DALLAS (SMU) – Sam Walters, a 6-10 forward from The Villages, Florida has signed with the Mustangs for the 2025-26 season, Head Coach Andy Enfield announced today. Walters joins SMU's incoming class that is ranked as high as No. 17 nationally.
 
Walters played all 37 games as a freshman at Alabama in 2023-24 as the Crimson Tide advanced to the NCAA Fina Four. He then played the first 23 games at Michigan as a sophomore in 2024-25 before missing the final 14 games due to injury. As a freshman, he averaged 5.4 points and shot 39.4% from three. Walters followed that with 5.0 points and 36.6% three-point shooting at Michigan as the Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament and made the NCAA Sweet 16. Walters was a consensus top-60 prospect from The Villages Charter School in 2023.
 
In Enfield's first season on the Hilltop, he led the Mustangs to a 24-11 overall record and earned a No. 1 seed in the NIT. The Mustangs went 13-7 in the program's inaugural season in the ACC to tie for fourth, recording a 7-3 road record in league play. SMU also won the Acrisure Holiday Invitational. The Mustangs were one of just two teams in the nation with six players averaging at least 9.9 points and one of just eight teams in the NCAA top 50 for field goal percentage and field goal defense. SMU signed a high school class rated No. 6 and an overall class ranked as high as No. 17, which are both the best in program history.
 
Sam Walters
6-10, F, 200, Jr.
The Villages, Florida
The Villages Charter School
 
Career: Collegiate
• Played in 60 career games
• Helped Michigan to the Big Ten Tournament title and NCAA Sweet 16 (2025)
• Helped Alabama to the NCAA Tournament (2024)

Season: 2024-25 (Michigan)
• Played in 23 games: all off the bench
    • Missed final 14 games, and all of postseason, due to injury
• Averaged 5.0 points per game
    • Posted five double figure scoring games
    • Scored a season-best 13 points (2x): Tarleton State (Nov. 21), Western Kentucky (Dec. 29)
• Averaged 1.6 rebounds per game
    • Grabbed a season-best four rebounds (4x)
• Shot 42.5 percent from the field (37-for-85) and 36.6 percent on three-pointers (26-for-71) 
    • Tied a career-high five field goals against Tarleton State (5-for-9) with three three-pointers 
    • Made a season-high three three-pointers (3x): Wake Forest (Nov. 10, Tarleton State, Washington (Jan. 12)
• Had 13 assists, four blocks, and two steals
    • Had a career-high four assists against Purdue Fort Wayne
• Averaged 12.6 minutes per game
    • Recorded eight games of 15-plus minutes, with three 20-plus
    • Played a career-best 23 minutes vs. Western Kentucky

Season: 2023-24 (Alabama)
• Played in all 37 games: all off the bench
    • Made collegiate debut in the season opener against Morehead State (Nov. 6)
    • Finished with seven points, two rebounds and a steal in 15 minutes
• Averaged 5.4 points per game
    • Posted seven double figure scoring games
    • Scored a career-best 16 points against South Alabama (Nov. 14)
• Averaged 2.4 rebounds per game
    • Posted six five-plus rebounds games
    • Grabbed a career-best eight rebounds against Texas A&M (Feb. 17)
• Shot 42.4 percent from the field (64-for-151) and 39.4 percent on three-pointers (39-for-99)
    • Made a career-high five field goals against Florida (Feb. 21) with career-high four three-pointers
• Had 15 assists, nine blocks and eight steals
    • Had a career-best three steals against Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 23)
• Averaged 12.3 minutes per game
    • Recorded 12 games of 15-plus minutes, with three 20-plus
    • Played a season-best 21 minutes against Eastern Kentucky

Career: Prep
• Consensus Top 100 recruit: ESPN (No. 54), Rivals (No. 51) and 247 Sports (No. 57)
• Prepped at Village Charter School (Colt McDowell) as well as at Montverde Academy (Kevin Boyle)
• After playing at Village Charter (2019-20), he headed to Montverde Academy as a sophomore (2020-21); transferring back to Village Charter for his final two prep seasons (2021-23)
• In 88 games at Village Charter: scored 1598 points (18.2 ppg) and grabbed 711 rebounds (8.1 rpg)
    • Helped Buffalo to three 20-plus win seasons and 65-24 overall record
    • As a senior (2022-23), averaged 23.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists
    • As a junior (2022-22), averaged 24.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists
    • Made 141 three-point field goals; shooting 39.5 percent
        • Posted back-to-back 60-plus three-pointers (122) in his final two seasons (62 & 60, respectively)
    • Finished career shooting 51 percent from field (556-for-1080) and 85 percent on free throws (345-for-408)
• As a sophomore at Montverde Academy, helped the Eagles to a 24-1 record, the No. 1 prep ranking, and the second straight Geico Prep Nationals title