Should Kemba Walker be considered for Player Of The Year?

I know that the Naismith Award has yet to be handed out, and I'm sure everyone out there has their own personal favourite.  I don't know exactly how highly regarded UConn's Kemba Walker has been this season; what with all the talk about BYU's Jimmer Fredette, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and even Duke's Nolan Smith or Kyle Singler (really??).  So where exactly does Kemba Walker fit in?


Was Gary McGhee (far right) trying to get a better view?

UConn went 9-9 during the regular season in the Big East, and their chances of improving their seeding for the NCAA tournament relied on how they would perform in the tourney.  Now we all know that the Big East is arguably the best conference in college basketball.  Just look at the final regular season standings.  A team can win the regular season this year and get blown off the map in the next one.  Same thing happens in the conference tournament.  The conference is just brutal.

To lift the crown, they would have to win five games in five days.  I really didn't think it could be done, and I'm guessing I'm not alone either.  With Walker carrying this young team on his back, UConn defied the odds and took home a record tying 7th Big East title.  After easily dispatching DePaul and Georgetown, Walker delivered in close wins against Pittsburgh (1 seed), Syracuse (4 seed) and Louisville (a 3 seed that swept the Huskies in the regular season).  Along with the MVP award, Walker also set a record for points scored and minutes played.

Don't mess with The Jimmer!!

No disrespect to Jimmer Fredette or Nolan Smith, but I doubt that they could have led their teams through that gauntlet in the Big East.  Jimmer deserves all the plaudits that he has earned, and I won't knock him should he end up winning the Naismith Award. 

He leads the nation in scoring and helped BYU to a share of the regular season title.  BYU were on course for a probable #1 seed, but a couple losses down the line, most notably in the conference title game to San Diego State, saw those plans disappear.

What remains to be seen though, is how far the Cougars will advance in the tournament without the suspended Brandon Davies (who was 3rd on the team in scoring and 1st in rebounds).  With Davies on the squad, there was some rumble of a possible Final Four appearance.  Without him, I don't see BYU advancing past the Sweet 16 (but that's just my opinion, so don't dwell on it).  Jimmer Fredette might as well be Adam Morrison 2.o.


Can Smith and Duke repeat last year's performance?

When Nolan Smith arrived at Duke, he took a back seat to Greg Paulus who was running the point.  However when Paulus struggled, Smith was plugged into the starting lineup and his star has yet to wane since then.  In addition to being named Player of The Year in the ACC, Smith helped Duke to a 3rd straight conference tournament crown (where he was also named MVP). 

Smith has played big when his team needed it the most.  During a home game against North Carolina in February, he scored 22 second half points (he had 34 total points), helping Duke overcome a 16 point deficit en route to a 79-73 win.  Not only is he good jump shooter, but his ability to cut to the hoop for a layup, or draw defenders and pass to an open player (and we all know how Duke loves to cash in on those open looks from beyond the arc) makes him a really tough matchup.  It's safe to say that he's the best guard to have played for Duke since Jason Williams.  Yes, even better than Reddick!!

Without Jimmer Fredette, BYU could still put out a decent team.  Whether or not they make the tournament is up for debate.  Without Smith, Duke might have still made the tournament because they have one thing that a lot of people wish their schools had; Coach K.  Without Walker, UConn is NIT bound.  Feel free to disagree with me, but that's just the truth.

In Ellenberg we trust.

At season's end, Oklahoma will bid farewell to senior guard Danielle Robinson; a player who's had as big an impact as any to have come through the program.  Robinson has been a great leader for the team; especially in the last couple of seasons, following the the departures of the Paris twins (Courtney and Ashley).  Anyone who's followed Robinson's career will appreciate what she's meant to Oklahoma.  In my opinion, she can be a starter for ANY team in the country, right now.

In Aaryn Ellenberg, the future is here.  The OU vs Baylor game was the first time I really got to watch her play.  I'll admit it, I haven't watched a lot of women's basketball this season.  However when I watched that game on Sunday afternoon, I saw a player that was poised and fearless.  She may be a freshman, but she sure didn't play like one.


Ellenberg and Robinson; the present and the future



Whenever Oklahoma needed a spark from anyone beside Danielle Robinson, Ellenberg stepped up to the plate.  She made key baskets that kept Oklahoma in the game whenever Baylor seemed to run away with it.  Ellenberg and Robinson finished with 25 points each (tied for the team lead), and the Sooners might have won the game had Robinson's lay up at the buzzer fallen through the hoop.  She and Robinson were also the only OU players that were on the court for the entire game.

Ellenberg, who was highly rated out of high school, chose Oklahoma over Baylor, Arizona State, California and Connecticut.  Not a bad group, especially when you consider that Connecticut was in the mix (and everyone knows that UConn don't just recruit anybody).  After watching her play, I can now see why her talents were in such high demand.

There is no doubt that we'll miss Danielle Robinson dearly.  Ellenberg certainly offers hope for tomorrow as Oklahoma continues its quest for a national championship.  I'm very confident that she will be for this team tomorrow, what Robinson is today.  And hopefully when her time in Norman is up, she will have led this team to that increasingly elusive next level.





And down goes Kansas.

Just a few hours after reclaiming the #1 spot, Kansas fell to Kansas State 84-68.  Jacob Pullen scored a career-high 38 points, in what was the Wildcat's 3^rd win against the Jayhawks in the last 45 meetings.  Can't blame the crowd for storming the court after the game.


Pullen the strings (no pun intended)



Just a little over a fortnight ago, Kansas State was on the tail end of a 90-66 whipping by the Jayhawks.  It was quite a fall for a team that was ranked #3 in the pre-season, with Jacob Pullen (the school's first pre-season All American) gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.  I guess the "SI Cover jinx" is still alive after all.

This win will definitely ease the sour taste of a season that has just gone horribly wrong.  Pullen served a 3 game suspension for receiving inappropriate discounts at a local clothing store and two players left the team.  I'm guessing that's not exactly the way they were hoping things would go when the season started.  That is why you need nights like this, just to remind you that maybe you've still got it in you after all.

The Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus, have been rock solid for the Jayhawks, but were missing in action.  They both combined for 16 points and 3 rebounds (Markieff didn't register any rebounds).  With the twins getting into early foul trouble, Kansas State was able to establish an inside game and they never really looked back.

A moment of Self-reflection

Also due to early foul trouble, Kansas couldn't establish their own inside game; something that hurt them in their loss to Texas (who will likely take over the #1 spot).  Shooting 44%, down from their 52.3% didn't quite help their cause.  Still, there's a good amount of basketball left to be played.  Kansas can still make something of what's left in their season.  I wouldn't be too worried.

The Wildcats can only hope that the worst is behind them.  They are a team that is capable of going deep in the tournament, and a win like this is proof of what they are capable of.  The problem with winning a big game like this, is the letdown that usually follows when you play your next opponent (especially if they are trying to make their own statement). 

Knowing how rare wins against the Jayhawks are, I don't blame Wildcat fans if they decide to hold on to this one for as long as they'd like to.