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Cabrini's Walton-Moss Finishing Up Remarkable Career

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- An incredible college basketball career is winding down at Division III Cabrini College out in Radnor.

Aaron Walton-Moss was a key piece of the Cabrini team that advanced to the Division III National Championship Game in 2012. The guard was the Division III National Association of Basketball Coaches National Player of the Year last season. This season, as a senior, he has played in 22 games and in an incredible eight of them he has finished with a triple-double. He is nearly averaging a triple-double this season, 20 points, 11.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists a game.

Walton-Moss and the Cavaliers wrapped up the regular season last week with a 91-82 win over Gwynedd-Mercy University. The victory gave the Cavaliers the top seed in the Colonial States Athletic Conference tournament and on Tuesday night they will host that same Gwynedd-Mercy squad in the semifinals. After the game he spoke with KYW Newsradio.

The leader of this Cavaliers team on the floor, the 6'1" Walton-Moss, a Camden High product, says he's made it clear to his team how important this time of year is.

"I told them when it gets to February, it's that time," Walton-Moss tells KYW Newsradio. "It's that month, it's a short month, you get to March before you know it and you could lose a game and the season will be over. So as much fun as we're having right now, they all know one and done, no matter what, from right now on. Gotta go hard."

Listen to Aaron Walton-Moss with KYW's Matt Leon:

When you watch Walton-Moss, his stat stuffing becomes even more impressive because he doesn't force much, letting the game come to and flow through him. But his head coach Tim McDonald says make no mistake, he is a special, special talent.

"There are certain things that he does that we see everyday in practice, so it doesn't kind of 'wow' me," McDonald tells KYW Newsradio. "But there are moments, there's been games this year where you just see him go out jump a 6'9" kid and rip the ball out of his hands or he goes in the lane and three guys are guarding him and he's in the air with his back to the basket and finds the open cutter when it looks like he can't see anything on the floor. So regardless of the situation, there still are those 'wow' moments because he is a tremendous player and he could play at any level as a point guard."

Walton-Moss talks about what he considers the strongest part of his game.

"I would say facilitating for teammates," Walton-Moss says. "I get a lot of people involved. Some people think basketball is about scoring. To me basketball is all about defense. If you can stop people from scoring, as you can see Kentucky and things like that, I mean you don't have to have anybody have 25, 30 points. Offense wins game, defense wins championship and as of right now we're trying to keep that right here in the CSAC and win this championship and take it one game at a time."

Coach McDonald agrees that Walton-Moss' ability to distribute is really special.

"Him being unselfish kind of gets our whole team going," McDonald says, "and gets everyone's head in the game and keeps them energized and makes them feel good and makes them play harder defensively because they are scoring points."

Listen to Tim McDonald with KYW's Matt Leon:

The Cavaliers are on a seven-game winning streak, but with a record of 16-9, they will most likely have to win the CSAC Tournament to return to the NCAA Tournament for a sixth straight season. So Walton-Moss' college career could end at anytime. But he is pragmatic about it and says he's not really getting emotional about wrapping things up.

"Only because of the fact that you know it's got to end," Walton-Moss says. "You leave high school to get to somewhere to try to play ball and try to continue what you do to try and get to the next level. Of course I'm sad I might be leaving Cabrini, I love it here. But you've got to get ready for the next step. Honestly, I'm trying to play ball at the next level, that's why every game is get better and just help your teammates so next year I can come here and watch them young guys lead everybody and do the things I was doing for them."

Cabrini and Gwynedd-Mercy will tip-off at 7:00pm on Tuesday night.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.

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