BRONX PAIR AT FINAL FOUR
DETROIT — We knew the road to the Final Four would go through the Big East Conference. More specifically, it went through The Bronx.
The two Big East teams that made it to Motown — Connecticut and Villanova — wouldn’t have made it to the Motor City without precocious guards who have no fear.
UConn doesn’t beat Missouri 82-75 without frehsman Kemba Walker’s 23 points in 25 minutes. ‘Nova doesn’t trounce UCLA and Duke, and edge Pitt without sophomore Corey Fisher’s jolt off the bench.
“He’s just a playmaker,” Walker said of Fisher. “He gives you whatever you need — a basket, an assist.”
Walker might as well have been looking in the mirror when he uttered those words. Consider his line in the West Regional championship game.
UConn needed a basket? Walker was 7-of-9 from the field.
Connecticut needed an assist? Walker had five.
Connecticut needed a rebound? Walker grabbed five.
“Kemba and I went to the same junior high school and even back then you could tell he was going to be special,” said Fisher. “He’s everything you want in a guard.”
Fisher came off the bench to give the Wildcats the jolt they needed to blow open their second-round game against UCLA. He scored 13 points, grabbed three boards and had five assists with zero turnovers.
In the epic East Regional title game, Fisher was 7-for-7 from the line, including 4-for-4 in the final frantic 47 seconds.
No wonder that when Walker was asked to define Fisher in one word he said, “Fearless.”
In a separate interview, Fisher was asked to define Walker. “Fearless,” said Fisher.
There will be no room for fear in Detroit.
The Wildcats (30-7) face the monumental task of trying to upset North Carolina (32-4), everyone’s preseason No.1, in one national semifinal. Connecticut (31-4) also has a daunting challenge in Michigan State (30-7), which will essentially be playing a home game in Ford Field.
Walker, a member of the Big East All-Rookie team, played his prep ball at perennial power Rice. He’s a 6-foot-1, 172-pound muscle of competitiveness. Fisher earned the league’s Sixth Man Award. He left The Bronx to play at St. Patrick’s, one of three Jersey prep powers.
“It shows our toughness, but most importantly, it shows our leadership,” said Walker. “It shows that we all have a strong role on our team. Both of us being from New York City, that’s just a great feeling.”
Fisher would start on almost any other team in America, but at ‘Nova he wages daily practice battles against Scottie Reynolds, who won the Pitt game with a mad dash drive to the basket that culminated in a pull up jumper with 0.5 seconds left.
“The thing I’m most proud of is that Kemba and I can be role models for other kids,” said Fisher. “We can show them there are other ways to get ahead. And it doesn’t have to just be basketball. It can be school. You just have to believe in yourself.”
