The Kemba Show Comes Home

It was bad enough when touted Rice High School guard Kemba Walker was The One Who Got Away from the previous coaching staff.

It was worse when Walker became the fast-as-electricity guard who routinely exposed St. John’s defensive weaknesses.

But now, Kemba Walker is the Show for U Conn. He’s taken what should be a terrible Husky team and made it not only viable, but a top-10 squad nationally.

Kemba is a likely first-round NBA draft pick. Kemba has a shot at national Player of the Year. He is one of ten finalists for the Cousy Award. Kemba holds the Huskies together like maybe no other player on a major conference team does. Kemba keeps Jim Calhoun from crying in his sleep over losses and taking more leaves of absence. I think Kemba even keeps the snowfall manageable in Storrs, CT.

We all wanted to see the Huskies wither and die (or at least I did). Kemba Walker – once St. John’s Director of Basketball Operations Mo Hicks’ point guard at Rice – is a part of a stingy team defense that has Husky fans thinking big after being left for near-dead in the offseason. Despite looking like a one-man team, the Huskies are tough as ever, and will be hard to handle for the Red Storm.

But… St. John’s gets the Huskies in the Garden, which has been closer to a home-court advantage than it has been for years.

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Connecticut (18-4, 6-4)

Despite that long Kemba-licious introduction, the team is a little more than Kemba now. Jim Calhoun has taught his young Husky charges the U Conn way. The point guards are solid at funneling the action inside towards a pair of big men and occasionally a tall wing, all of whom gleefully make the hoop impossible to reach. That height helps maintain some cornerstones of Calhoun basketball – shot blocking, little fouling, and low field goal percentage inside the arc, all done with man-to-man principles.

But Kemba Walker is an integral part of what the Huskies do. He’s developed a deadly jump shot off of screens, and will pull it in transition. He is still a little small and slight to convert regularly at the rim, but he will take that lane and draw a foul if you let him. Kemba takes a lot of shots, he’s still one of the quickest players in college basketball, will steal the ball from you, and his passing is very good. His backup, Shabazz Napier, is also good – not too mistake-prone, though he does over-penetrate at times, with a solid shot and quick and pesky defensive hands. (Early in the year, he got called for a LOT of carries with his dribble.)

Freshman Jeremy Lamb has really come on to play a major role for the Huskies, scoring in double digits in the past 7 games and taking 10+ shots in the past 6 games. He has arms that belong on someone much taller, and he uses them for evil in the passing lanes. Sophomore Jamal Coombs-McDaniel and Donnell Beverly catch some minutes as well.

On the wing, Roscoe Smith and Niels Giffey (apparently pronounced Giff-EYE) see minutes. Giffey is spoken of as a passer, Smith a defender, shot-blocker, and a shooter.

Up front, the Huskies once again sport a hefty front line. This year’s beef consists of Alex Oriakhi, who can dunk it and has a little jump shot for when Kemba draws two on penetration. Since he plays at U Conn, he blocks shots. He’s the team’s best defensive rebounder. Charles Okwandu is a senior who excels on the offensive glass, but doesn’t try to score much. Tyler Olander has seen less time in the last month; he is a decent offensive rebounder. St. John’s will have trouble with all of this Connecticut height.

Keys to the Game

Slow Kemba. Walker powers the team. He’s hard to defend, and teams that focus too much on him leave the younger players open for easy shots. Still, it’s important to make Kemba work for his points – don’t let him fly into the lane in transition, make sure his jumpers are off-balance and contested. Slow him down.

Offensive Put-Backs. The Huskies aren’t the greatest team at clearing their opponents’ misses. Those offensive rebound chances might be the best chances St. John’s has to get shots at the rim. Unlike some recent games, the Johnnies have to get those put back chances to fall.

Low Turnover Numbers. The Huskies are pesky on defense, especially with perimeter defenders Shabazz Napier, Kemba Walker, and Jeremy Lamb. St. John’s has to protect the ball against their pressure.

Score Inside. Justin Brownlee has to be more of a factor for St. John’s to win any games; he has to find points, as do the slashing guards. Jump shots will be defended, and the Red Storm aren’t great shooters to begin with.

High Energy Garden. St. John’s has had some solid games at Madison Square Garden, and that old Garden magic (or Rumble!) has to be there to rattle the baby Huskies. St. John’s has to bring that energy as well and defend their house.

Prediction: Who knows what to expect, besides a lot of Kemba and a lot of turnovers? But I think the Kemba show will be too much. Connecticut takes it late, 69-65.