Meet the JuCo Transfers: Portland’s Max Livingston
By Josh Horton
Stereotypically, walk-ons are regarded as bench warmers who only play garbage minutes. They are well-loved for their playful demeanor on the bench, waving towels and partaking in playful celebrations.
However, walk-ons can make significant contributions if they can do one of two things (or both for that matter): hustle or shoot.
The jury is still out on his hustle, but Max Livingston is already advertised as a pretty solid shooter coming out of Clark Community College in Vancouver, Wash. He is taking his talents close to home to play for the Portland Pilots for his next two seasons of eligibility as a walk-on.
At Hawaii-Pacific
Livingston launched his career at Hawaii-Pacific, a Division II school. Livingston redshirted his debut season in college basketball, and began playing in 2012-2013 and started 14 games as a freshmen. In his lone season as Sea Warriors, Livingston averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds and shot 46 percent from behind the arc.
At Clark College
The Lake Oswego, Ore. product decided to play closer to home at Clark Community College for his sophomore season. As expected, Livingston’s impact was much higher.
Livingston averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Penguins (sweet name, I know), earning all-region second team honors. Livingston shot 48 percent from 3 last season, leading the Northwest Athletic Association of Community College (NAACC) in that category.
Impact at Portland
It’s really tough to tell with walk-ons, but Livingston could potentially be a lethal weapon of the bench as a shooter for the Pilots next season. Bobby Sharp made a living doing that for the Pilots last season, and adding another sharpshooter to the mix will only help the Pilots.
Initially, the speed of Division I basketball and the increase in defense will be the hardest adjustment for the 6-foot-5 guard. If he adjusts fast, Livingston could see some minutes on the court than the typical walk-on.