After playing her final game for Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Pilar Walker thought she had played her last game with lifelong teammate Chantelle Pressley.

The two had played basketball together from the time they were on the same middle school team in the seventh grade. Pressley, a 6-foot-1 forward, had signed to play at Eastern in the fall and Walker was still uncertain of where she was going to school.

But after seeing Eastern’s campus during a recruiting visit, the 5-foot-7 guard decided to attend Eastern as well.

“I really like the campus; it’s small and I don’t have to drive to classes,” Walker said. “(Red-shirt junior guard Dominique Sims) was my host during my recruiting visit, and she played a big part in me coming here too.”

While Walker said she did not expect to play with Pressley in college, she said she was happy it turned out that way.

“Playing with my high school teammate again is a big deal,” Walker said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen, but I’m glad it did.”

Pressley, who signed during the early recruit signing period, said she talked to head coach Brady Sallee about Walker while he was recruiting her but was not sure Walker was going to join her at Eastern until after Walker’s recruiting visit.

“(Walker) let me know after her recruiting visit what she thought, and she said that she liked it and after that I knew she was going to come here,” Pressley said.

Sallee said he began recruiting Pressley at a tournament in Chicago three years ago. While recruiting Pressley, he noticed Walker’s game and eventually began recruiting her as well.

The situation was unique for Sallee because both Pressley and Walker are from his hometown of Lexington, Ky. He said this made it easier to get to know the two because he knows a lot of people in the area who were familiar with their games and could give him information about them.

“With them being from my hometown seeing them stuck in my head a little bit, and I liked what I saw out of those kids,” Sallee said.

Sallee said both Pressley and Walker are in good situations because with so many talented upperclassmen at their positions they have time to sit and learn instead of having to be major contributors right away.

“We’ve had such a turnaround the past few years that kids that can play and have the talent level that (Pressley and Walker) have were thrust into the lineups from day one,” Sallee said. “In their first year they’re not in that situation where we have to have them come in and give extended minutes. They can learn at their pace and learn from veteran players to become successful.”

Sallee said the fact Pressley and Walker have played together for so long gives them a connection when they’re on the court together.

Walker said when she is playing with Pressley it makes it feel like high school again. However, she said that she’s comfortable with the team regardless if she is on the court with Pressley or not.

“I’m comfortable either way,” Walker said. “I can’t always depend on (Pressley). I just have to do what I have to do and make sure that I keep coach happy.”

Pressley said having Walker in the guard position while she is playing forward helps her because she knows what she has to do depending on what decisions Walker makes with the ball.

“I think it helps to have her in the guard position,” Pressley said. “I know how she likes to play fast, and I like to run the floor as well. Neither of us like playing slow, and it helps when we’re on the court together.”

While both Pressley and Walker are playing reserve roles behind more experienced seniors, they both said that the upperclassmen are quick to help them if they do something wrong.

Another freshman in that situation is guard Madeline Kish. The Oak Forest native is Eastern’s third freshman and saw substantial playing time in the Panthers’ second exhibition game this season. Kish could turn into a good shooter for the Panthers, as she won the IHSA 3-point shooting championship as a junior at Sandburg High School.

“I’m excited about them,” Sallee said. “I look forward to seeing what they can do in this system in our program. They’re a couple of pretty talented kids. We’ll see what the future holds.”

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or at cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.

Freshman basketball players Madeline Kish, Chantelle Pressley and Pilar Walker perform a drill together during practice Wednesday evening in Lantz Arena. (Robbie Wroblewski/The Daily Eastern News)

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