, was born and raised here, so it’s kind of always been my home.”

As he was born in Port Washington, Walker’s roots were instilled in Long Island from day one and through attending two high schools in the area. Asked if this was a major factor in his choosing to attend Stony Brook University, Walker responded emphatically “Yes. Obviously.”

Walker was not confined to Long Island, however, boarding at Berkshire Prep in Massachusetts for three years before heading off to college.

“It’s like a three and a half hour drive away from home,” he said. “My parents made as many games as they could. I was all by myself up there honestly. It was good. It helped me grow a little bit. I was kind of immature but going up there really helped me become more independent.”

But when it came down to it, Walker preferred being close to home. He say, “I like it a lot more than being away. It’s always good to have family close by just because if you need anything or they can always be at your games always there in your corner to support you, so it’s a great feeling being close to home.”

Walker redshirted his first year at Stony Brook before joining the team in official play this season. Walker’s averages do not do his game justice: 7.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 24.6 minutes a contest on 42.5 percent shooting from the field, 9.1 percent from three and 57.1 percent from the free throw line.

Walker is the first to admit his shooting needs work: “I’m shooting a poor percentage right now… especially from the three-point line, gotta work on a lot of free throws too, my percentage is low there as well.” Still, he has gotten better as the year has progressed. Walker’s 23.5 percent shooting from the field in November increased to 46.7 percent in December, then to a solid 48.6 percent through the month of January.

What separates Walker from the pack however, is his athleticism: a frightening blend of speed, strength and leaping ability in a 6-foot-4-inch, 185-pound frame. “I guess a lot of it comes naturally from my parents,” Walker said. “My dad was a pretty good athlete, my mom was a real good athlete. A lot of it came from that, but being here and having the redshirt year really helped me get stronger, faster, bigger and it just helped me become a better athlete in general.”

Never mind the high potential that comes with such an imposing physique, Walker is already polished well beyond his years in some facets.

In two-point range Walker is connecting on 49.3 percent percent of his tries, whenever he is not drawing fouls at a stupendous rate. Seventh in the America East conference in free throw rate, Walker is a hound at attacking the basket whether he finishes or gets to the line, doing both extremely well. Once he puts his head down, there are not many things that can stop him.

Speaking of hounding, Walker is not shy on the glass either. His defensive rebounding rate (percentage of possible rebounds collected) is matched by only seven other freshmen of his height (or shorter) that have played at least 600 minutes since the 2010 season.

According to Walker, coach Steve Pikiell has taken notice. “[Pikiell] said I’m kind of like a workhorse, just work real hard to do anything I can to help the team win,” Walker said.

Pikiell is right on the money, especially in regards to Walker’s commitment to the team’s success: “[The NCAA Tournament is] always the goal, not just for me but for the whole team,” he said. “We haven’t been able to make a tournament appearance yet, and I’d really like to make a tournament appearance this year especially for the seniors because they’ve been so close so many times before. That’s what I really want out of the season and out of all of the seasons to come.”

Although the possibility of the Seawolves reaching the ever-elusive tournament this season lies more on the shoulders of the team’s veterans in Dave Coley, Anthony Jackson, Jameel Warney and Carson Puriefoy, Walker could find himself at the reins of this Stony Brook squad as soon as next year. Seniors Coley and Jackson, both starters, will be graduating this summer, leaving Walker to fill their shoes:

“I just do whatever is needed in order to help the team,” Walker said. “Right now they’re the guys to go to and I’m fine with that. If my role gets bigger next year I’ll be fine with that too, just got to adjust and keep working hard in order to become a better player.”

Until that day comes, Walker will continue to grow beyond the “rough around the edges” label he gave himself, into a tremendous basketball player that could propel this program to new heights. Who knows- he could be the next name etched in the history of Long Islanders born and raised. Carl Braun, Julius Erving, Ahmad Walker. Has a nice ring to it.