Connecticut’s up-tempo attack will probably run out of gas at some point in the Big East tournament — that’s just the nature of the beast — but its effectiveness translates well in the NCAA tournament.
Kemba Walker scored 28 points and UConn rolled slumping Georgetown 79-62 to advance to the quarterfinals tomorrow against top-seeded Pittsburgh. The Hoyas, who have now dropped four straight since losing point guard Chris Wright to a wrist injury, failed at trying to keep this a half-court game.
“We want to get out and run as much as possible,” guard Shabazz Napier said.
They did just that, getting more than half of their field goals in transition. Walker exploded on the break for easy layups time and time again as UConn shot 50 percent from the field.
We criticized Walker on Day 1 for being perhaps a little too selfish and restless in the half-court set against DePaul. We now understand his game a little better after watching him push tempo and remind us of Derrick Rose in the open floor. If the Huskies dictate tempo like they did today, there’s not many teams who can stick with them. They weren’t able to consistently control tempo, though, in a 78-63 loss to Pitt in December.
