Tag: UConn

WATCH: the best of Kemba Walker’s step-back jumpers

The step-back jumper has been a crucial part of All-Star point guard Kemba Walker’s arsenal from UConn to the Boston Celtics.

There may still be fans of the Boston Celtics who are still, somehow, unfamiliar with the trademark shot of Celtics starting point guard Kemba Walker.

But, given the UConn product’s deep roots in the northeast, there’s probably not too many of you.

Step-back jumpers are the bread and butter of “Cardiac” Kemba, who earned that sobriquet giving opponents and fans alike heart palpitations with his late-clock shots that leave opposing teams in disarray.

From the start of his epic run to an NCAA title with the Huskies in 2011 right up to the present, there’s a wealth of such shots peppering the Bronx native’s career.

Most came with the Charlotte Hornets at the pro level, his sole NBA franchise until changing teams this summer.

So watch the video embedded above to see all of the best of Kemba Walker’s step-back wizardry; the most recent Celtic is just starting to get in some with his new club, but there’s plenty to see here just the same.

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Kemba Walker shares the advice from Michael Jordan that changed him

Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker shared some of Michael Jordan’s advice to him from his time with the Charlotte Hornets.

Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker has a special connection with his former boss Michael Jordan, and the ubiquity of the ESPN documentary series on Jordan’s Chicago Bulls sparked some reflection by the UConn product in a short interview conducted for the team.

Drafted out of Connecticut immediately after dragging his Huskies to their third NCAA National Championship, Walker joined the Charlotte Hornets organization as their highest draft pick in the still-new Jordan era of ownership.

Don’t think that reputation he’d earned in his days at UConn made him  immune to the sort of pressure His Airness put on his teammates in “The Last Dance,” though.

Jordan’s early advice to the Bronx native was cut from the same cloth, if anything.

“MJ, the advice he always gave me was [that you] just had to bring it every night, man,” related Walker. “He always told me, ‘Don’t get comfortable.’ That’s his thing — ‘don’t get comfortable, don’t get comfortable,’ and I always heard it, too. ‘I ain’t getting comfortable; I’m keeping this job forever.'”

“Every time he’d tell me that, that was just my mentality. I’m not getting comfortable. I know who my boss is! You know? I’m not about to let you down,” he added. “He’s been very influential in my basketball career.”

Walker and Jordan may be on separate paths now, but the former Charlotte guard still looks back on his time with MJ fondly.

And while their leadership styles couldn’t be more night and day with the former Husky choosing to lead quietly by example, the same killer instinct and insatiable desire to compete is exuded by the Celtic point guard.

And Walker’s fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

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On this day: Pitino hired; DJ retired; 1968 expansion draft takes 3 Cs

On this day, Rick Pitino was hired as head coach and team president of the Boston Celtics, Dennis Johnson retired, and 3 Cs were taken in the ’68 expansion draft.

On this day in 1997, former Boston Celtics head coach and team president Rick Pitino was hired as head coach and general manager of the team.

He had previously coached at the NBA level as a moderately successful head coach of the New York Knicks between 1987 and 1989, and most recently at Kentucky in the NCAA ranks.

His tenure with the Celtics went considerably worse, with the pressure to return to greatness after the longest losing streak in team history undoubtedly a factor in the several questionable ‘win-now’ decisions made by Pitino.

The New Yorker would throw in the towel after four seasons with the franchise, amassing a 102-146 record in the regular season, good for a .411 winning percentage.

He never made the postseason in his role as team president and head coach.

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On this day: 3 players lost to 1967 expansion draft; Amir Johnson born

On this day, ex-Boston Celtics big man Amir Johnson was born, and three players were taken from the team in the 1967 NBA expansion draft.

On this day in 1967, the Boston Celtics lost three players to the expansion draft held to populate two new teams being added to the league.

Those teams would be the San Diego Rockets and Seattle Supersonics, the former now relocated in Houston, Texas as the Houston Rockets, and the latter now the Oklahoma City Thunder since 2008.

Expansion drafts function similar to the regular draft, except the team or teams joining the league can raid the rosters of existing teams save for a certain number of “protected” players each team can prevent from being drafted away to the expansion team or teams.

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Two prospects for Celtics fans to watch in the 2021 NBA Draft

While the 2021 NBA Draft might be too far off for some, it’s never too early to begin scouting prospects for the Boston Celtics.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony recently released a very early 2021 mock NBA draft with two players for Boston Celtics fans to keep an eye on.

The 2021 NBA draft may be a way off still, but it’s never too soon to think about how prospects might fit into the team’s longer-term plans — or at least with the higher ranked prospect, ties to Boston players.

That player would be Boston native Terrence Clarke, who forged friendships with up-and-coming Celtics wing duo Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum with workouts after Clarke reached out to the pair this winter.

Brown in particular took the future Kentucky Wildcat under his wing, offering Clarke counsel on what to expect at higher levels of competition.

“I wish some stuff I would have learned a little bit earlier that I know now, that it would have probably helped me have a better career,” Brown offered via MassLive’s Tom Westerholm.

“So just telling [Clarke] some of that stuff that people told me to help me try to give him a little bit of an advantage, because when you get to a certain [level], it’s going to be a lot of 6-foot-7 guys, it’s going to be a lot of talented guys.”

Clarke is unlikely to end up a Celtic given Boston figures to be one of the stronger teams in the East in the 2020-21 NBA season, and with little in the way of draft assets to move into the lottery of a future season, it seems more likely Boston will be drafting late in the first.

However, another prospect worth keeping tabs on with a local connection is University of Connecticut guard James Bouknight.

Bouknight is one of the best guards to come through UConn since Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier did at the start of the decade, is taller and bouncier than either at 6-foot-4, and can shoot deep 3-pointers.

He’s still a bit of a work in progress — thus his decision to forego this year’s NBA Draft, but projects well in the proximate draft, with Givony expecting the Brooklyn native to go 26th overall.

Then again, with so much time between now and the summer after this one, both of these prospects may see the fortunes change radically in either direction.

Even still, it’s worth keeping an eye on both of these two as the coming year unfolds.

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Kemba Walker, JBL to donate earphones to help kids with online classes

Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker and JBL are donating earphones to help area kids with their online classes.

Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker has teamed up with Speaker and headphone maker JBL to provide Boston-area kids with earphones to use for school.

The UConn product made the announcement on his personal Instagram Tuesday, relating hiw his longtime endorsement partner and he were joining forces to help area children adjust to the new, online reality of their educations.

“It’s times like these where we need to come together as a community,” began the four-time All-Star.

“Mentoring students, and helping them believe in themselves and succeed has always been important to me. JBL has been a partner for me throughout my career, and we teamed up to donate headphones to Boston area children to help them adjust and stay focused in their new educational environments.

We will get through this together,” finished Walker, adding an emphatic “Peace!” to close his message.

The Bronx native has indeed been known for his dedication to education and helping others throughout the years, all the way back to his time at Rice High in New York, where he was often found helping other students he worried might not be doing well in shared classes.

And with so many students now facing the challenges of simply having the equipment they need to be in class in the first place, Walker and JBL’s assistance will be a big help to those the project reaches.

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Missing March Madness: UConn and Kemba Walker take down Kentucky

We near the end of Missing March Madness on the anniversary of Kemba Walker and UConn’s takedown of Kentucky in 2011.

We’re almost to the end of the Missing March Madness series — only Boston Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward and All-Star point guard Kemba Walker made it into the month of April in the Big Dance.

As we revisit the NCAA tournament runs of current Celtics, today is the anniversary of the latter’s Final Four clash with the Kentucky Wildcats as the former Husky helped carry UConn to its third national title in one of basketball’s most improbable runs.

Walker’s UConn wouldn’t even have made the tourney had the Bronx native not caught fire at the start of the 2011 Big East Tournament, and the Huskies would not lose again while he wore the blue and white.

It was one of the worst-shooting national semifinal contests in modern NCAA history for UK, who shot less than 34 % from the field and 33.3 % from deep in the losing effort, Connecticut holding on for a 56-55 victory.

“The guys decided they didn’t want to go home; this is too much fun,” said Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun at the time (via the Associated Press).

Walker had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in the win that would set up a meeting with future Celtics coach Brad Stevens and his team of the moment, Butler, for the national title.

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Brett Graham transfers to Tennessee

Brett Graham transfers to Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE — UConn punter and holder Brett Graham announced Monday that he will continue his collegiate career at Tennessee.

Graham told Vols Wire that he will be a graduate transfer.

Boston College v Connecticut
BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 18: Michael Tarbutt #40 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrates with Brett Graham #81after scoring a field goal during the first quarter of their game against the Boston College Eagles at Fenway Park on November 18, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound punter and holder is from State College, Pa.

Graham redshirted in 2016 for UConn and started 12 games at punter for the Huskies in 2017. He recorded 2,442 yards on 63 punts with a long of 61 yards. 20 punts were inside the 20-yard line and seven went for more than 50 yards.

Graham was the primary holder on field goal and extra point attempts during the last two seasons.

2020 American Athletic Conference College Basketball Tournament odds and betting futures

Analyzing the 2020 American Athletic Conference Tournament odds and futures, with sports betting picks, tips and best bets.

The 2020 American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament kicks off Thursday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Tex. There are a few teams from the AAC which should be shoe-ins for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, should they come up short for a championship bid. A few others are on the bubble, and need impressive showings, and help in other tourneys, to catch the eye of the selection committee. Below, we look at the futures odds to win the AAC tournament.

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednsday, March 11 at 11 a.m. ET.

2020 AAC odds: Houston Cougars (+200)

Regular-season record: (23-8, 13-5 AAC)

The Cougars will have a lot less pressure than some of the teams below them, as they’re a lock for a bid to the dance. They’re simply playing for seeding at this point and could use a couple of wins to bump them up. They could be on the 8-line right now, which would give them a coin-flip game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Get some action on this event or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Houston scratched out a win and non-cover against a solid Memphis side over the weekend in the regular-season finale. The Cougars have the defense to make at least an Elite Eight run if they’re on top of their game. They ranked 12th in the nation in points allowed (62.1 points per game), and they ranked seventh in defensive field-goal percentage (38.3). While Houston isn’t the best scoring team, posting just 72.3 PPG on offense, checking in a middling 135th, it creates plenty of second chances, ranking second in the country in offensive rebounding.

The FAVORITE IS WORTH A BET AT +200, as the Cougars are the class of the AAC.

2020 AAC odds: Cincinnati Bearcats (+350)

Regular-season record: (20-10, 13-5 AAC)

The Bearcats stumbled down the stretch, going just 5-3 straight up and 1-7 against the spread across their final eight games. File that away if you bet their games individually going forward. As far as winning the AAC Tournament, the Bearcats are a talented team, especially defensively. While not as tenacious as Houston, Cincy did rank 31st in the country in defensive FG% (39.8). G Jarron Cumberland (15.5 points, 4.9 assists) is a talented scorer, and 7-foot-1 C Chris Vogt had 1.6 blocked shots per outing with F Tre Scott cleaning the glass to the tune of 10.5 rebounds per game with 1.5 steals per outing. CINCINNATI IS WORTH A SMALL-UNIT BET AT +350, but don’t get ridiculous.

2020 AAC odds: Wichita State Shockers (+400)

Regular-season record: (23-8, 11-7 AAC)

The Shockers certainly made plenty of waves, rising from mid-major power in the Missouri Valley Conference to an invitation to the AAC. After a brief adjustment period, the Shockers are doing what we’ve come to expect from them – win a lot of games. While they lost two road games to Cincinnati and Memphis down the stretch, a 22-point win in the final over a good Tulsa team snapped them back on track. WICHITA STATE IS A GOOD VALUE BET AT +400.

2020 AAC odds: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+600)

Regular-season record: (21-10, 13-5 AAC)

The Golden Hurricane were humbled by 22 points at Wichita in the finale. Tulsa beat the teams they were supposed to beat, and were hammered by the good teams. A 33-point loss in Houston Feb. 19 was also alarming. They’ll be a good NIT team, and a loss Friday in their first game, potentially against Memphis, wouldn’t be surprising. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Memphis Tigers (+600)

Regular-season record: (21-10, 10-8 AAC)

The Tigers had a chance to get off the bubble with a win in Houston in the finale. While they covered, they faltered, and covers do not impress the committee. Memphis likely needs at least two wins, perhaps three, to feel comfortable on selection Saturday. If the Tigers still had James Weisman in the middle, their chances of winning here would be better. They’re a good defensive team, but offensively they’re rather bland. A SMALL-UNIT PLAY TO WIN THE AAC AT +600 is OK, as their defense is good enough, but they’re a better bet in individual games against the spread and on Under plays.

2020 AAC odds: UConn Huskies (+1500)

Regular-season record: (19-12, 10-8 AAC)

UConn is on the bubble, and likely needs at least a run to the final to have a chance at an NCAA bid. The Huskies are matched up with Tulane in the 5-12 matchup, a team they scraped by 80-76 in the regular-season finale. They won both meetings with Tulane, but went 0-2 ATS. The good news is UConn enters this tournament on a five-game winning streak. Still, the Huskies are a mediocre team, and their odds are rather inflated based upon that. Not a good value, so AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: SMU Mustangs (+2500)

Regular-season record: (19-11, 9-9 AAC)

The Mustangs looked like a certain NCAA team, but they ended the regular season on a 1-5 SU/ATS slide, including shocking road losses to Tulane, UCF and South Florida. There’s a reason UConn is a 19-win team and just +600, and SMU has a better record but are long shots. What have you done for me lately? AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Temple Owls (+5000)

Regular-season record: (14-17, 6-12 AAC)

The Owls could spring a mild upset over a skidding SMU in the first round, but that’s as far as they go. They enter on their own five-game slide. It seems like regular-season wins over USC, Texas A&M and Wichita State were in another century. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: UCF Knights (+5000)

Regular-season record: (16-14, 7-11 AAC)

The Knights won their final two regular-season games, and they won at Cincinnati Feb. 19. They split with first-round opponent South Florida, so they could win one game, but they’re not going far. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: South Florida Bulls (+8000)

Regular-season record: (14-17, 7-11 AAC)

The Bulls won’t be on parade. They did top SMU in the regular-season finale and won in Memphis Feb. 8, but their opening game vs. UCF is a toss-up. If they win that one, they go no further. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: East Carolina Pirates (+10000)

Regular-season record: (11-20, 5-13 AAC)

The Pirates lost their final three games of the regular season, and are the only 20-loss team in the AAC. They beat SMU Jan. 11 but also lost by 20 to the Mustangs. That’s a microcosm of their season, and how inconsistent, and awful, they can be. AVOID.

2020 AAC odds: Tulane Green Wave (+10000)

Regular-season record: (12-18, 4-14 AAC)

The Green Wave opened 7-1 SU/6-2 ATS, and looked like they were in line for a big season, including a win in Utah. They also beat Cincinnati and SMU at home, but this game isn’t in New Orleans, and they dropped five of their last six away from their home floor. The Green Wave will crash early in this tourney. AVOID.

Want some action on this tournament? Place a bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Can a Kemba Walker-led Celtics find a little magic in March?

Can the Boston Celtics find a little of the lightning in a bottle Kemba Walker uncorked for UConn nine years ago in the month of March ahead of them?

It was nine years ago today that Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker showed the world what he could accomplish with a focused will and united team.

The then-UConn Husky led his team from the brink of no postseason with a 9-9 record in the Big East before football reshaped it to a national title by winning the five-game, single-elimination conference tournament to secure an NCAA bid.

He and the Huskies then went on to win it all in one of the most improbable runs in sports history, going another six games without a loss to cut down the nets for UConn’s third of four championships for the men’s program.

It speaks volumes about the leadership possessed by the Bronx native, who hopes he can get a little more of that March Madness vibe going with his current team, the Celtics.

Thinking back on the team’s last loss before Walker and UConn would go on to the legendary winning streak, a preventable loss that saw the New Yorker miss his last four shots to drop a game to Notre Dame, the All-Star point guard could see parallels.

“When I was with that team, we stayed together,” noted Walker via the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett. “Regardless that it was a tough loss, you know, it was Senior Night, but we stayed together. So it can happen anytime.”

The 29-year-old sees elements of that UConn team in today’s Celtics, as well. Despite the rough going over the last five games, which has only seen Boston win one despite most being within reach, Walker believes the team will weather the storm.

“Yeah, man, we’re definitely going to stay together,” he explained. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to stay together, for sure. That’s what we do.”

And for their part, so far they have stuck together, the team rallying around Walker despite his turnover effectively costing the team Mar. 8th’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Still, his teammates don’t lay the blame at his feet, aware that it was their collective effort and mistakes that put Walker in such a position in the first place.

“Most of us have been there — I’ve been there — and it sucks when something like that happens, but he’s still the same player who has carried us a lot this season,” offered forward Gordon Hayward (via MassLive’s Tom Westerholm).

“So we need him, and it’s on all of us,” he added. “We lost this game together.”

This sounds like a team struggling with injury and late-season focus, which is in truth very normal for this part of the season.

Had two of the four injuries been moved back into one of the tougher stretches in February or January, no one would have batted an eye, so at least some of what’s happening is just the basketball equivalent of water finding its level.

And while that may be the case, it’s still not going to satisfy these players any more than the fans, all of whom have raised their expectations based off of the success and skill the team has shown so far.

But with some time to regroup and with shooting guard Jaylen Brown not likely more than a game or two beyond the Pacers away from a return, we may see the Celtics’ fortunes turn.

After all, it is the month of March, and if there’s a time of year that Kemba Walker-led teams have found magic in before, it’s this one.

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