Kemba Challenge, Part II

It's a fact that hasn't garnered a lot of attention in the days leading up to Saturday's NCAA Final Four battle between Kentucky and Connecticut, but having faced the Huskies' Kemba Walker could help UK in its quest to stop the phenomenal playmaker.

Kentucky isn't battling the legend of a quicksilver point guard who never misses a game-winning basket. They're going against UConn's No. 15, who they've seen up close and personal in November at the Maui Invitational.

"I feel the exact same way," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. "I think sometimes when you go into a game against Kemba, you don't realize the quickness, speed, some of the things he does. Well, they've seen it first-hand, had 40 minutes of it, 29-point game, etc.

"I don't think there's any great, great advantage, but there is an advantage," Calhoun said. "It clearly lies with Kentucky because they felt us before. I'm sure they're saying in their locker room, ‘We can beat these guys.'"

If Calhoun is correct, the one Kentucky player who should benefit most is DeAndre Liggins, the renowned defensive specialist charged with defending Walker in Maui and again on Saturday at Reliant Stadium.

"The thing with me is taking on the challenge," Liggins said. "Being competitive, having confidence that I can stop the other guy."

"You have a 6-6 player with long arms who can guard a point guard, a two-man, a three-man, and if I wanted him to, he could probably guard the four," UK coach John Calipari said. "Whoever is hurting you, he can go guard."

Calhoun has seen this look of the defensive specialist before.

"He feels that he can really stop you," Calhoun said of Liggins. "One of the ways to stop a guy is feeling like you can stop them, not being overwhelmed even before you face the challenge. He's terrific. He's absolutely terrific. He's going to give whoever he plays a very difficult time."

Walker, of course, has seen just about everything this season.

"There are a lot of great defenders on the collegiate level that I've played against. I've seen them all. I faced guys just like him," Walker said. "But he's one of the better defenders because he's extremely active. He's a great on-ball defender with long arms, and he definitely has a height advantage over me. I'm pretty sure he'll try to force me into some tough shots so I'm going to try my best to get the best shots possible."

Plus, Liggins stated publicly he wanted another shot to defend Walker.

"I don't blame him, honestly," Walker said. "He wants another shot. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

"I know it's going to be a difficult, tough night for me," he added. "I'm pretty sure they're going to try everything in their power to stop me. Depending on how they play me is going to be the way I play. I'm just counting on my teammates to give me the ball in the right situations and set up some great screens."

Calhoun, however, sounds a warning to any that might try to stop Kemba.

"If you need to load up and do it with other folks, it's going to cause you problems," the UConn coach said. "In the first NCAA Tournament game, Bucknell loaded up and Kemba had 12 assists, eight or nine at halftime. My point is that he recognizes when you load up.

"Team defense. A lot of stunting. Fake help. Real help. Play it regular. Triangle-and-two. Box-and-one. Zone. Play it red, meaning double team Kemba every time he comes off a pick-and-roll. There are a lot of different ways to do it and we've seen a lot," Calhoun said. "But John's team is too good a defensive team, in my opinion, to give up on what got it here.

"You can't take away everything from a team," Calhoun said. "You've got to make your mind up. Then during the game, you have to make adjustments when things don't happen."

So the stage is set for Walker vs. Liggins, though Calhoun draw the line short of such a declaration.

"It's Kentucky vs. Connecticut," the coach said. "I'll guarantee you right now that there will be a whole bunch of other folks, Josh Harrellson, Alex Oriakhi, Jeremy Lamb, etc., that will have a lot more to say in the outcome.

"It's about two schools," Calhoun said. "Kemba is wonderful, in my opinion the best player in America. But it's about the team. It's the screens and passes we set up to have Kemba do the things he does. It's the people that help Brandon Knight get open. So they may be focal points media-wise and otherwise, stat-wise, but it's two very, very good teams."