by Ben Feder

You have to stay late to see them play and there are no guarantees you will. It might happen four to five times a year under the most extreme circumstances when the game has been decided and it's time to clear the bench. Playing time for this group of players is a reward for their hard work and dedication they demonstrate on a daily basis with little or no fanfare.
 
Welcome to the life of a walk-on.
 
By definition, a walk-on is a non-scholarship player whose family is paying the bill for their entire college experience - tuition, books, room, meals and fees. At USF or other WCC schools, that can be quite an expensive ticket. But the good news, if you ask the players, is they all get the same swag as the others. Three walk-on players are included on this year's USF roster. Stefan Cox, Stokley Chaffee and Randy Cruzet all had their share of high school stardom which helped pave their path to the Hilltop. Cox and Chaffee were selectively recruited, while Cruzet had to make his own first hand impression.
 
To get his fix of pickup basketball, the then-freshman Cruzet made his way over to the Koret Health and Recreation Center.
 
Cruzet noticed a particular individual playing on one of the courts - that man was USF head basketball coach Rex Walters. The 5'10 Cruzet decided to join Walters and his son on the same team.
 
After dominating a few games, Cruzet and Walters were forced split up to even out the teams and decided to guard each other. After outscoring the former Kansas Jayhawk standout, Cruzet made his way back to Hayes Healy Residence Hall.
 
As he walked behind War Memorial Gymnasium at the Sobrato Center, Cruzet heard a familiar voice shouting "Randy! Randy!" Walters called over the San Jose native and asked if he'd ever thought about walking on to the basketball team.
 
"He played hard and could shoot it so I told him to talk to Coach [Luke] Wicks about the possibility of walking on to the team," Walters said.
 
This thought-to-be normal day had suddenly turned into quite the memorable one for Cruzet.
 
"After high school I always thought I was done playing basketball," Cruzet said. "I would watch the USF games and really missed it. It was just a dream come true."
 
Walters understands it is crucial to have a strong stable of walk-ons, especially when it comes to scout team. In order to help prep the rotation players for every game, the walk-ons have to learn the schemes of each opponent, while also becoming familiar with USF's game plan as well.
 
Past walk-ons like Gavin Hoffman and Jay Wei played their way into the rotation. Although they were never on scholarship, they played critical roles in the success of the Dons.
 
"They're learning twice as much as the other guys," Walters said. "That's why it's hard to be a walk-on as a freshman. They have to be really smart players, understand the game, be great listeners and be able to put that on the court."
 
The coaching staff puts a big emphasis on the types of walk-ons they want in their program. They look for players who are unselfish teammates, but who are also eager to get playing time.
 
"We want guys who are going to appreciate the role that they're in at that particular time," said associate head coach Frank Allocco. "They need to understand their role and what they can do to help the team. They have to be great teammates because they are serving others in that particular position. We also want to see guys who have hunger and aren't content and want to earn time and compete at a high level."
 
As a four-year scholarship player for the Dons, senior Tim Derksen knows that the success of the team depends largely on the work the walk-ons put in during practice. He knows that his individual and team goals would not be achieved without the walk-ons and appreciates the energy they give towards helping others.
 
"They're willing to help you become the player you want to be and help you achieve the goals you want," Derksen said. "They're sacrificing a lot of time to help you get where you want to go."
 
A preferred walk-on from Sedalia, Mo., Cox arrived at USF after a decorated high school career in which he led Sacred Heart High School to a perfect 31-0 record, including a state championship, earning all-state recognition.
 
Cox knew that he wouldn't see much playing time this season, but has enjoyed the responsibilities of being a scout team member.
 
"We get to run offense while they play defense against us," Cox said. "That's fun because you get to be one of the best players on another team and get to shoot a lot."
 
Chaffee was recruited by Allocco, who was familiar with the Amador Valley product while he was the head coach at De La Salle.
 
When Cox and Chaffee decided to enroll at USF, they knew that they wouldn't be in the rotation right away. However, they both play instrumental roles in preparing their teammates for the upcoming games on the schedule.
 
"It's cool because when were on the scout team, you're learning so much about the other team," Chaffee said. "I know all of our plays and most of the other team's plays. It's an advantage."
 
Whether it's at practice, in the locker room, or during games, the walk-ons are constantly providing advice to the older players on looks and schemes that they are seeing from the scouting reports. The opportunity to earn more time on the court is what drives them.
 
"The big thing for them is having the mindset that I am coming here to play, to compete and be the best I can possibly be," Allocco said.