Manhattan ? Former Ohio high school basketball standout Bill Walker, one of the players Bob Huggins pursued during his yearlong hiatus from coaching, signed a financial aid agreement with Kansas State on Friday and will join the team next month.

Walker, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound small forward, was considered one of the nation’s top high school players last year.

“I think you’d have a hard time going anywhere and saying Bill’s not the best athlete on anybody’s team,” Huggins said during a conference call with reporters Friday.

Walker, who earned his high school diploma this fall through an accelerated program, already has enrolled at Kansas State as a part-time student.

Walker, 19, will be eligible to join the team on Dec. 16, meaning he could play the next day against Kennesaw State in Manhattan, in the first game of the Las Vegas Holiday Classic. That will be the 10th game for the Wildcats, who open their season Nov. 11 at home against William & Mary.

The plan is to play Walker right away, although Huggins said he hadn’t set a target for how many minutes the freshman would get.

“I’m not that smart,” Huggins said. “We’ll have to see how it goes. We have to get him in some games, sure.”

Walker is prohibited from working out with the team or with Kansas State’s strength coaches until he becomes eligible.

“He’s going to have to play himself into shape,” Huggins said.