GNAC Student-Athlete Spotlight - Nick Walch

It takes a little something extra to stand just over six feet tall and lead a college basketball conference in rebounds. Rivier senior Nick Walch has that little something extra.

"It's not about how big you are it's about how big your heart is," Walch said. "If you want the ball, go and get it."

For Walch, the game of basketball is all about heart and doing the dirty work to make sure his team comes out on top.

"I will go out there and take a charge and get loose balls and just help my team win at the end of the day," Walch said. "I enjoy hitting the floor. It's nothing new. It just brings more passion and energy to the team."

That do-anything-for-the-team attitude has seen Walch transition from guard to forward during his career at Rivier. He admits it was a challenge at first because he is somewhat undersized for a forward and had to get used to battling with the bigger players in the paint. It was only a matter of time before he realized he could use his quickness to his advantage. Now, as he says, he likes to bang with the big boys.

He is transferring his whatever-it-takes style of play to some of the younger player on the team since he knows his time as Raider will be over at the end of the season. To do that, Walch brings the same attitude to practice as he does to games to make sure somebody takes his place as the guy who dives for every ball.

Walch's tenacity turned into late game heroics in the championship game of the Rivier University Tip-Off Tournament earlier this season when a late hustle play against Endicott saw him hit a loose ball off of an opposing player and out of bounds to allow the Raiders to set up the game winning buzzer-beater. He also added 23 points and 17 rebounds in the game and was the tournament MVP.

That type of clutch play is something that Walch prides himself on and helped him earn GNAC player of the week honors in November.

"That was a big honor. All the effort I put into it and my teammates all have my back," Walch said. "Not just for myself but for my fellow teammates and coaches, they have helped me be the person I am today and be a better player because of them.

The type of player he is now as a result is somebody who is more mature Walch said, and somebody understands the game of college basketball.

"I realized you have to put in the effort to set yourself high standards," Walch said.

And, while Walch harps on heart being key, those smarts also play a role in his rebounding skills. He can gauge where the ball will likely go based off of where it was shot from so he can position himself for the best opportunity to grab it.

As the Raiders start to hit midseason form, Walch has his pre-season goal of averaging a double-double in mind. So far so good as his reels in 12.7 rebounds a game and drops 16.3 points per game.

But for someone who is all about winning, there is more to this season for Walch then his individual statistics.

"I want to go out on top with my fellow seniors," Walch said. "Help a raise a banner and win the GNAC. Our team has a lot of pieces that fit in the puzzle. If we keep building our bench I think we have a good chance to do a lot of good things in the conference."

*Written by GNAC Communications Specialist, Eddie Lockhart