Off the Glass

A tender ankle for starting point guard and Amityville product A.J. Price gave freshman Kemba Walker (Rice High, Bronx N.Y.) his first career start in his second career game at UConn.

Walker, known for his quickness, showed it early with a slashing drive to the bucket 2:44 into the contest, but otherwise had a quiet first half and didn't assert himself too much on the offensive end. He picked up his second foul with 6:36 left in the half and was given the hook by coach Jim Calhoun, who rarely lets players see halftime with a third foul.

In the second half, things changed dramatically for Walker -- and just in time for the struggling Huskies. Walker hit back-to-back 3s with about 11 minutes left to extend UConn's lead to 65-49 and cap a 12-0 run. Walker, who was the tournament MVP for Team USA at the U-18 FIBA Americas tournament this past summer, also wowed the crowd with a steal and a five-second, 80-foot mad dash for a finger roll finish with five minutes left. Dude's quick.

Walker finished 6 of 11 from the floor for 21 points in 29 minutes and will give coach Calhoun something to think about when Price returns to the floor. Walker could even join him in the starting five, as the Huskies should be content with their three-guard lineup until swingman Stanley Robinson re-joins the team in mid-December. Robinson may not even start right away, giving Calhoun four talented guards (Price, Dyson, Austrie and Walker) to rotate in and out of his three-guard set against the smaller teams during UConn's pre-Big East schedule.

If Walker continues to perform like he did Monday night, one has to wonder if he would give players like Louisville's Samardo Samuels a challenge for Big East Rookie of the Year honors. The Huskies' depth at guard, however, will eventually work against him.