Bama stops recruiting hoops transfer after arrest

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Former Wichita State player Jaykwon Walton, who had previously announced plans to transfer to Alabama, has been arrested on a charge of second-degree possession of marijuana.

Walton had announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide in March, but coach Nate Oats said that won’t happen now.

“Alabama is no longer recruiting Jaykwon Walton and he will not be a student-athlete at the University of Alabama,” Oats said in a statement on Monday.

A Tuscaloosa police news release said Walton, 21, and Kameron Deshawn Harris, 21, were arrested late Saturday night after multiple complaints about a large number of vehicles at apartment complexes near campus. Officers approached a vehicle and smelled marijuana.

Walton told police there was a loaded firearm under the passenger seat where he was sitting, and an officer noticed a rolling tray, a baggie containing some 20 grams of marijuana and a half-rolled blunt in the passenger side floorboard, police said.

Officers found two more loaded weapons and another baggie containing 12 grams of marijuana that police said belonged to Harris.

Harris and Walton were both charged with second-degree possession of marijuana and released after posting $500 bond. The driver was not charged.

In Alabama, as of Jan. 1, a permit is no longer required to carry a concealed handgun or to carry one in a vehicle.

The arrest occurred near the spot where Jamea Harris was shot and killed on Jan. 15. Then-Alabama player Darius Miles and his friend Michael Davis were charged with capital murder.

Court testimony later revealed that two freshman players on the Alabama team that was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament were at the scene. Forward Brandon Miller and guard Jaden Bradley have been identified as witnesses, not suspects.

Bradley has announced plans to transfer, and Miller has declared for the draft and is a projected top-5 pick.

Walton averaged 13.9 points and 5.3 rebounds last season for Wichita State. He had started his career at Georgia and played for Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa in the 2021-22 season.

ESPN’s Myron Medcalf contributed to this report.