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UK-UConn: The "other" point guard |
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Written by By Dana O'Neil ESPN.com
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Wednesday, 09 December 2009 19:53 |
STORRS, Conn. -- He tried to downplay it, to dig deep into the ready-made bag of sports clichés to insist this was just another game on the schedule. That every game was important and it wasn't about him versus another guy, but team versus team.
But when pressed about Wednesday night's matchup against Kentucky guard John Wall, arguably the best and most electric player in college basketball this season, Kemba Walker couldn't help himself.
The eyes of the Connecticut sophomore danced, and slowly that trademark megawatt grin spread across his face.
"I love it," he said, his smile growing with every syllable. "I love it. I love it."
Told of her son's reaction, Andrea Walker didn't hesitate.
"He loves attention," she said. "Always has. When he was little, he'd hit you on the arm and start dancing just so you'd look at him. That boy just loves the spotlight."
It will be on full bore Wednesday during the nightcap of the SEC/Big East Invitational at Madison Square Garden, where Walker, a Bronx kid who has spent a lifetime waiting his turn, will face Wall, a North Carolina native anointed Superman and his program's savior upon arrival.
The Walker-Wall matchup may come and go during the game. UConn coach Jim Calhoun said both Walker and Jerome Dyson will take turns handling the hotshot rookie. But the coach also knows how his player will view the matchup: "Will Kemba take it [to Wall]? Yeah, but that's just Kemba."
It's impossible not to watch Walker on the court. He is everywhere, darting around like some sort of basketball blur and playing with a ferocity that borders on dangerous.
But what really draws you to Walker is the smile. He is a grinning assassin, flashing his chompers much like Michael Jordan hung out his tongue.
"Early in the season during practice, I wasn't smiling so much, and [associate head coach George] Blaney told me, 'You aren't smiling like you were last year. You're too serious,'" Walker said. "He was right. I'm better when I'm smiling. That means I'm loose. I'm just playing."
The smile comes easily now, because Walker knows this is his time. His entire life has been something of an oxymoron: the spotlight-lover who always has to first serve as understudy.
In middle school, he waited behind Corey Fisher (now a junior at Villanova). In high school, he bided his time until Edgar Sosa (now at Louisville) graduated. In college, Walker didn't get his chance until A.J. Price moved on from Storrs.
So it's been a tough lesson in patience for a kid who was so antsy as a toddler that his mother put a bolt on the door.
"There was a snowstorm, maybe 18 inches, and he wanted to go outside with his brother and sister," Andrea Walker said. "But he had asthma and he was little. I told him he couldn't. So I went and did something, and then I looked out the window a little later. We lived on the front of the building. And there was Mr. Walker, out in the snow. That's when I got the lock."
Walker was not so easily contained, not on the stage where he was part of a hip-hop troupe that danced at the Apollo Theater, and certainly not on the court.
A child who "loved the street," as his mother said, Walker was outside whenever he could be. When he wasn't dancing, he was playing hoops. He can't remember the first time he picked up a basketball, as if it was an appendage he brought with him out of the womb.
Really, that isn't much of a stretch in New York, where available hoops are second only to Starbucks and Duane Reade pharmacies in availability per block.
Walker is a quintessential New York point guard, a species of hoopsters that cannot easily be described but can always be identified. It is about more than being tough and fearless, though Walker is both. It's about how the game is learned.
Walker grew up, literally and figuratively, on the famed Rucker Park courts, where kids go toe-to-toe with grown men who offer no mercy and college students return each year to receive their comeuppance from upstarts looking to make a mark.
Known as EZ Pass for his playmaking abilities, Walker never failed to turn heads once he got his turn. At Rice High School, he averaged 18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists once he took over for Sosa, earning himself a spot as a McDonald's All-American.
But that meant nothing when he got to UConn, where Price already was firmly in place. Rather than chafe at his backup role yet again, Walker merely shrugged.
"I've had to wait my whole life, so it wasn't a big deal," he said.
Walker bided his time as a steady backup, and when Calhoun finally called on him for a bigger role, naturally the crowd-stealer was ready.
Against a frenetic Missouri team in last season's Elite Eight, Walker scored 23 points in 25 minutes, changing the tenor of the game for the Huskies.
It is the next game, though, that sticks with him more. In the national semifinal against Michigan State, Walker managed just five points on 1-of-5 shooting as Connecticut was bounced out of Detroit.
When the game and the Huskies' season ended, so too did Walker's role as a backup. Readying for his starring and starting role, he spent the offseason with Blaney, working on his outside shot.
Walker was a woeful 27.1 percent on 3-pointers as a freshman. He admitted that as a child of New York playground basketball (where bread is buttered at the rim) and against high school foes who rarely measured more than 6-foot-5 at the center position, Walker never paid much mind to shooting from the outside.
But if this season's Connecticut team has one glaring deficiency, it is from behind the arc. The Huskies have no one who can spot up for a 3.
So with Blaney's tutelage and his own dedication, Walker developed his shot. He's taken only 18 3s through seven games, but he's made 10 of them.
"I think it's here," Walker said when asked if his outside shot was coming along.
Of course, it is not his offense that will get top billing on Wednesday. There's no question Walker needs to score. Until Ater Majok is brought into the fold later this month, the Huskies need double figures out of Walker (15.4 ppg), Dyson (20.1 ppg) and Stanley Robinson (15.4 ppg) every night to win.
But it will be how he and Dyson handle the Cat-quick backcourt of Wall and Eric Bledsoe that matters most for Connecticut.
Walker, who averages 2.6 steals, has never crossed paths with Wall, not even on the country crisscross of summer-league basketball.
But that doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's up against. You'd have to be living in a hermetically sealed dome without electricity and communication with the outside world to not know about Wall. The nation's leading freshman scorer, who already has giddy Kentucky fans pondering if he's the best guard to put on a UK uniform and NBA scouts counting the days until June, is that rare commodity in the ultra-hyped cycle: He's better than advertised.
Wall is averaging 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists and already has etched his name into Kentucky lore. He hit a buzzer-beater to beat Miami (Ohio) and made like Willis Reed against North Carolina, overcoming cramps and an IV to help the Wildcats beat the Tar Heels.
"As a player, you love these kinds of games," Walker said. "Everyone's talking about the other guy, and no one is talking about you. I don't mind it at all. I'm used to it. It's been that way as long as I can remember, but I love it."
And then Walker grinned again.
A giddy, greedy grin. |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 09 December 2009 19:59 |
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Siena Lands Gauchos' Melsahn Basabe |
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Written by basketball fly
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Wednesday, 04 November 2009 18:09 |
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LOUDONVILLE - The Siena basketball team has received a verbal commitment from Melsahn Basabe, a 6'7" power forward from Glen Cove, Long Island who attends The St. Mark's School in Southborough, MA.
Basabe received scholarship offers from St. John's, Seton Hall, VCU, Drexel, George Mason, Western Kentucky, and Fairfield. Ivy League schools Penn and Harvard were also under consideration.
St. Mark's head coach Dave Lubick says, "Several other (schools) offered. These are the schools I had discussions with".
Lubick continued via e-mail: "He pretty much narrowed his own choice down quickly. He could have gone much 'higher' had he waited, but playing soon was a huge priority for him. And, hey, Siena is a top 25 team! It's a great match mutually - he is going to be very good".
Basabe is one of the highest rated recruits ever to commit to Siena, and joins Trenity Burdine in the class of 2014. He will be expected to compete immediately for a spot in the starting line-up as a freshman in 2010-2011.
Here’s the most recent evaluation on ESPN.com…
Basabe was aggressive and very productive around the basket today (AAU Nationals). He ran the floor with great urgency and got a couple baskets by simply out running the transition defense to the rim. He was terrific on the glass on both ends. Basabe was difficult to box out as he weaved around weak box outs for tip ins and a crowd pleasing put back dunk. Defensively he snatched balls in and out of his area and promptly delivered a sharp outlet pass to the point guard. In the low post offensively he played strong with a foot in the lane and he has developed a great habit of keeping his hands high to provide the passer a target. Basabe scored on a jump hook over his left shoulder and a couple power drop steps. He must continue to sharpen his back to the basket moves in order to score on taller post players. He also has the ability to put the ball on the floor and drive from the low wing or high post. He wins your over with his relentless pursuit of the ball. Basabe must learn not to gamble for steals on defense and extend his shooting range but he is a good shot blocker with excellent timing away form the ball. He also struggled at times at the free throw line because his follow through was inconsistent, his guide hand is under the ball and he shot flat footed.
– July 2009 |
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Gauchos Gym Gets A Sparkle |
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Written by Daniel Beekman Bx Times
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Saturday, 24 October 2009 15:41 |
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The Gauchos hopped puddles, dodged debris and won trophies. The Gauchos sent players from a dilapidated warehouse gym on Gerard Avenue to the NBA. Imagine what the Gauchos will accomplish now, with a watertight roof, new bleachers and a historic hardwood floor.
On Thursday, August 27, boosters celebrated the renovation of the Gauchos gym. It boasts fresh orange paint, a sparkling entryway, glass backboards and an authentic Madison Square Garden floor donated by the New York Knicks.
“Michael Jordan played on this floor,” Gauchos vice president Rocky Bucano said.
The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. sponsored $150,200 grant to fund the renovation. Established in 1967, the Gauchos run a no-nonsense basketball machine known to generate pro talent.
The Gauchos had the Gerard Avenue gym built in 1987. It accumulated leaks and graffiti. Recently, the south Bronx has witnessed redevelopment: the Gateway Center shopping mall, a new Yankee Stadium, a new Metro North station.
“The Gauchos are fantastic and an institution in the Bronx,” Frank Randazzo of BOEDC said. “We were glad to help.Amazing what a coat of paint and
Holcomb thinks the renovation will make a difference.
“It’s good for the inner-city kids to be part of success,” he said. “For me, someone who was here when it was raining inside the gym, this is a beautiful thing.”
Smith agreed.
some brickwork will do. Now the gym is like its neighbors, shiny and new.”
Diaz Jr. was on hand to cut a ribbon at the entryway to the gym. Bucano plans to decorate the entryway with college jerseys worn by former Gauchos. The Gauchos logo, an enormous black bull, is painted fresh on the orange Gerard Avenue wall.
“I shot my first basketball around the corner, at P.S. 31,” Diaz Jr. said. “The Gauchos have a great track record of getting kids to college. I remember driving on the Deegan and seeing the paint fade on the wall. The Gauchos deserve better.”
Russell Smith and Warren “CC” Holcomb watched the ribbon cutting proudly. Smith and Holcomb played with the Gauchos decades ago and returned to coach. Smith, 36, who was a pro in Tunisia, coaches the five-year olds.
“I get them ready for the big-time,” he said. “The Gauchos helped me stay off the streets, finish high school and go to college.”
“As people continue to hear about the program and what it’s done for kids they’ll want to get involved,” he said. “Everyone talks about getting kids off the street. Well, this is how you do it.”
The Gauchos attract players from all over the tri-state area. Jordan Alvarado, 8, used to live in the Bronx. Now a Westchester County resident, he and his two triplet brothers play for the Gauchos. They travel to tournaments in Maryland and Tennessee.
“Basketball is fun,” Alvarado said.
D.J. Bailey, 8, dribbled down the MSG hardwood to play Diaz Jr. one-on-one.
“The gym looks new,” said Bailey, of West Farms Square.
The grant was a no-brainer, according to Randazzo.
“When you give a grant to an organization, you want it to be an organization you can trust,” he said. “With the Gauchos, we knew it would be money well spent.”
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Last Updated on Saturday, 24 October 2009 16:08 |
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Shane Southwell Verbally Committs to Kansas State |
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Written by Daily News
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Wednesday, 07 October 2009 13:55 |
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 New York Gauchos' Shane Southwell officially committed to Kansas State University this past week. Shane has been with the New York Gauchos Program since the age of 5. This past summer Shane led his team to the final four at the AAU Super Showcase. Shane is a great playmaker whose talents gets better daily. With his large frame he has potential to become a future NBA star so long as he puts in the hard work and gains more muscle while playing for the Wildcats next year.
Shane could have played for a well-known college basketball program; the 6-7 senior from Rice HS in Manhattan was courted by Big East power Marquette and a slew of other schools.
But Southwell chose to follow two teammates to a lesser-known school. The versatile swingman committed to Kansas State. Rice coach Maurice Hicks said that Southwell's decision was aided by a recent visit to the school in Manhattan, Kan., where he stayed with Curtis Kelly and Jordan Henriquez, a pair of former Raiders who will suit up for the Wildcats this winter.
"That always helps, when kids can go to another place and identify with other players," Hicks said. "Curtis has improved so much since being there. That was a big selling point for Shane."
Kelly, a 6-9 power forward, sat out last season after transferring away from UConn.
The coach said Southwell spoke with Kelly during his visit, and that helped ease the decision. Southwell also spent time with big man Jordan Henriquez, an incoming freshman who attended Rice four years ago.
"Jordan helped, too," Hicks said, adding that Kelly, Henriquez and Southwell are all familiar with each other from their time with the Gauchos AAU team. "Being that Jordan was there as well, Shane liked that."
The Wildcats will likely use Southwell as a big point guard when he arrives on the campus, and Hicks expects to deploy him similarly during the upcoming season.
"Him being cerebral and his understanding of the game ... Kansas saw that Shane is a versatile player," Hicks said. "He'll do great there." |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 October 2009 14:31 |
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Lady Choz's Ariel Johnson Gives Verbal Committment to the University of Georgia |
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Written by tru-balla
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Wednesday, 07 October 2009 13:43 |
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 The talented and graceful Ariel Johnson of the Lady Choz officially committed to playing for the University of Georgia. The announcement was made yesterday, but it was no surprise. Ariel is a two year player for the New York Gauchos' Lady Choz program. She has great size at 6'5" and has good post up moves that seem to get better daily.
Here's what some scouts said about Ariel earlier this year:
Evaluation
TOC Dec. 08: Johnson catches your eye when she walks in the gym with her size and build. However there are times that her play gives you the impression that's she inexperienced at making the most of her physical attributes. She has moments that are impressive and give you a glimpse of what's possible, but consistent play has got to become a given for her to be an impact contributor on any level.
Nike Skills May 08: Ariel Johnson is a post with huge upside. She is listed at 6-5 and has tremendous reach. She has the frame to add strength and be successful in college. She could have used her size to really push people around in the paint but didn't show that killer instinct against smaller competition. If she focused on starting with and maintaining a lower base, she would be a more consistent presence in the paint. In terms of athleticism, size and upside, you may not find too many with more potential than Johnson. The question for a kid with incredible natural gifts is how good does she want to be?
Scouts Grade: 90 |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 October 2009 13:49 |
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