UConn Men's Basketball: We're Going Streaking, Through the Quad and Into the Gymnasium!

Roscoe Smith (credit: Hartford Courant)

NYaT readers, we interrupt your regularly scheduled NFL programming to bring you this breaking news story: UConn men's basketball is for real.  And they're streaking, to the tune of a 16-2 record and the No. 8 ranking in both the AP and USA Today polls.

Oh, and with their 72-61 win over Tennessee yesterday, the Huskies finished with an undefeated nonconference record, beating such quality teams as Kentucky, Michigan State, Texas (on the road), Wichita State, and Tennessee, not to mention winning the Maui Invitational.  The last time UConn went 12-0 in nonconference play?  In 2008, when they reached the Final Four.

Leading the pack (get it?) is Kemba Walker, of course.  Walker, who ranks 2nd in the country in scoring with 25 ppg, is already leading straw polls for the Player of the Year, ahead of other big names such as BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger.  Walker is also the unofficial leader in buzzer-beating, door-shutting, coffin-nailing clutch shots to win big games.  (See, e.g., the Villanova game, the Texas game, the Michigan State game.)


But as any college basketball fan will tell you, it's tough to win it all when you're a one-trick pony.  (See, e.g., Greg Oden's only season at Ohio State, which may be experiencing deja vu this year with its aforementioned diaper dandy, Jared Sullinger).  That's why it's so important that Kemba has been working on making his teammates around him better.  You need a supporting cast.

Exhibit A: Walker played all 40 minutes but scored a season-low 16 points yesterday, while freshman Jeremy Lamb matched his 16 points in only 23 minutes.  Alex Oriakhi (he of the 21-rebound performance against Texas) also impressed, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and posting another double-double with 12 and 10.  Having 4 starters score in double figures was a huge reason UConn was able to break away late in the second half.  The team was not entirely dependent on Kemba taking over.

Kemba Walker (credit: AP)

As the Courant's Mike Anthony points out, Kemba technically had his worst game of the season: started 0-for-5 and finished 6-for-17 with just 16 points.  But he showed trust in his teammates by dishing out 7 assists.  And the team responded: Kemba went 1-for-5 from 3-point range, while his teammates went 8-for-14 (57%).  That will need to continue if the Huskies are going to keep winning.  Plenty of future opponents will adopt the Vols' strategy of doubling Walker at all times, forcing the other Huskies to make plays.

But at the end of the day, a familiar refrain is emerging from UConn Country: "We Have Kemba And You Don't!"  And let's not forget the incredible coaching job that Jim Calhoun is doing.  Last year's team went 18-16, lost in the first round of the Big East tournament, and went to the NIT.  Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, and Gavin Edwards graduated.  The offseason was marred by allegations of NCAA recruiting violations.  And then the preseason Big East coaches poll picked UConn to finish 10th in the conference.  Sports Illustrated didn't even put UConn in its preseason NCAA tournament bracket!

All Calhoun wants to know is, how do you like dem apples?

I know that I've been critical of Calhoun in the past, and so have others.  But right now, I've got to tip my hat to the man.  He's done an incredible job squeezing every ounce of talent from the players surrounding Kemba Walker.  But at the end of the day, it all comes back to Walker, doesn't it?  If so, I'll gladly take my chances.