If things had gone according to Mick Cronin’s plan, Connecticut junior point guard Kemba Walker, the second-leading scorer in the Big East Conference, would be wearing a UC uniform today.
But recruiting is filled with unexpected twists and turns and because UConn missed out on a few players three years ago, the Huskies offered a scholarship to Walker, who quickly accepted.
So Sunday at noon Walker will be leading the 14th-ranked Huskies (20-7 overall, 8-7 in the Big East) against UC (22-6, 9-6) at Fifth Third Arena instead of the other way around.
“That one was going great for a year and a half until the last week,” Cronin said. “I was devastated because I knew how good he was.”
According to Cronin, Walker, who played for Rice High School in New York, never told him he was going to UC, but his parents did. Cronin’s worst fear was that UConn would get involved late in the recruiting process.
That’s exactly what happened.
“I understood at the time,” Cronin said. “We’re in last place. They’re in first place. They’ve got Hasheem (Thabeet) and Jeff Adrien and all those guys. They’re loaded and we’re empty. They’re close to home and we’re not. I don’t think it was that hard a decision for him.”
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/uc/2011/02/26/uconns-walker-was-almost-a-bearcat/
But recruiting is filled with unexpected twists and turns and because UConn missed out on a few players three years ago, the Huskies offered a scholarship to Walker, who quickly accepted.
So Sunday at noon Walker will be leading the 14th-ranked Huskies (20-7 overall, 8-7 in the Big East) against UC (22-6, 9-6) at Fifth Third Arena instead of the other way around.
“That one was going great for a year and a half until the last week,” Cronin said. “I was devastated because I knew how good he was.”
According to Cronin, Walker, who played for Rice High School in New York, never told him he was going to UC, but his parents did. Cronin’s worst fear was that UConn would get involved late in the recruiting process.
That’s exactly what happened.
“I understood at the time,” Cronin said. “We’re in last place. They’re in first place. They’ve got Hasheem (Thabeet) and Jeff Adrien and all those guys. They’re loaded and we’re empty. They’re close to home and we’re not. I don’t think it was that hard a decision for him.”
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/uc/2011/02/26/uconns-walker-was-almost-a-bearcat/
