Basketball Hall of Fame

Chet “The Jet” Walker is on the short list when people debate who is Bradley University's greatest basketball player.

Coming out of Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 1958, Walker played just three years for Bradley (because freshmen were not allowed to play varsity ball until 1972) but left his mark with a slew of game, season and career records. Among them were his totals for points in one game (50), field goals in one game (20), points as a senior (687), career scoring average (24.4) and, just to show that he was a complete player, career rebounds (1,036).

A consensus All-American for two seasons, Walker led the Braves to a 69-14 record in his three seasons, which included a Missouri Valley Conference title share in 1962 and an NIT championship in 1960. He finished by setting a then-record 1,975 career points.

Walker went on to a brilliant pro career with the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA Champions in 1967-68) and Chicago Bulls. He played 13 NBA seasons, scoring 18,831 career points with an 18.2 ppg average. He scored a career-high 56 points in a 1972 game against the Cincinnati Royals and was named to seven NBA All-Star teams.