Early Wednesday morning, news broke that Oakland University guard, Martez Walker had suffered a broken left foot and will miss the rest of the season. Multiple sources confirmed on twitter, saying Walker’s absence is a heartbreaking loss for the Golden Grizzlies.

Walker was averaging 15.4 points a game and nearly 38 minutes a contest. Walker had a huge impact on and off the floor and has been known as a team leader since his arrival in 2015. In the 2016-17 campaign, Walker led Oakland in scoring with 17.8 points per game, which ranked fourth in the Horizon League. Known for not only his offense, he is also known as a fantastic defender and usually matches up with the opposing team’s best offensive player every game.

Walker has been a fan favorite at Oakland during his tenure and many people showed him love and support on social media after the news broke.

“I feel awful for Martez… it sucks it has to end like this for him… one of my favorite guys of all time,” voice of the Golden Grizzlies, Neal Ruhl said.

Born and raised in Detroit, Walker went to Pershing High School on Detroit’s north side. After high school, Walker went to Texas University before deciding to come home and transferring to Oakland University.

“I am heartbroken for Martez,” head coach Greg Kampe said. “He was having an MVP-type season and all he wanted to do was win and go to the NCAA Tournament. Now he has lost that chance.”

As a fifth year senior, this is the final season for Walker and his last game as a Golden Grizzly was an 87-78 win over rival Detroit Mercy University. Walker went down halfway through the second half with the injury, but returned with roughly three minutes to go in the contest.

With Oakland sitting at 16-10 overall and five games to play, the loss of Walker will greatly affect their chances of capturing the elusive Horizon League Championship.