Gators' Walsh glad that 'whirlwind' ended with Heat deal

MIAMI - Matt Walsh was ready to spend the next few weeks being a basketball vagabond, bouncing around the various summer pro leagues looking to prove his worth as an NBA prospect.<br> <br> There&#39;s no need for that plan now not after securing what&#39;s expected to be a two-year contract with the Miami Heat.<br> <br> Walsh&#39;s decision to leave Florida a year early and enter the NBA draft raised some eyebrows, and he heard much criticism and second-guessing especially after his name wasn&#39;t called on draft night.<br> <br> Soon, though, Walsh is expected to sign a deal worth around $1.2 million. He couldn&#39;t be happier.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s been kind of a whirlwind couple weeks,&#39;&#39; Walsh said Thursday before the Heat played Dallas in a summer pro league game in Long Beach, Calif. ``I&#39;m just glad everything worked out.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> A couple weeks ago, things didn&#39;t look so promising.<br> <br> Walsh believed he was a first-round prospect, especially after his workouts with NBA teams drew some fairly strong reviews. The 6-foot-6 Walsh led the Gators in 3-point accuracy, hitting 42.6 percent this past season, and finished second on the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game.<br> <br> Yet 60 other players were drafted instead, leaving Walsh with a decidedly murky future.<br> <br> ``For about an hour period I was really upset, feeling sorry for myself,&#39;&#39; Walsh said. ``I never regretted my decision, but after that, I decided not to feel sorry for myself. I knew I was good enough, and at that point I was like, &#39;Screw it, I&#39;m going to work as hard as I can to get to where I want to go.&#39;&#39;&#39;<br> <br> He agreed to play for the Heat&#39;s summer-league team, and considered joining a few other clubs. But after two games the second with Walsh scoring nine points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out five assists and making a steal, all in 22 minutes Miami asked him to stay longer.<br> <br> No deal is likely to be signed before July 22, but Walsh&#39;s agent, Jason Levien, and the Heat have already agreed on some basic principles of his first pro contract.<br> <br> ``I still need to catch up with them a little bit more,&#39;&#39; Levien said. ``But I feel very confident that this won&#39;t need much in terms of locking down.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Heat officials, including general manager Randy Pfund, are especially high on Walsh&#39;s ability to shoot the ball. Plus, Pfund has drawn parallels between Walsh&#39;s plight and that of former Florida standout Udonis Haslem another player who wasn&#39;t drafted, but has spent the past two seasons with Miami and this week agreed to a $34 million, five-year deal with the Heat.<br> <br> Walsh will probably compete with players like Dorell Wright and Rasual Butler for time in a reserve role this coming season, which is fine with him. The Heat, in Shaquille O&#39;Neal&#39;s first season in Miami, won 59 games in 2004-05 and reached the Eastern Conference finals.<br> <br> ``I know I&#39;m not coming in to be a starter or Dwyane Wade,&#39;&#39; Walsh said. ``I took the attitude that I&#39;m going to play hard and do the things that got me here.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> He acknowledges that the draft snub stung him a bit, as did some suggestions that he made a mistake by leaving college a year early. Now, Walsh wants desperately to prove the naysayers wrong.<br> <br> ``I can&#39;t possibly imagine a better situation,&#39;&#39; Walsh said. ``I&#39;m going to be a teammate with Shaq. Thinking about that is crazy. It&#39;s a dream come true.&#39;&#39;

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