He is 6-feet, 8-inches tall, a Division I basketball talent playing at a small, private school. Yeah, those things surely make Kienan Walter stand out from the crowd at King’s Way Christian High School.
However, for the more important things in his life — family, friends, his relationship with God. King’s Way Christian keeps him grounded.
Walter will be going a long way from home when he enters college next year after signing with the University of North Dakota. But until he graduates from high school, King’s Way is where is belongs.
“This place has helped me grow a ton,” Walter said. “I understand my views of Christianity better. We have bible study here. You can’t get that at a public school. Without that, I wouldn’t be as strong as a Christian as I am.”
Then there is that brotherhood he has with his teammates, the bond he has with his classmates. A Division I athlete might have been tempted to play at a bigger school, a larger classification.
“Never seriously,” Walter said. “I am pretty much at home where I am. No real reason to move.”
His teammates often show up at his house before games. Food. TV. Fun.
“They all call my mom ‘Momma Walter.’ She’s the team mom. She takes care of everyone,” Kienan Walter said.
That family atmosphere is special, and it should help the Knights on their quest to return to the Yakima Valley SunDome, home of the Class 1A state basketball tournament. King’s Way reached the elite eight last year, lost its first game, then won two in a row to finish fourth.
With so much talent returning, King’s Way expects to be in position to return to the dome.
“It gave me, and I’m guessing the guys, the extra motivation and drive to succeed this year and get better,” Walter said.
Of course, it helps any team, at any classification, to have a 6-8 talent who can do a little bit of everything.
“We don’t take it for granted,” King’s Way Christian coach Daven Harmeling said. “It’s fun. A lot of fun. I could see the potential when he was young. It’s fun to see him live up to that potential.
“Kienan just worked on his skills. Now he can shoot, dribble, pass.”
Walter already has learned a valuable trait that not all blessed athletes figure out at an early age: He does not feel the need to press, to take over a game if things start slow for him personally. At a recent game, he scored two points in the first quarter and was not a big part of the offense.
“Sometimes you have to see what the defense gives you and let the game flow a little bit,” said Walter, who finished that contest with 22 points. “I’m confident in my game. I don’t have to worry about it if I have a bad quarter or a bad half. I can still perform and get it done. I can perform for my team.”
Plus, when defenses double-team Walter, that just means someone else is open.
“We have so many options this year,” Walter said. “It doesn’t need to go through one guy. We can get shots for anyone. I’m excited to see where we can go because of that.”
Beyond high school, Walter is getting ready for life in North Dakota. He visited the campus in October but has only heard about life there in the winter.
“That is something I’m not necessarily looking forward to, but I’m excited, too,” he said.
The main thing, though, is he believes it is the right place for him for school and for basketball. North Dakota first took notice of Walter when video of him shooting was sent to the coaches years ago. Walter excelled in club ball, too, and UND offered him a scholarship during an open recruiting period. Assistant coach Steve Grabowski traveled to Vancouver to have dinner with the family. The head coach, Brian Jones, is 6-10 and played professional ball overseas. That’s a goal of Walter’s, to play pro ball.
It all just felt right, he said. Walter signed in November.
Walter said he could not have done any of this without the King’s Way coaching staff. He called Harmeling and assistant Kal Bay role models, and for much more than just basketball.
Kienan Walter would like nothing more than to help his team reward those coaches with a state championship.
It is a long way from March, but the Knights are in this together. Always.
In the world of college basketball recruiting, Kienan Walter stands out.
But at King’s Way Christian, he is one member of a close team.
BOYS BASKETBALL STORYLINES TO WATCH
Big expectations: The coaches poll has Union as the second-best team in all of Class 4A Washington. While that might be true, the Titans also have a lot of questions they need to answer answer. The team lost four starters off the squad that reached the state semifinals last year. Cameron Cranston, who is in scoring range anywhere in the gym, is back. Plus a host of Titans who have been waiting to shine. The best team in the area last year has to be the favorite to be the best again.
Battle for 3A GSHL: We know Columbia River is good. Columbia River is always good. But in this four-team league, could someone else step up to challenge the Chieftains? Our guess is Prairie expects to be in first place by the end of the year. The Falcons return all five starters. Plus three more varsity players from last year. That’s a ton of experience.
Same name, but not same guy: Drew Preuninger takes over as the head coach at Heritage. His dad, Scott Preuninger, was the coach last year.
2A GSHL should be fun: Mark Morris has won at least a share of the league title 15 consecutive seasons. So every year, the question is: Can someone take down the Monarchs? One coach in the league believes Ridgefield is ready to make the lead. Another thinks Woodland has a shot. Woodland also has Bryce Mulder, a center listed at 6-11. He is a defensive weapon no one else has in the region.
Trico League projection: King’s Way Christian, with Kienan Walter back, has to be among the favorites. La Center graduated most of its scorers from last year’s run, plus has a new coach. Castle Rock finished sixth at state last year. Kalama has a veteran roster.
Remember the dates: State regional round games are set for Feb. 26 and 27. The state tournaments are March 3-5.
