Kemba Walker (born May 8, 1990)[1] is an American college basketball player. He is a 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) point guard for the University of Connecticut.
| Kemba Walker | |
|---|---|
 Kemba Walker vs UVM on 11-28-2010 | |
| College | University of Connecticut |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Point Guard |
| Jersey # | 15 |
| Class | Junior |
| Career | 2008–present |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 172 lb (78 kg) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | May 8, 1990 The Bronx, New York |
| High school | Rice High School, New York City, USA |
| Awards | |
| McDonald's All-American Team (2008) | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men’s basketball | ||
Representing  United States
| ||
| FIBA Americas U18 Championship | ||
 |
2008 Formosa | Team competition |
High school
Walker grew up in the borough of The Bronx in New York City. After a brief stint in Herbert H. Lehman High School, he attended Rice High School. While there he was coached under Maurice Hicks, who coached other stand-outs like Andre Barrett, Keydren Clark, and Russell Robinson. In his junior year, Walker played against Simeon Career Academy and senior guard Derrick Rose in Madison Square Garden in a 53–51 win.[2] During Walker's senior year he averaged 18.2 points per game and 5.3 assists per game,[3] earning him a spot on the prestigious McDonald's All-American Team. Kemba played for the AAU basketball program, the New York Gauchos with fellow Big East players Jordan Theodore, Darryl "Truck" Bryant, Devin Hill, and Danny Jennings. The team went on to finish #1 in the nation. Following high school he agreed to play for the University of Connecticut.
College
During his freshman year at UConn, Walker played in every game. He helped the Huskies achieve a number one seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Despite starting in only two games he averaged 25.5 minutes per game, far more than any regular non-starter.[4] He also helped the Huskies go to the 2009 Final Four with a 23 point effort vs Missouri. Walker appeared on one of the six regional covers Sports Illustrated. Twelve games into his junior campaign, Walker was the nation's leading scorer, averaging 26.7 points per game. In addition, he averaged five rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.[5]
In the 2011 Big East Tournament (during his junior year), Walker hit the game winning shot as time expired to beat #3 overall Pittsburgh and advance UConn to the semi-finals. He led UConn to victory over University of Louisville in the Big East Championship game and was named MVP for the tournament. Walker scored 130 points in five games, a Big East Tournament record and the most points scored in any conference tournament in the past 15 seasons. UConn became the first school to win five games in five days to earn a conference championship.[6]
On March 14, 2011, The United States Basketball Writers Association named Walker a first team All-American.[7] He is also a finalist for College Basketball Player of the Year honors due to his performance in the 2010-11 season.[8][9]
College statistics
| College | Year | GP | GS | MIN | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UConn Huskies | 2008-09 | 36 | 2 | 25.2 | .470 | .271 | .715 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 8.9 |
| UConn Huskies | 2009-10 | 34 | 34 | 35.3 | .403 | .339 | .767 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 14.6 |
| UConn Huskies | 2010-11 | 33 | 33 | 37.4 | .430 | .344 | .798 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 23.4 |
| Career | 103 | 69 | 32.4 | .430 | .330 | .770 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 15.4 |
Personal
Kemba Walker grew up in the Sack-Wern Houses in Soundview, Bronx, and is the youngest of three siblings.[10][11]
Kemba Walker is also an accomplished dancer. He performed his acclaimed adult burlesque show three times at the Apollo Theater for the TV show Showtime at the Apollo, alongside his longtime partner (and nipple clamp warmer) Jason Carpenter.[12]
Notes
- ^ "Kemba Walker". Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ Lawlor, Christopher (January 11, 2007). "Chicago standout Rose takes stage in New York". USA Today. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
- ^ "Kemba Walker Rice Basketball Stats 07-08". MaxPreps. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ Espn.com uconn huskies' team stats
- ^ HuskieBall.com Profile
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=310710097
- ^ [1]
- ^ Hard to argue Walker's POY candidacy, Jeff Goodman, FOXSports.com
- ^ Bronx product Kemba Walker has dazzled fans with clutch play at UConn, Kevin Armstrong, NY Daily News
- ^ Begley, Ian (June 19, 2007). "Walk this way: Kemba can relax, now that he's settled on Connecticut". New York Daily News.
- ^ Lupica, Mike (March 11, 2011). "Kemba Walker and Dwight Hardy both make Bronx proud at Garden, but Walker steals the spotlight". New York Daily News.
- ^ http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-11-25/sports/17938869_1_apollo-theater-big-dance-troupe.
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