Great aritcle on Kemba

[UConntLose]

UConn’s hero. Michael Jordan’s protégé. Boston’s hope: ‘There was something about Kemba’

As a junior, he led the ninth-seeded Huskies to five wins in five days at the Big East tournament and was named MVP. When Kedow Walker entered Kemba’s hotel room following the title game win over Louisville, Kemba was smiling and holding a six-pack of Gatorade.

“Key,” he said, “we’re about to go win the whole thing now.”

In the NCAA regional semifinal against No. 2 San Diego State, Walker was bumped to the floor by forward Jamaal Franklin as they walked to their benches for a timeout. Walker felt like he was back on a New York playground, and those close to him knew what was coming next.

“That lit a fire under him,” said his mother, Andrea Walker.

 

[HooperScooper]

The article is in the Boston Globe today. Nice article.

One day late in Walker’s sophomore year, his New York Gauchos AAU coach, Book Richardson, asked the players to name their dream colleges. Walker, a backup point guard at Rice, had received just one recruiting letter, from Division 2 Virginia Union. He said he wanted to go to the University of Connecticut.

“You’re not good enough,” Richardson told him. “If you want that, you have to make open jumpers, you have to defend the opponent’s best player, and you have to run the team.”

Richardson asked a friend on UConn’s staff to send Walker a university information packet. It was what any prospective student would get, but Walker was enchanted.

He took Richardson’s advice to heart, and when he entered Rice’s starting lineup during his junior year in 2006-07, a college scholarship was his dangling carrot. At the Nike Super 6 Invitational at Madison Square Garden, Walker outdueled future NBA MVP Derrick Rose as Rice defeated Chicago’s Simeon High. That spring, Walker dominated the nation’s top recruit, Brandon Jennings, in an elite AAU tournament in Arizona.

“Guys were scared of Brandon,” Richardson said. “Kemba looked over at me and said, ‘I got him. He’s not doing anything.’ I said, 'Oh [man], OK, Kemba.’ ”

UConn had been chasing bigger targets that year, but when it missed out on some and Walker continued to soar, Huskies coach Jim Calhoun mandated that Walker become the staff’s top priority.

During Walker’s unofficial campus visit that June, Calhoun was in the midst of his sell when Walker stopped him and said it was not necessary. As Walker and his coaches were driving back to New York, Calhoun called and offered a scholarship.

“Right away I’m like, ‘I’m in,’ ” Walker said. “It was easy for me. I didn’t care who was there already, who was in front of me. I was in.”

 

[LStudfellow]

One of the things I absolutely love the most about being a fan of UConn basketball is some of the amazing people (both young men and women) we have had the chance to watch and root for over the last few decades.

How lucky are we that we have had Kemba Walker... and Emeka Okafor... and Caron Butler... and Shabazz Napier... and Ray Allen... and Chris Smith... and Nadav Henefeld... and Khalid El-Amin... and Richard Hamilton... and so many others to root for and watch grow not only on the court but also into leaders in their communities.

GREAT article about an awesome self-made UConn and NBA star, and an even better person.

 

[bendm]

“Right away I’m like, ‘I’m in,’ ” Walker said. “It was easy for me. I didn’t care who was there already, who was in front of me. I was in.”

those were the days

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Kemba's one of my all-time Uconn favorites. These max and supermax deals are crazy. Imagine being 'eligible' for $221mil but willing to 'settle' for $180mil?

 

[Hugo]

Great article by Adam Himmelsbach. Liked the way he used Kemba's background in high school and as a Husky to lead into his days as a pro. He added insight into Kemba's personality and focus as well as his basketball skills. It says a lot about Kemba, when Ainge, who "typically seeks out character references" for players he is interested in said "There was no need. I'd heard and seen too much good" about him. So happy when the C's signed him and how he has integrated himself into the team culture and with the younger players.

 

[Palatine]

I agree. That is a great article. Thanks.

 

[InKembaITrust]

Favorite basketball player.

Not just because he's an ex-husky and his talent on the court.

 

[Mike Honcho]

those were the days

We went all in on Brandon Jennings, at one point the board soiled its collective panties because a picture surfaced with Brandon wearing UConn shorts at a workout. Kemba was definitely Calhoun's second choice after Brandon chose Arizona. "Those days" don't seem quite so unfamiliar...

 

[Mazhude]

We went all in on Brandon Jennings, at one point the board soiled its collective panties because a picture surfaced with Brandon wearing UConn shorts at a workout. Kemba was definitely Calhoun's second choice after Brandon chose Arizona. "Those days" don't seem quite so unfamiliar...

We don't need the best players, we need the right players...

 

[Palatine]

We went all in on Brandon Jennings, at one point the board soiled its collective panties because a picture surfaced with Brandon wearing UConn shorts at a workout. Kemba was definitely Calhoun's second choice after Brandon chose Arizona. "Those days" don't seem quite so unfamiliar...

Jennings had a nice NBA career. Made good bank. Ended up in China and Russia. Fate was good to us, Kemba is something special.

 

[bendm]

We went all in on Brandon Jennings, at one point the board soiled its collective panties because a picture surfaced with Brandon wearing UConn shorts at a workout. Kemba was definitely Calhoun's second choice after Brandon chose Arizona. "Those days" don't seem quite so unfamiliar...

by those days i meant 1) when 5* McDonald's all americans committed instantly and didnt care who was on the depth chart ahead of them and 2) when our backup plans were still 5* McDonald's all americans

 

[HooperScooper]

by those days i meant 1) when 5* McDonald's all americans committed instantly and didnt care who was on the depth chart ahead of them and 2) when our backup plans were still 5* McDonald's all americans

If I remember correctly Kemba wasn't a top 25 recruit when he committed. I think he was in the 50-75 range and then moved into the teens near the end of that summer.

 

[bendm]

If I remember correctly Kemba wasn't a top 25 recruit when he committed. I think he was in the 50-75 range and then moved into the teens near the end of that summer.

not sure i see your point. is it that if he was already ranked in the top 25 before calhoun offered he wouldnt have committed here? that wouldnt change the fact this was his dream school. as stated in the article, kemba had already dominated rose and jennings when calhoun offered. who cares if the rankings hadnt caught up quite yet

 

[HooperScooper]

not sure i see your point. is it that if he was already ranked in the top 25 before calhoun offered he wouldnt have committed here? that wouldnt change the fact this was his dream school. as stated in the article, kemba had already dominated rose and jennings when calhoun offered. who cares if the rankings hadnt caught up quite yet

You mentioned 2 things that used to happen at UConn "in those days". Neither of those things happened with Kemba since before he committed and when he committed he wasn't a 5* recruit. I didn't think that logic was so hard to follow. See what I'm saying?

Or maybe I just misunderstood what you were trying to say. Either way, doesn't matter at all. Just forget about this.

 

[bendm]

You mentioned 2 things that used to happen at UConn "in those days". Neither of those things happened with Kemba since before he committed and when he committed he wasn't a 5* recruit. I didn't think that logic was so hard to follow. See what I'm saying?
Or maybe I just misunderstood what you were trying to say. Either way, doesn't matter at all. Just forget about this.

yeah let's agree to disagree on the significance of your distinction...because even if kemba wasnt listed as a 5* recruit by the ranking services on the day he committed, Calhoun (and every other coach with a brain) already knew he had 5* talent.

 

[gsmooth]

If I remember correctly Kemba wasn't a top 25 recruit when he committed. I think he was in the 50-75 range and then moved into the teens near the end of that summer.

mmmm... no. Kemba was a cream of the crop top tier recruit. I am thankful down to my veins as a college basketaball fan that UConn got him.

#12 overall in 247 rankings and #14 overall in ESPN rankings.

2008 Top Basketball Recruits

The 247Sports rankings are determined by our recruiting analysts after countless hours of personal observations, film evaluation and input from our network of scouts.

247sports.com

ESPN Basketball Recruiting - Player Rankings

Where do the nation basketball recruits rank? Check out the player rankings on RecruitingNation.com

www.espn.com

 

[HooperScooper]

mmmm... no. Kemba was a cream of the crop top tier recruit. I am thankful down to my veins as a college basketaball fan that UConn got him.

#12 overall in 247 rankings and #14 overall in ESPN rankings.

2008 Top Basketball Recruits

The 247Sports rankings are determined by our recruiting analysts after countless hours of personal observations, film evaluation and input from our network of scouts.

247sports.com

ESPN Basketball Recruiting - Player Rankings

Where do the nation basketball recruits rank? Check out the player rankings on RecruitingNation.com

www.espn.com

Yes, I know he was ranked in the teens. I said that above. Did you even read what I wrote? He was not ranked that high when he committed to UConn. Anyone who followed recruiting back then should remember that. He wasn't even ranked by most coming into the spring of his junior year. He was generally top 100 by the middle of the spring but he was not top 10-20 until later that summer, after he committed to UConn, when he showed all spring/summer how good he was. Kemba rocketed up the rankings very quickly so Calhoun was a good judge of his talent.

I found the Hartford Courant article from June 17, 2007, the day after he committed to UConn, written by Mike Anthony (can't find a link) which gives his ranking from Scout.com and Rivals.com. Rivals.com still had him at #118 at the time he committed to UConn. Also, here's the Scout.com article when Kemba committed where Telep says he wasn't even ranked coming into the spring of his junior year. Below are the 2 articles.

New York Point Guard Commits

By MIKE ANTHONY
Courant Staff Writer

June 17 2007

Kemba Walker, a point guard from Rice High School in New York, made an oral commitment to attend UConn Saturday.

Walker, 6 feet 2, chose the Huskies over Cincinnati and St. John's.

Walker is said to be a player with rising stock. He has been impressive in recent AAU tournaments such as the Cactus Classic in Phoenix, where he led the New York Gauchos to the championship and was named MVP.

Scout.com rates Walker the No. 4 point guard and No. 36 overall player in the Class of 2008. Rivals.com has him as the No. 20 point guard and No. 118 player.

The feeling at UConn is that Walker is, or will become, one of the elite players in the class.

Walker joins guard/forward Nate Miles from Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., as high school seniors-to-be who have committed to UConn.

For the Class of 2009, the Huskies have commitments from Alex Oriakhi, a 6-8 post player, and Jamal Coombs, a 6-6 guard/forward, both juniors at the Winchendon School in Massachusetts.

Walker made an unofficial visit to UConn June 6 and will likely make an official visit once his senior year begins. Walker and Rice coach Maurice Hicks could not be reached Saturday.

UConn sophomore forward Curtis Kelly played at Rice.
____________________________________________________

Walker Makes His Pick
By Dave Telep National Recruiting Director Posted Jun 16, 2007 Kemba Walker, Scout.com’s No. 36 prospect in America, is no longer uncommitted. On Saturday, Walker became the 7th Top 10 point guard to make up his mind and offer a commitment.
Kemba Walker matched his rapid ascension up the point guard charts by making a very quick collegiate decision. The 6-foot point guard out of Manhattan (N.Y.) Rice committed to the Connecticut Huskies this week. He considered Cincinnati, St. John’s and a host of high level programs. UConn moved swiftly on Walker. After being named the MVP of the Cactus Classic in May, Jim Calhoun’s crew immediately brought him to campus, offered a ride and ended the process. It was almost like Walker was sitting on one particular program. “Actually, it was the school I was waiting for,” Walker said. “It’s probably my dream school.” Walker’s proof that dreams do come true. Unranked prior to the spring, the tough leader went from Top 20 at his position to No. 36 nationally. Presently, he’s the No. 4 ranked point guard in the Class of 2008. “I know they got a couple of guards already,” Walker said. “But, they said none of them are true point guards and they need a true point guard. Some of the other guys are scorers and they want me to come in and run the team. “I’m a tough player. I’m not afraid of anybody and I love challenges. All my life I’ve always been told that I’m not good enough so that made me work harder.” Now that he’s a Husky, Walker is ready to hand out his first assist. The Huskies had Scout.com’s No. 2 prospect on campus last week and Walker is ready to help out if he can. “(I want) Ed Davis. I like the way he plays. I really don’t play with many big men. This is my first year playing with bigs and I know in college you need them. I played against Ed Davis in the Memorial Day Classic and he plays hard. He plays like me but he’s bigger and he plays hard.”

 

[LIuconn]

Love the story where Kemb asks Calhoun to help him be one of the greats, or something along those lines. He was different

 

[methodology]

Kemba had a good close knit circle around him and still does. Enjoyed spending every game day with Kedow, Mike and his mother. Great memories and great family

 

[ToolzieFan]

That was an awesome article. Thanks for sharing. I love Kemba so much.

 

[nomar]

We went all in on Brandon Jennings, at one point the board soiled its collective panties because a picture surfaced with Brandon wearing UConn shorts at a workout. Kemba was definitely Calhoun's second choice after Brandon chose Arizona. "Those days" don't seem quite so unfamiliar...

There are so many guys we lucked into when the player we wanted went elsewhere.

Wasn't Gordon our backup for Kevin Torbert?

And wasn't Emeka our consolation for Isaiah Fox?

Torbert chooses MSU over UConn

The comfort of staying close to home was just too much to pass up in the end for Kelvin...

www.nhregister.com

 

[ToolzieFan]

There are so many guys we lucked into when the player we wanted went elsewhere.

Wasn't Gordon our backup for Kevin Torbert?

And wasn't Emeka our consolation for Isaiah Fox?

Torbert chooses MSU over UConn

The comfort of staying close to home was just too much to pass up in the end for Kelvin...

www.nhregister.com

Wasn't Shabazz our backup plan for Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Cory Joseph, and Josh Selby?

And I don't say this like it's a bad thing. Calhoun obviously saw something in Shabazz and made sure he reclassified. I'm not sure anyone thought he'd win two titles for us, though.

 

[nomar]

Wasn't Shabazz our backup plan for Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Cory Joseph, and Josh Selby?

And I don't say this like it's a bad thing. Calhoun obviously saw something in Shabazz and made sure he reclassified. I'm not sure anyone thought he'd win two titles for us, though.

Yeah - and I'm pretty sure Jeremy was also a backup to Doron. The joke was that we got the second best Lamb. I wonder which NBA team Doron is on?

 

[HooperScooper]

And wasn't Emeka our consolation for Isaiah Fox?

And Jamal Sampson. I remember following that recruiting situation for a center and being bummed we missed out on both and then had to wait for the spring when they got a commitment from Emeka.

Yeah we've "lucked" into some better situations, haven't we?!

 

[gsmooth]

Yes, I know he was ranked in the teens. I said that above. Did you even read what I wrote? He was not ranked that high when he committed to UConn. Anyone who followed recruiting back then should remember that. He wasn't even ranked by most coming into the spring of his junior year. He was generally top 100 by the middle of the spring but he was not top 10-20 until later that summer, after he committed to UConn, when he showed all spring/summer how good he was. Kemba rocketed up the rankings very quickly so Calhoun was a good judge of his talent.

I found the Hartford Courant article from June 17, 2007, the day after he committed to UConn, written by Mike Anthony (can't find a link) which gives his ranking from Scout.com and Rivals.com. Rivals.com still had him at #118 at the time he committed to UConn. Also, here's the Scout.com article when Kemba committed where Telep says he wasn't even ranked coming into the spring of his junior year. Below are the 2 articles.

New York Point Guard Commits

By MIKE ANTHONY
Courant Staff Writer

June 17 2007

Kemba Walker, a point guard from Rice High School in New York, made an oral commitment to attend UConn Saturday.

Walker, 6 feet 2, chose the Huskies over Cincinnati and St. John's.

Walker is said to be a player with rising stock. He has been impressive in recent AAU tournaments such as the Cactus Classic in Phoenix, where he led the New York Gauchos to the championship and was named MVP.

Scout.com rates Walker the No. 4 point guard and No. 36 overall player in the Class of 2008. Rivals.com has him as the No. 20 point guard and No. 118 player.

The feeling at UConn is that Walker is, or will become, one of the elite players in the class.

Walker joins guard/forward Nate Miles from Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., as high school seniors-to-be who have committed to UConn.

For the Class of 2009, the Huskies have commitments from Alex Oriakhi, a 6-8 post player, and Jamal Coombs, a 6-6 guard/forward, both juniors at the Winchendon School in Massachusetts.

Walker made an unofficial visit to UConn June 6 and will likely make an official visit once his senior year begins. Walker and Rice coach Maurice Hicks could not be reached Saturday.

UConn sophomore forward Curtis Kelly played at Rice.
____________________________________________________

Walker Makes His Pick
By Dave Telep National Recruiting Director Posted Jun 16, 2007 Kemba Walker, Scout.com’s No. 36 prospect in America, is no longer uncommitted. On Saturday, Walker became the 7th Top 10 point guard to make up his mind and offer a commitment.
Kemba Walker matched his rapid ascension up the point guard charts by making a very quick collegiate decision. The 6-foot point guard out of Manhattan (N.Y.) Rice committed to the Connecticut Huskies this week. He considered Cincinnati, St. John’s and a host of high level programs. UConn moved swiftly on Walker. After being named the MVP of the Cactus Classic in May, Jim Calhoun’s crew immediately brought him to campus, offered a ride and ended the process. It was almost like Walker was sitting on one particular program. “Actually, it was the school I was waiting for,” Walker said. “It’s probably my dream school.” Walker’s proof that dreams do come true. Unranked prior to the spring, the tough leader went from Top 20 at his position to No. 36 nationally. Presently, he’s the No. 4 ranked point guard in the Class of 2008. “I know they got a couple of guards already,” Walker said. “But, they said none of them are true point guards and they need a true point guard. Some of the other guys are scorers and they want me to come in and run the team. “I’m a tough player. I’m not afraid of anybody and I love challenges. All my life I’ve always been told that I’m not good enough so that made me work harder.” Now that he’s a Husky, Walker is ready to hand out his first assist. The Huskies had Scout.com’s No. 2 prospect on campus last week and Walker is ready to help out if he can. “(I want) Ed Davis. I like the way he plays. I really don’t play with many big men. This is my first year playing with bigs and I know in college you need them. I played against Ed Davis in the Memorial Day Classic and he plays hard. He plays like me but he’s bigger and he plays hard.”

Yes, I know he was ranked in the teens. I said that above. Did you even read what I wrote? He was not ranked that high when he committed to UConn. Anyone who followed recruiting back then should remember that. He wasn't even ranked by most coming into the spring of his junior year. He was generally top 100 by the middle of the spring but he was not top 10-20 until later that summer, after he committed to UConn, when he showed all spring/summer how good he was. Kemba rocketed up the rankings very quickly so Calhoun was a good judge of his talent.

I found the Hartford Courant article from June 17, 2007, the day after he committed to UConn, written by Mike Anthony (can't find a link) which gives his ranking from Scout.com and Rivals.com. Rivals.com still had him at #118 at the time he committed to UConn. Also, here's the Scout.com article when Kemba committed where Telep says he wasn't even ranked coming into the spring of his junior year. Below are the 2 articles.

New York Point Guard Commits

By MIKE ANTHONY
Courant Staff Writer

June 17 2007

Kemba Walker, a point guard from Rice High School in New York, made an oral commitment to attend UConn Saturday.

Walker, 6 feet 2, chose the Huskies over Cincinnati and St. John's.

Walker is said to be a player with rising stock. He has been impressive in recent AAU tournaments such as the Cactus Classic in Phoenix, where he led the New York Gauchos to the championship and was named MVP.

Scout.com rates Walker the No. 4 point guard and No. 36 overall player in the Class of 2008. Rivals.com has him as the No. 20 point guard and No. 118 player.

The feeling at UConn is that Walker is, or will become, one of the elite players in the class.

Walker joins guard/forward Nate Miles from Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., as high school seniors-to-be who have committed to UConn.

For the Class of 2009, the Huskies have commitments from Alex Oriakhi, a 6-8 post player, and Jamal Coombs, a 6-6 guard/forward, both juniors at the Winchendon School in Massachusetts.

Walker made an unofficial visit to UConn June 6 and will likely make an official visit once his senior year begins. Walker and Rice coach Maurice Hicks could not be reached Saturday.

UConn sophomore forward Curtis Kelly played at Rice.
____________________________________________________

Walker Makes His Pick
By Dave Telep National Recruiting Director Posted Jun 16, 2007 Kemba Walker, Scout.com’s No. 36 prospect in America, is no longer uncommitted. On Saturday, Walker became the 7th Top 10 point guard to make up his mind and offer a commitment.
Kemba Walker matched his rapid ascension up the point guard charts by making a very quick collegiate decision. The 6-foot point guard out of Manhattan (N.Y.) Rice committed to the Connecticut Huskies this week. He considered Cincinnati, St. John’s and a host of high level programs. UConn moved swiftly on Walker. After being named the MVP of the Cactus Classic in May, Jim Calhoun’s crew immediately brought him to campus, offered a ride and ended the process. It was almost like Walker was sitting on one particular program. “Actually, it was the school I was waiting for,” Walker said. “It’s probably my dream school.” Walker’s proof that dreams do come true. Unranked prior to the spring, the tough leader went from Top 20 at his position to No. 36 nationally. Presently, he’s the No. 4 ranked point guard in the Class of 2008. “I know they got a couple of guards already,” Walker said. “But, they said none of them are true point guards and they need a true point guard. Some of the other guys are scorers and they want me to come in and run the team. “I’m a tough player. I’m not afraid of anybody and I love challenges. All my life I’ve always been told that I’m not good enough so that made me work harder.” Now that he’s a Husky, Walker is ready to hand out his first assist. The Huskies had Scout.com’s No. 2 prospect on campus last week and Walker is ready to help out if he can. “(I want) Ed Davis. I like the way he plays. I really don’t play with many big men. This is my first year playing with bigs and I know in college you need them. I played against Ed Davis in the Memorial Day Classic and he plays hard. He plays like me but he’s bigger and he plays hard.”

"I think he was in the 50-75 range and then moved into the teens near the end of that summer. "
My bad, I missed that part.

 

[Travelman6]

Kemba's one of my all-time Uconn favorites. These max and supermax deals are crazy. Imagine being 'eligible' for $221mil but willing to 'settle' for $180mil?

Really curious. What can you do with 220 mil that you can't do with 180? Any examples? If the only difference is winning and the only downfall is taking a pay cut, come on...

 

[Drame]

I photographed local sports around NYC back then and I had received an assignment to photograph Kemba before he committed to UCONN. It was more a cheesy style story than a basketball profile. Then he commits a week before our shoot, which was a surprise because I had heard nothing about Kemba and Uconn up till then. He brought Durand Scott, also on the Gauchos, and I just told him Calhoun was crazy but was going to make him the best player he could be. That was his first pro photoshoot and my profile picture was fom that day.

 

[JB75]

Kemba man- that’s my man , I remember that San Diego State game too - we were pretty much playing on their home floor for the sweet 16 - had to take it right at those West Coast cats. Speaking about out West, still can’t believe Jimmer Fredette won player of the year over Kemba that year. if you compare the competition each player had to go through - Kemba should’ve won hands down - don’t get me wrong jimmer had a great year , but come on now.

 

[gsmooth]

Kemba man- that’s my man , I remember that San Diego State game too - we were pretty much playing on their home floor for the sweet 16 - had to take it right at those West Coast cats. Speaking about out West, still can’t believe Jimmer Fredette won player of the year over Kemba that year. if you compare the competition each player had to go through - Kemba should’ve won hands down - don’t get me wrong jimmer had a great year , but come on now.

It's better that Kemba didn't win Big East POY or National POY, and I wouldn't change that if I could go back in time. I think that aggravated Kemba more than he will ever let anyone know and is a big reason he went on such a tear. Everyone with a shred of knowledge knows he was the best player in the nation that year. Best player of that draft is Kawhi Leonard, but we are talking about college basketball in the year 2011, hands down it was Kemba.