Random UConn notes from the interview day sessions at Final Four today:
- Spent most of my time in the Kemba Walker room, since I’m working on a column for him for Friday’s paper.
- Walker came into the interview room with his jersey wrapped around his neck and hanging down his back, like a superhero. Thought it was a good metaphor.
- Lot of questions to Walker about being guarded by DeAndre Liggins. Walker got 29 points on Walker in the first meeting in Maui. Walker praised Liggins as a great defender. “I’ve gone against a lot of great defenders, and he’s one of the best. . . . But it’s not about me and DeAndre.”
- UConn is 12-0 in tournament play this year – 3-0 at Maui, 5-0 in Big East Tournament and 4-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
- Walker said he could draw on his freshman season, when UConn made the Final Four in Detroit and lost to Michigan State in the national semifinals.
- Walker was also reminded of the Big East/SEC Challenge last season, when after Kentucky beat UConn, John Calipari told Walker, “I missed on you.” Walker said that Memphis had been recruiting him, but then all of a sudden stopped.
- Jim Calhoun said that Walker is “without question the most valuable player in the country.”
- Calhoun also talked about how he saw Brandon Knight play “a ton” and how UConn did get Knight to come for an unofficial visit.
- Emerging freshman Jeremy Lamb is the son of Rolando Lamb, a former VCU star who beat Northeastern with a last-second shot in the NCAA Tournament. The coach at Northeastern at the time? Jim Calhoun.
