I am very late off the mark with this post. But it is what it is. I still think a big reason for my tardiness has a lot to do with my hang over from the Georgetown win. Yeah that was a whole three days ago but what of it? UConn is the team that I have watched the most this year. Partly because they have been a fixture of the national TV schedule since the Maui Invitational, and partly because despite the Jimmer fever that has struck our nation at complete unawares Kemba Walker has been by far the most enjoyable player to watch this season. I am a sucker for good point guard play, that's why I have this picture of Steve Nash tattooed on my right peck (I don't really) and Kemba Walker is the best PG in the country by far.
Now the meme that has been circulating the UConn team of late is that they are not just Kemba and the Walkers anymore. There is some merit to that, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel has come out of nowhere to produce at a pretty high level the last two weeks. Jeremy Lamb is developing into a nice complementary player and Alex Oriakhi is a force on the inside. Oh and Shabazz Napier seems to have game equal in stature to the awesomeness of his game.
All that aside this team is still all Kemba all the time. He plays 90 per cent of the minutes at his position, and his usage rate is the highest in the conference. Conversely if a team is able to make things difficult for Walker the Huskies are prone to struggles on the offensive end. That's what Marquette was able to do in their upset on Wednesday, they played the 2-3 zone and shut off the interior for Walker. That is going to be the key for UC tomorrow as well. Mick Cronin has taken to the zone concept like a duck to water. I would expect a heavy dose on Sunday as well. When Walker can get into the lane, he can create shots in abundance for himself and for others. If he can't do that he becomes a jump shooter, he can beat a team that way, but the Huskie offense bogs down when it becomes reliant on Kemba making jumpers. That is what UC has to do tomorrow, and they are imminently capable of doing just that. Regardless it should be an interesting game
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