As solid as Walker has been on the court for the Greyhounds, Patsos is more impressed with his maturity away from basketball.
"He's been great off the court, too, which has always been a question mark: 'Will he grow up?'" Patsos said. "He's really been good with that. Every year he has grown up a little more. I am really proud of Shane. He's been a great leader for us on and off the court."
Former Maryland assistant coach Keith Booth, who came to Loyola as an assistant on the women's team this season, said the experience Walker had at Maryland probably helped him with the Greyhounds.
"There are some things you take away from that, how hard you have to work on a day-in and day-out basis," Booth said. "You see the maturation in his game. He's really improved in all areas."
Patsos, who spent 13 years as an assistant under Williams, recalls something his former boss told him about players who were not necessarily the stars of their team. In turn, Patsos has told the coaches of England's Olympic team the same thing about Walker.
Walker is currently among a pool of players who worked out for the national team last summer and are still in the pool of players being considered to join the team in the spring.
"Gary used to tell me there are certain guys — the [Byron] Moutons of the world, the Rodney Elliotts, the Terence Morrises, they're going to do what they do to help you win," Patsos said. "That's Shane."
