NCAA Tournament Final: Kemba Walker, Shelvin Mack to Be Key for Teams

Last year, it was difficult to imagine that the Butler Bulldogs reached the title game against eventual champion Duke.

Entering this tournament as the No. 8 seed, having lost star Gordon Hayward to the NBA and important role player Avery Jukes to graduation, there was no way they could do it again, right?

After notably sneaking past Old Dominion, outlasting Pittsburgh in a crazy finish and defeating Florida, they are one of the final two teams standing once more, determined to write a different ending.

They weren’t at their best against the VCU Rams, but they never seem to be. Power forward and leading scorer Matt Howard wasn’t at the top of his game, yet the team played Butler basketball, executing defensively and consistently running an intelligent offense.

That offense primarily went through Shelvin Mack, who has become one of my favorite players and for good reason. The 6’3″ physical junior guard scored 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting, making five of six three-pointers to help Butler keep an even better story, the Rams, ultimately at-bay.

“An incredible basketball player,” Howard said of Mack, as documented by The Star-Ledger. “He has a will and determination that’s unlike some other guys. You know, he many times has carried this basketball team and that’s still playing within our offense. That’s what Shelvin is—he’s a great basketball player. Again, you saw evidence of that again tonight.”

Senior guard Shawn Vanzant contributed as well, while junior backup point guard Ronald Nored made up for his poor offensive performance to play excellent defense in his 29 minutes. The trio will have their hands full with Connecticut’s version: junior Kemba Walker and immensely talented freshmen Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier.

The Huskies held off Kentucky in their semifinal to reach their third championship game under head coach Jim Calhoun. It was a victory not surprisingly orchestrated by these three.

Walker played all 40 minutes against the Wildcats, and was clearly fatigued down the stretch.

Walker committed his fair share of costly turnovers, most notably making unnecessary jump-passes late that helped Kentucky stay close, but still had 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists. When he had energy, Walker proved he’s ready for the NBA.

Baby-faced Lamb and Napier could definitely reach his level, and should be future cornerstones of Huskies basketball.

Lamb, who committed to Connecticut prior to his senior season at Norcross High School in Norcross, Ga., was ranked the 21st-best shooting guard in the country entering his freshman season by the esteemed Scout.com. He has surpassed these expectations, playing so well that a jump to the NBA has reportedly entered his mind.

Standing at 6’5″ with a seven-foot wingspan, Lamb has averaged 11 points this season, shooting a sparkling 48 percent from the field and a very respectable 37 percent from three-point land.

Though out of the offensive scheme for stretches, he did a little bit of everything for the Huskies against the Wildcats, contributing 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting while adding nine rebounds and four assists to the cause.

Lamb is very businesslike on the court with an incredibly calm personality. Summing up his demeanor, Chip Malafronte of the Middleton Press wrote: ‘“He wants to know, do you have a pulse?” UConn teammate Alex Oriakhi told Lamb at the regional last week when Lamb asked for clarification of a reporter’s question.

He does and is one of the better shooters in college basketball. Being so composed he is very fundamentally sound, rarely taking a rushed, off-balance shot and seldom making mistakes. It’s a cliché, but his jumper really is smooth and effortless; "Pure!" as announcer Gus Johnson would say.

Napier, a rail-thin 6’0″ and similarly lanky, doesn’t have his jump shot but is as fast, can create for himself and others and has the ability to make plays at critical times. He had four assists against Kentucky, quietly running the point well.

He was ranked the 14th-best point guard prospect in the country after his senior season at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. It is obviously difficult to live up to this ranking playing behind Walker, but his glimpses of brilliance back it up and translate to a great deal of potential.

Mack has continuously hit game-changing shots as Butler’s go-to guy while Vanzant and Nored have excelled at the intangibles and bring veteran leadership.

Walker has been Mr. Everything for Connecticut, while Lamb and Napier have held their own by his side. Behind these six guards, Butler and Connecticut have turned a slim possibility into an unbelievable reality. They will now do what was thought improbable at the beginning of the Madness, to play to sit atop the college basketball world.