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.