Kemba Walker didn't have his most dazzling performance of the NCAA tournament on Saturday night, but he was good enough when it mattered most. As a result, Connecticut is now just one win away from a national title.
Walker has thoroughly impressed college hoops fans for the last few weeks, starting with a sparkling performance in the Big East tournament. He's been UConn's go-to guy throughout, and when it mattered most on Saturday, he was there again to help the Huskies knock off Kentucky.
Following three games in which he poured in 33, 36 and 20 points respectively, Walker only netted 18 in the national semifinals. Instead of lighting it up from the floor — he shot only 6-for-15 on the evening — Walker filled up the stat sheet. He grabbed six rebounds and added seven assists.
Walker's fast-break layup with 4:13 to play helped push the UConn lead to four. The basket came at a time where both teams were gassed due to a lack of stoppage of play, but Walker once again found another gear.
But perhaps most importantly, Walker brought it on the defensive end of the court. There was a bunch of excitement surrounding Walker's matchup with Kentucky guard Brandon Knight. Simply put, though, Walker and the rest of the UConn backcourt made life tough for Knight. Sure, he scored 17 points, but they did not come easy. Walker helped hold the freshman sensation to just 6-of-23 shooting to go along with three turnovers.
Walker saved his best defensive work for the game's final meaningful play. WIth just 16 seconds to play, trailing by two, John Calipari called timeout to try and draw up a last-ditch effort. The best he could muster, however, was a forced 3-pointer by Knight. Part of the reason UK had to settle for such a pedestrian look (aside from puzzling playcalling) was the initial on-ball defense from, you guessed, it Kemba Walker.
Over the past few weeks, Walker has elevated his draft status, but more importantly, he's continued to do whatever Jim Calhoun and the rest of UConn has asked him to do. So far, he's answered the bell each time.
Walker may enter the NBA draft at the conclusion of this season. If that's the case, one more performance like he's shown in UConn's 10-game winning streak, he'll leave Storrs as a national champion.
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