Walker says he has little idea if we are getting close to having a season, but he’s been working out and playing, like many players, on tours at high schools to stay in shape. And if the lockout ends soon and a season becomes imminent, Walker is confident that he’ll be ready to play right away.

Kemba Walker joined WFAN in New York with Joe and Evan to discuss the lockout situation, how he’s staying in shape, being drafted by Michael Jordan, how fast he could be ready for a season if the lockout ends, the current situations at Connecticut and the Big East, and what role he’ll play once basketball resumes.

What do you know? Are we getting close to basketball anytime soon?:

“I know as much as you, to tell you the truth. Right now I’m just waiting for the word until we start. Hopefully we can start it up soon, but there’s still some things that’s got to be worked out and I’m just being patient.”

What have you been doing to stay busy and stay in shape?:

“I’ve just been working out, just trying to stay in shape. I’m on tour right now with Under Armour. We’re doing this little tour, just going to high schools and playing in front of the kids. For the most part, that’s been it.”

What did it mean to you to be drafted by Michael Jordan?:

“It’s special to know that a guy of his caliber, and I enjoyed watching him play, feels like I should be a part of his organization. It was a great feeling when my name was called by the Bobcats.”

Let’s say a deal gets done soon. How long would it take for you to be ready to play?:

“I’m not sure, really. I still have so much to learn. This is a situation where you’d have to be rushed and I think I’d be all right. I’m a fast learner. … I think I’d be ready for the start.”

What do you see from your college team, UConn, as it begins life without you?:

“Man, I think we’re going to be great. We have a great group of guys and they all get along and love each other. They have returning guys that are sophomores. … I think they’re going to have a great season.”

What are your thoughts on the Big East, as it goes through the conference realignment shifts?:

“I don’t really know what to think. … Things happen. I guess it’ll be OK.”

What position do you think you’ll play once basketball resumes?:

“I think I’ll be playing a lot of point. Since it’s me and D.J., we are both small guys and we’ll play together. I think it’ll be a situation like was in college. … Whoever gets the ball, push it, or whoever’s having the best offensive night plays the 2. Like that. It’s going to switch, so I’ll be playing both.”

Listen to Kemba Walker on WFAN in New York here

Barkley joined ESPN Radio New York with Mike Lupica to talk about his reaction to last Thursday night’s NBA Draft, being impressed by Jan Veseley’s girlfriend marking her territory by kissing Veseley after his name was called as the No. 6 pick by the Washington Wizards, why he thinks it’s terrible for the NBA for the bad teams not to be guaranteed to get great talent early in the draft because of the reality that unready, young talent is constantly entering the draft, how he thinks Brandon Knight will be the better than Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette, the other three guards selected in the top ten, how despite thinking Derek Williams is a great talent how he’s concerned about what position Williams is best suited to play at the NBA level, how big of a miracle it would take for David Stern to help avoid a lockout in the NBA, why he thinks Stern is the best commissioner in professional sports the past 25 years, what he believes are the two biggest issues surrounding the looming labor impasse, how he’s advised his good buddy Michael Jordan (and would do the same to other owners) to stop overpaying for mediocre talent in attempt to just squeak into the playoffs and be bounced early, and why he thinks it’s a better strategy to just lose a bunch of games and ensure that you get high draft picks.

On how much of the NBA Draft did he watch Thursday night:

“I watched the whole draft.”

If he caught the kiss Jan Veseley had with his gorgeous girlfriend after being selected by the Washington Wizards:

“I like the fact that she was marking her territory. She wanted everyone to know that ‘this is my millionaire and nobody can have them.’ I like that. Hey, millionaires don’t grow on trees.”

On which of the following four guards taken in the first 10 picks does he feel we’ll be talking about the most in several years time — Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Jimmer Fredette, and Brandon Knight:

“You know, that’s a really good question. I actually think Knight has the biggest upside out of those four myself. I actually think the best player in the draft was Enes Kanter out of Turkey. If I had the No. 1 pick, I’d have taken that kid out of Turkey. But out of those four guards, I think Knight has got the biggest upside in my opinion.”

On if he’d agree that taking European players is the biggest crap shoot beacuse of how little they’re able to watch them:

“First of all, you’re correct. Even if they watched them play, they couldn’t have watched them…I think to watch a guy play, you have to watch him four or five times. But you can say the same about Kyrie Irving; he only played 10 games basically in college. But also, one of the reasons I don’t like the draft is because I would listen…Jeff Van Gundy is very good and Jay and Jon were good, but like, all you hear all night is ‘he’s a project. He’s got potential.’ See, that’s why I hate young kids coming to the NBA, because that’s not what the draft is for. The draft is designed for bad teams to get help; they’re not supposed to get a project. I think it does a disservice to the game, I think it does a disservice to the fans — because if I’m a fan and my team is a crappy team, I don’t want them drafting a guy that I’ve got to wait to see if he’s going to be any good; that doesn’t help me as a fan. The draft used to be designed as okay my team stinks, I’m going to get Hakeem Olajuwon, I’m going to get Tim Duncan, or Michael Jordan or Karl Malone or someone like that. To draft a kid No. 1 that only played overseas, or a kid that’s only played 10 college games or one year, he’s not going to be no immediate help to my team. That’s why I hate all these kids coming to the NBA.”

On what he thinks of Arizona’s Derek Williams, selected No. 2 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves:

“I think he’s terrific. I think the only problem with him is what position is he going to play. Because in the NBA, you have to be able to play a certain position. The 3 and 4 are like night and day. The 3 he’s going to be chasing guys off picks; the 4 he’s going to clearly be the power forward and supposed to be a dominant defender and rebounder. So I think he’s the classic ‘tweener’. I think he’s good enough to have an impact on the game, but the only reason I wouldn’t have taken him No. 1 is I don’t know what position he’s going to play, to be honest with you because he’s a classic ‘tweener.’”

On the impending NBA Lockout and what a miracle it would be if David Stern would be able to bridge the huge divide between all the various parties involved:

“Well I think, and I’m not saying this because I’m in the NBA, if you go back and look, David Stern has been the best commissioner in sports the last 25 years. It would take a miracle on his part not to have a lockout and I truly believe that. I think there’s going to be a lockout, I think the owners are dug in, I think they want to send a message to these players. I think they’re really upset by this LeBron James / Chris Bosh situation, because their teams don’t have to be really good, but I feel like if they have a star in their market they can make some money. And if all the stars want to play together…we’re almost becoming like baseball where you’ve got a few good teams and the rest of them stink.”

But wait, even though there’s a handful of powerhouse teams in baseball, there’s still been nine different teams who have won the World Series in the past decade:

“Yeah but it’s different because we make all our money on television. And those teams…like the San Francisco Giants can win the World Series if they’ve got great pitching, but they don’t make any money on television like we do in the NBA. Then we have that rule where you can only show a team ‘X’ amount of times. So now we’re stuck. Why are we going to show the Cleveland Cavaliers? Why are we going to show the Toronto Raptors? We can’t do that. Now you’ve got the thing brewing with Dwight Howard, and now you’ve got the thing brewing with Chris Paul, and it’s like why would we show Orlando if Dwight Howard is not there? And why would we show New Orleans if Chris Paul is not there? I think because they’re upset that some of these players all want to play together…..I think the players are going to have to take a really shoddy deal not to have a lockout. And I shouldn’t say a shoddy deal, but they’re going to put some things in play where all these players can’t play together — that’s first and foremost. And I think they are going to bring these salaries down, as far as ‘X’ amount of years. I think they’re definitely going to do those two things.”

On how he feels his good buddy Michael Jordan is doing trying to build a winner in Charlotte:

“Well I think he made the first step [Thursday] night to be honest with you. I’ve been telling Michael — see, first of all under this current system you are correct — but what I’ve told him, and I actually told him two years ago, that team….Jeff Van Gundy was great during the draft last night, and I’ve been saying this for three or four years, a lot of people got mad at me — I wouldn’t be trying to win games if I were a mediocre team, I’d be throwing games. I want to get draft picks and draft space, the exact same way the Miami Heat and New York Knicks did it. This notion where you’re the No. 6, 7 or 8 seed every year and you’re going to lose, I think that’s the silliest thing in the world. Jeff Van Gundy said it last night — he said I don’t understand why these teams…you know, they gave me a hard time in Philadelphia last year; I said they’re going to be the 6, 7 or 8 seed and they’re going to lose in the first round. I said Philadelphia needs draft picks, young players and cap space. And Jeff Van Gundy said it last night, and I’ve been saying it for three or four years. I told Michael two, three years ago — you’re paying Gerald Wallace, you’re paying Stephen Jackson, you’re paying Okafor, you’re going to be the 6, 7, or 8 seed, and you’re going to lose in the first round of the playoffs every year. I personally think you should do it like Oklahoma City do it — they drafted well every year, and now they’re a legit contender. See this is my philosophy: my best player is going to make the most money. I’m not going to pay mediocre players. I think that’s the stupidest thing in the world. I forget the old baseball analogy, but a guy asks for a lot of money and they say ‘hey man, we’ve come in last place with you, we’ll come in last place without you.’ I 100 percent agree with that. I’m  not going to pay guys $10, $12, $15 million dollars and we lose in the first round of the playoffs every year. I think that’s absurd. And the fans, I would tell the fans ‘we’re not very good; we’re going to start over. You guys are going to have to be patient, because the way the system is now, I’m pay three or four guys $10, $12, $15 million dollars, we’re the 6, 7, 8 seed, we’re not going to get a good draft pick.’ And I think that’s the silliest thing in the world to be honest with you.”

Listen here to Barkley with Mike Lupica on ESPN Radio New York

What about Kemba Walker in all this first round NBA draft talk? You know, the catalyst behind the Connecticut Huskies’ march to championship glory. Walker is only the sole reason why the Huskies became the hottest team in the months of February and March. Some may believe Walker is too short to be a point guard, but he has no problem proving all the critics wrong. Walker is confident he’ll be drafted in the top five of the NBA draft this Thursday, and is itching to prove to the league and his critics that he can continue to play at an elite level from the point guard position against the world’s best competition.

Kemba Walker joined The Dan Patrick Show to discuss how many teams he has worked out for throughout the pre-draft process, why he is confident and excited about going into the NBA as a point guard, why Carmelo Anthony is his favorite player, a gut feeling on where he is going on the night of the 2011 NBA Draft, whether he feels he’s better than Kyrie Irving, his thought process when the game is on the line as the clock ticks under ten seconds, and how he’d describe the feeling of releasing the basketball and knowing it’s going in.

How many teams did you work out for Kemba?

“I worked out for five teams so far like Charlotte, Toronto, Detroit, Sacramento and Utah.”

How important is it to go into the NBA as a point guard?

“It’s very important because I scored a lot of points this season. A lot of people question whether I am a combo or just a shooting guard, but I’m a true point guard.”

Why is Carmelo Anthony your favorite player?

“I don’t know. It’s just something about Melo that I like of him being a winner. He’s won big on the collegiate level, so I definitely love that. Ever since then he’s been my favorite.”

If I said give me a gut feeling of where you think you are going?

“Honestly I have no idea. No idea. Anything can happen on draft night between trades…there are so many different things that can happen. Right now I’m just waiting.”

Are you better than Kyrie Irving?

“Am I better than him? I don’t know. [Dan Patrick: It's just us talking] I think it’s all potential. I think he definitely has a chance to be a very, very, good player in the future. I think with me there is more experience.”

What goes through your mind with the game on the line with ten seconds left to go?

“Win. That’s the only thing I am thinking about. Let’s win this game, so we don’t have to go into overtime and make things a lot more difficult, so I’m thinking ‘Kemba your teammates are counting on you. The coaching staff is counting on you. You’re confident they are counting on you, so you have to make this shot.’ That’s what I’m thinking.”

What’s that feeling like when you release it and you know the ball is going in the hoop?

“Wow. I don’t know it’s going in. I don’t know it’s going in, but when it does go in it’s like ‘Wow!’ It’s like like a dream come true because a lot of kids grow up dreaming about making buzzer beater shots and game winning shots, so it’s an amazing feeling.”

Listen to Kemba Walker on The Dan Patrick Show here

When the Huskies did just that, and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, most people thought they’d bow out early. Winning five games in five days at the Big East tournament would certainly have used up all their gas, right? That was the argument that I heard the most.

That’s why, while most people out there seemed to be rooting for underdog Butler in last night’s championship game, that UConn makes just as much of a compelling story as the Cinderella. Winning six consecutive games to win the national championship is impressive enough. Winning 11 in a row in the postseason is unheard of, a feat that will may never be beaten.

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun joined ESPN Radio Chicago with Waddle and Silvy to discuss why he thinks it shouldn’t be considered an ugly game, his halftime speech, the Huskies run through the postseason, how this championship compares with his first two, how the team will celebrate and whether or not he’ll return to coach next season.

His argument to those who say it was an ugly title game:

“Calhoun: I keep hearing this game referred to as a bad night. An all time shot blocking record was set in the game. We held a team to 18%. Everybody keeps saying like they know. … It wasn’t a pretty game, no question, and it wasn’t artistically lot of balls going in the basket. But I’ll tell you what. It was two teams competing at the end of a long, long season.”

What did you say to your team at halftime?:

“I said a lot of things, but mainly we need to get our butts going and get back to playing full motion. We’re too good of a basketball team to look like we did in the first half, particularly offensively. We picked the defense up, we trapped some, we had a chance to block a lot of shots, rotation, and just answer the bell. And that’s what I told them at the end. After really going after them, this was too good a team to go out like that. And of course, we didn’t go out.  We won the national championship.”

Did he give them a “Shut Up” rant?:

“On this particular one, that was probably the kindest thing I said.”

If someone told him after the first Big East Tournament victory that they’d win the national championship, what would he have said?:

“I would have said ‘Let’s go to the next game, because I have no idea what’s going to happen. Let’s probably get number 2, and until we beat Pittsburgh, who I thought was the best team in our league, I start to feel a little bit different than I thought. … We just were a whole different team during the stretch. We were a good team during the season. Twenty-one wins, beat Tennessee, beat Michigan State, beat Kentucky, etc., but all the little pieces, the young kids coming together, molding.”

How does this championship compare to winning his first two?:

“As sweet as the first one. The middle one was sweet, too, with Emeka and Ben.  This ride was sweet because these kids are so young, so little was expected from them and they gave so much.”

How will he and the team celebrate?:

“We’ll enjoy it when we get back to campus today. The Gampel Pavilion with 11-12,000 will be packed. The whole line all the way to the Gampel will be packed with people. Getting to really truly celebrate with friends and family. Then after that, I have some things I need to do as far as looking forward to next year and getting our team ready and then, thank God, I’ll be headed for Hilton Head in mid May, and going down for about ten days for a golf trip with 16 friends of mine. I’ll get plenty of chances with them to celebrate. … They’ve got a state parade in downtown Hartford. I know we already got a call from Dave Letterman. I’m supposed to get a call this morning from Obama. All the great things. So, we’ll have plenty of chances to celebrate, though.”

Will you coach next year?:

“I fully plan on coaching basketball next year. You know, once again, we’ll have time in the next couple of months as I settle down, as we kind of look over everything, and I fully expect that I would. … I’ve always been in love with basketball, I’ve never fallen out of love with basketball, but this team reaffirms me that kind of what we’re doing is worthwhile because the kind of kids you have.”

Listen to Jim Calhoun on ESPN Radio Chicago with Waddle & Silvy

The “Cinderella” Butler Bulldogs truly looked atrocious in this contest as they shot 12-for-64 shooting, which is good for a measly 18.8 percent. Butler couldn’t get anything going in the second half and were stifled in the paint being outscored 26-2. One of the key contributing members of this young Huskies team was freshmen guard Shabazz Napier, who played in 27 minutes, scoring 4 points and adding 4 rebounds to help out UConn’s effort coming off the bench.  He started in the second half allowing Kemba Walker to play off the ball which also opened up more opportunities for Jeremy Lamb. Napier discussed the feeling of being a National Champion along with what Coach Calhoun said to his team to get them going on the second half surge that sealed the National Championship.

Shabazz Napier joined Into the Night with Tony Bruno on Fox Sports Radio to discuss how crazy the post-game scene was after the University of Connecticut Huskies won the 2011 National Championship, what did Coach Calhoun say to the team at halftime regarding the low scoring, was the defense in the paint the key to winning the 2011 National Championship, when did the Huskies realize they had what it took to become a National Championship contender, does he think Coach Calhoun will stick around next year or retire and does this National Championship victory validate all the hype surrounding the Big East Conference in the NCAA tournament.

How crazy is it there?

“It’s crazy man a lot of people are here. A lot of people who supported us and a lot of media right now.”

What did Coach Calhoun say to you guys at halftime regarding the low scoring, the defense played, and the team not scoring that well?

“He just told us defensively we was playing great, but offensively we wasn’t getting into our stuff. He really got at me because he feels like I’m a spark and I come off the bench now, I’m the spark plug. He just told me if we don’t get this going, if I don’t really push them defensively than we might lose this game. The best thing I could do at this point right now is go hard and sacrifice myself. I felt like that’s what I did. We just picked it up.”

Was the defense in the paint the key to winning the National Championship because Butler could not score at all in the paint area? Was the key that Butler was missing shots or you were playing great defense in the paint?

“The key was just try to disrupt them offensively. That was by pressing the ball at the full court, try to allow [Shelvin] Mack to not get the ball. We felt like if he [Shelvin Mack] had the ball in his hand and controlling the pace it’s going to be tough for us to guard because he’s a great shooter. I felt as though once they got the ball in the middle our guys, Alex Oriakhi and Charles Okwandu, I felt like they played great defense. They disrupted a lot of shots and that left us to get easy rebounds and to press the break on them. I felt like we pushed everything on them and we just applied great defense.”

This has been an unbelievable run starting at the Big East Tournament. When did you guys realize that you were a National Championship Caliber contender?

“After we beat Kentucky. I felt as though we understood that we were one game away. We didn’t want to envision too far ahead. We felt as though we should worry about who we have at that point whether it be Bucknell, Cincinnati, and so fourth on. Once we got by Kentucky we were like we have Butler next, they’re a great team, and we just understood what we had. I felt as though the speech that Coach [Calhoun] made at halftime before the second half that just pushed us to the limit.”

I gotta ask you about your coach Jim Calhoun. He has three national championships now. He’s sixty-eight years old. The oldest coach to win a National Championship. Does he stick around or you think he’s going to leave?

“I’ve been hearing that for so long. I don’t really know, I mean it’s going to be tough for him to leave but if he decides to leave I guess it’s a great time for him to leave. He’s leaving on top, but like I said that’s not really my ballpark. I felt as though he’s been a great coach to me and if he decides to stay it’s great for us and great for the university, but we have a great coaching staff and Coach [George] Blaney, [Kevin] Ollie, and those guys. He’ll be missed, but we’ll be able to keep it up.”

One last thing does this National Championship victory validate the Big East Conference in your mind?

“A lot of people still won’t think so because we were at point where there was only 2 of us left in us and Marquette. I don’t think people understand how much we beat up on each other during the [Big East] Conference games. I feel as though we have the best conference in the country just because how much talent we have. You really couldn’t understand how much we beat up on each other and that puts a lot on your body. I felt as though the team that would survive in the tournament is the team that feels as though they could handle the pressure of playing against other conferences and handle the pressure of the body. I felt like we were the team that handled that pressure and we did it well.”

Listen to Shabazz Napier on Into the Night with Tony Bruno here (Interview starts at 27:08 in the podcast)

As for Butler, it has been an extremely impressive run through the tournament for a second straight year. For the Bulldogs, it’s been a tourney filled with buzzer-beaters, freak plays at the end of games, and a toughness that can be admired by all college basketball fans. Despite the fact that they are the eighth seed in their region, they’ve got the experience playing under the bright lights of the NCAA Championship game. It’s experience that can’t be overlooked heading into tonight’s game.

On the other side, UConn has made a run that goes beyond superlatives. Incredible. Unbelievable. Mindboggling. Pick any word that means the same as brilliant and it would be fitting. Yes, they have the best player in America in Kemba Walker and yes they were a number three seed, but what makes their run so incredible is the fact that the last ten games they have played dating back to the start of the Big East tourney have been elimination games played under immense pressure. For UConn to handle the pressure of being in a one and done scenario for ten straight games all the way to the championship goes beyond words.

Butler has the experience, they have two guys that can start anywhere in the country with Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack, they have one of the best coaches in America, they never get rattled, but they don’t have the best player in America on their side. They don’t have Kemba Walker. On the biggest stage, Walker’s greatness will be on display and he will lead his Huskies to a National Championship and cap off one of the greatest individual seasons in college basketball history.

Seth Davis joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about who will have more fans tonight between Butler and UConn, who he thinks should be favored, whether or not he thinks Bard Stevens will stay at Butler, and if the Bulldogs have become the standard for mid-majors.

On what team will have the crowd tonight:

“Gosh I will say Butler because I think people that aren’t even Butler fans are going to be rooting for Butler tonight. They still carry that underdog label even though Jim Calhoun was trying to convince me they were the favorite and he had all the stats for me. I live in Connecticut like you Dan and you think about how popular UConn is in the state and the kind of following they have, those fans really do not travel. Our platform was right in the student section and even that thing wasn’t totally filled. I was a little surprised at how under-represented UConn was on Saturday night. I think more people in the dome are going to be rooting for Butler.”

Who he thinks should be favored:

“I think UConn should be favored. They’re still the beast from the East, but I’m actually a little surprised to see the line where it is because I’m not sure there is a talent gap. When you look at Butler you see Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard, those two guys can play with anybody and those two guys can start for any team in the Big East, plus they’re older. Even though Jeremy Lamb is a great talent, Alex Oriakhi is a sophomore for UConn, Butler has some older guys and guys that have played in the National Championship game before. I’m not seeing a real talent gap. I see an evenly matched basketball game.”

Whether or not he expects Brad Stevens to stay at Butler:

“I think Brad Stevens could retire as the coach of Butler. I think if Indiana opened up I could see him moving into that job. He makes a good living there, he will probably keep making more and more money, it’s a great fit, he’s an Indiana native, and it’s a much better job than a lot of these schools in power conferences. You look at what Mark Few has done at Gonzaga and Brad Stevens has taken that to another level. I don’t think he leaves for a place like N.C. State. If a Duke, Carolina, or a Kansas came open then maybe one of those jobs. Outside of Indiana I think he’s gonna stay at Butler for awhile.”

Whether or not Butler has surpassed Gonzaga as the standard:

“With all due respect to Gonzaga and Mark Few, not only are they higher than Gonzaga and playing in their second straight Championship game,  but they are in a state that is loaded with players, good players that love to play basketball, and love to play basketball close to their home. He’s made his living finding guys who have quote unquote slipped through the cracks. Shelvin Mack is from Lexington, Kentucky and Kentucky didn’t recruit him. Brad Stevens can recruit kids from Indiana who love to play basketball, who are good students, and he can coach guys that he likes to coach. If he goes to another school, he might be recruiting a different kind of individual. Not worse, not less character, but just different. He’s in the perfect situation, he knows he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder, he knows he doesn’t have to worry about message boards, it’s not easy to sustain and obviously he’s not going to be in the National Championship game every single year, but he’s an incredible grounded and even-keeled mature individual for 34. Outside of Indiana I think he can potentially stay at Butler for the rest of his life.”

What his prediction is:

“UConn.”

Listen to Seth Davis on the Dan Patrick Show here (Audio begins 14:45 into the podcast)

I’ll admit that I’m shocked Butler is back, and I certainly have a bracket to prove it. While I correctly predicted that Connecticut would be playing tonight, I had the Bulldogs losing in their first game to Old Dominion. Oops.

But the more you watch, the more you realize that Butler is no fluke. First of all, any team that makes the title game two years in a row simply can’t be. But with Butler it’s easy to see they have a great combination of senior leaders who have been clutch in close games, young talent that has meshed with the veterans well and a young coach who is proving he’s amongst the best in the business. Perhaps that all adds up to the Bulldogs finding themselves in a different spot tonight than a year ago. Perhaps they’ll win it all.

Butler athletic director Barry Collier joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Grady and Big Joe to discuss the unlikeliness of Butler being in this spot for a second straight year, how it happened, how he’ll use the money Butler is making because of it, the challenge of facing Connecticut and the differences in the two title game appearances.

Did he ever imagine the Bulldogs playing in the title game in back-to-back years?:

“I don’t think there’s any way you’d know that or think about it or dream it. Our focus has always been on the next game or the next task, yet here we are and it’s a beautiful thing.”

How has this happened?:

“You have to have a lot of things come together. Mostly, you have to have a team made of players, and don’t miss that they’re the ones that are making the shots, blocking out, playing together, playing hard on defense. And you’ve got to have a coach that can bring all those players to the school and get the most out of them. … We’ve got some good things going at Butler. As far as what affects recruiting, we’ve got a great school … we’re in a great city … and we’ve got a beautiful campus. Then you stark thinking about Hinkle Fieldhouse and basketball and winning and we’ve got a good thing going.”

What will he do with the money that Butler gets from making the Final Four and championship game?:“Most of all, we’re going to try to raise money to preserve Hinkle Fieldhouse. We’ve got a fundraising project underway on that. … The other thing is that we’ve got another classic, historic piece at Butler, Brad Stevens. He’s maybe not as old as Hinkle Fieldhouse, but he’s certainly as valuable. We’re going to keep doing everything we can do to keep improving.”

On the challenge of facing Connecticut:

“Any team that gets in the tournament and advances like they have … are incredibly capable of playing great basketball and winning it all. When you have a great individual player like Walker, who makes others better around him, it’s a tough, tough task. Butler’s approach has always been to have five guys guarding the ball to know that they’re supporting each other and helping with penetration or post-ups. … Undoubtedly there will be numerous players on both teams that will be key.”

How is the feeling of being in this position the same or different based on being in Houston rather than in their own back yard like last year?:

“On a couple levels last year it was different in that it was the first time that the team has gotten to the Final Four and the championship game. Secondly, it was in our hometown and we had to go a full six miles all the way down to Lucas Oil Stadium. … Here we are 1,000 miles away from Indianapolis and yet the scene is strikingly similar in this big-domed stadium and all that comes with the Final Four. … This is a little bit different and maybe it allows for some more focus. I’m not sure.”

Listen to Barry Collier on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

Heading into the Big East Tournament, the Huskies were the nine seed and somewhat overlooked with teams like Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh getting most of the attention in the Big East. Their five game run in five days  in that tournament to capture the conference championship was extremely impressive and they have been able to use that momentum all the way to Houston.

It certainly helps to have a player like Kemba Walker. Walker has been the best player in Tournament so far and is very much in the conversation for National Player of the Year in college basketball. Everyone knew at the beginning of the tourney that UCONN would go as far as Kemba Walker would take them, but I’m not sure people really knew much about freshman Jeremy Lamb, who has stepped up on the biggest stage.

Jim Calhoun joined WFAN in New York with Mike Francesa to talk about how surprised he is about his team’s tournament run, the emergence of Jeremy Lamb, how much playing in the Big East has allowed them to deal with adversity better against San Diego State and Arizona in the NCAA Tournament, and the matchup against Kentucky.

How surprised he is by his team’s run in a tournament filled with upsets:

“There’s no question. It’s been a tournament that I think has finally shown the reduction of scholarships from 18, to 15, to 13, with all the kids ending up at good schools like VCU and Butler. Then secondly, at the top level, I think you start seeing we would have O.J Mayo, we would have for example if you take our opponent on Saturday, Kentucky would’ve had (DeMarcus) Cousins, (John) Wall back, oh my God. That’s why I said I think the three or four best teams are in Houston. I don’t know that they’re the four best teams for the year, but right now they’re the four best teams. Secondly, there is probably not a great team. There’s really good teams and a team that should be National Champ, but there isn’t probably a great team. We had a great team in 2004 with Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong. Pros. Five pros. The four teams though in our system, given what’s happened with kids going out early and all those things, one of those teams will be the best team for the 2011 season.”

The emergence of Jeremy Lamb:

“Yeah he has arrived. There was an article and people said he was the anointed one. In other words the next Rip (Hamilton), the next Ray (Allen), the next Kemba (Walker), the next Emeka (Okafor), the next Ben (Gordon), and we have been fortunate to have some of those guys. I truly believe with a seven foot four reach, with a shooting touch, and with the humility and hard work that Jeremy Lamb has, we think he’s going to be the next one.”

On the Big East preparing them for adversity in the tournament:

“I will tell people this and I truly believe this, the Big East season and the Big East Tournament taught us some lessons. We come out of the Big East and we got rattled a few times down the stretch otherwise this team could’ve been a 12 win team in the league, but they lost a couple. Marquette being one of them and Louisville being another.  I think we were taught some lessons and by the time we reached the tournament a lot of those lessons have been learned. Some teams develop mid-season and some teams develop late. Well, we were good, we had won 21 games, and we were going to the NCAA Tournament, but we really came into our own in those five games in New York City. You know me with the Big East, you want to win your neighborhood battles. We did that and then I think we got to the tournament and got better and better and I think as much as anything else, we closed games and you have to be able to close games.”

On the matchup against Kentucky this time compared with early in the season:

“That changed a little bit. When we played them early they were a drive team. John (Calipari) put that drive and dish offense in. They were really good at driving and very good at running, but quite frankly when they dished they didn’t make threes. Well they were 12 of 22 in the North Carolina game on threes. Quite frankly you have a really tough situation where you’re guarding the elbow and how much you cheat to get in to stop the drive but make sure you prevent the three. So we have our work cut out for us, but they got probably some work cut out for them too.”

How tough this season has been and how gratifying it has been:

“I lost my sister-in-law, Eileen, who I loved like a sister and I lost my college roommate of 49 years this year. Both of them special people. Then the things around the program that you mentioned. So quite frankly except for ’99 the first time around, this is really special. This is really, really special. For me to have a group of young kids led by an incredible young kid, all of us New Yorkers want to be proud of a kid, the way he conducts himself, the class he shows, and of course he’s an incredible player, Kemba Walker has been just…I don’t want him to leave. He’s probably going to be a top ten so he has to leave and I will kick him out the door, but he’s been special for us Mike. He’s been really special.”

Listen to Jim Calhoun on WFAN in New York here

Yet, here we are, one year later, and the Cats are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1998. Brandon Knight has Lexington forgetting about last year’s bunch as Kentucky is one victory away from a national championship game. Were they to get by UCONN in the national semifinal, they would certainly be favored against the winner of Butler and VCU.

Kentucky coach John Calipari joined Sporting News Radio with The 2 Live Stews to discuss the atmosphere in the state of Kentucky right now, the play of Brandon Knight and how he’s confident the kid can’t be held down for more than a short stretch at a time, why he wasn’t worried about starting fresh this season with a new-look roster after the slew of departures last spring, why he doesn’t care that people seem to overlook his ability to coach at a consistently high level, and what the Wildcats will need to do to slow down Kemba Walker when they face the Connecticut Huskies in next Saturday’s Final Four matchup.

What’s the atmosphere like in Kentucky?:

“I didn’t know it had been that long until someone said after the game that we hadn’t been there in 13 years. I didn’t know, but I do know this, the state’s going crazy. This is the commonwealth’s team. They’re jacked up.”

Is he getting mobbed the minute he leaves the house?:

“No, I don’t. They’re are people who recognize and say stuff and you’re not going to be invisible, but I think most coaches are in the same boat I’m in. … The thing is, they’re just excited about this basketball program. I’m humbled to be sitting in this seat. … Whoever has this seat has the same responsibility and understands the important that this seat has to the entire seat.”

Is he ever worried that Brandon Knight won’t flip the switch in a game?:

“No, I think he’ll be fine. Anytime he went in the game and didn’t shoot it well, the next game he was like on fire. … He’s a really prideful kid. The other thing you know is that he’s going to bring it. He’s going to do his best. … He’s like any other player, you don’t shoot it great every night out, but I’ll tell you what, he’s had a great year. … And he’s playing his best basketball down the stretch.”

Was he concerned about starting over this year with all that he lost last year?:

“No. Every year, every time we’ve lost a guy after a year, everyone’s said ‘You can’t do this, it doesn’t work. You can’t this…’ You’re trying to help these kids reach their dreams and if they really work hard and we have a heckuva year and they have the opportunity to leave after a year, I’m not going to talk them out of it. … Last year we lost four freshmen. … We lost seven players, significant players. And guess what? We’re fine.”

On how he and his staff put together great recruiting classes and whether it bothers him that his coaching ability might get overlooked:

“I’m just coaching my team and at the end of the day, 50 years from now, people will judge how we’ve done. … There will be no emotion in it, jealousy, none of that stuff. … Second, when they take away from me as a coach, they add to the players. So I’m fine with that. One, they don’t even realize they help my recruiting. … Instead of it being all about me, my system and how I coach and all this, and then no one knows the names of my players, I’d rather have them say I can’t coach. Just as long as I’m winning all the games, what do I care?”

What’s the breakdown of UConn and Kemba Walker?:

“You don’t stop him. You’re not stopping Kemba. You know he’s going to get his points and he’s going to score his baskets. You’re just trying to say ‘Make it hard.’ … They’ve got a terrific team and they’re playing as well as anybody in the country. … When you’re in this setting and you have the most dominating player, you have the best chance of winning. That’s just how it is. If the kid dominates us, then it’ll be tough for us to win.”

Listen to John Calipari on Sporting News Radio here

Jim Calhoun joined WFAN in New York to talk about the team playing well the first two games of the tournament, the notion that the game against San Diego State is going to be a fast-paced game, and if he is surprised the way the Big East teams did so poorly this year in the tournament.

On the team playing well the first two games of the tournament:

“Yeah we have and I thought the biggest thing everybody is talking about is being fatigued and etc.  We jumped out against Bucknell and never gave them a chance, quite frankly, even in the basketball game.  They are a good team and then against Cincinnati we led by eight at halftime but then let up a little bit.  Sometimes those 20 minute halftimes can do that to you.  Regardless we did let up and then we came back and Kemba took the game over as he has so many times this year, kids played great defense down the stretch.  They only scored one out of the last eight times they had the basketball.  We are on to the Sweet 16 to face a real, real good San Diego State team.”

On the notion that the game against San Diego State is going to be a fast-paced game:

“Well the best thing with us is getting up and down the floor.  When you get Jeremy Lamb and some of our other kids, obviously, Kemba, we are very good in the open court, we need space…  In the Big East quite frankly we did not get into space and there are games with Cincinnati where it is a little bit more of a grind but that is only because they know us so well.  You are 100% right.  We need to get into some space and we are going to try defensively to do a little something different, at times we should get into our pocket to try to get them not necessarily in space but to try to do something a little different against them.”

How they are going to have their hands full with SDSU:

“All you have to do is look at their players.  When it is all said and done and you take away the names sometimes on the front of our jerseys and you see guys get up and down, you see guys playing above the rim, you see guys making incredible athletic plays then you know they can be anybody.  Steve Fisher has been around a little bit, national championship at Michigan, he had a couple of pretty good players in the Fab Five and this reminds me of, I will be very honest with you, maybe an older-type St. John’s team, kind of like some Walter Berry-type players and that type of thing with the big athletes running.  You are 100% right, no reason why they can’t beat anybody.  I think all four teams can win.”

If he is surprised the way the Big East teams did so poorly this year in the tournament:

“Well not Cincinnati when you saw matching up two league opponents, I was a little surprised, quite frankly, on the Syracuse game.  Marquette just played so hungry, they played so hard.  A couple of the other ones, I mean I never saw anything quite like the Pitt game, you got I think both calls were justified…You had to call them there is no question.  The bottom line is that I still believe in our league and I don’t think that single games make a difference.  The reason we got the notoriety we did, St. John’s absolutely clocks Duke, and they go right through the rest of the schedule.  You can’t take that away and say they are not doing well in the tournament.  There are some disappointments, I am sure, no more than the kids and the coaches on this team, but if you took the quality of play, the consistency over the season, our league beat an awful lot of good people along the way, and I think Purdue, we beat a lot of good people.  Bottom line is, I don’t think we have to apologize for the way we are playing.  We are just happy we are surviving ourselves, we would like to have some of our neighborhood buddies with us but they are not, so we play on.”

What is the key to get through the Regional weekend:

“You come out in the first week and I always think we have lost one game in 17 tries in the first round, and it is very important for us to play like a regular weekend, a Saturday-Monday game, like a big Monday…  I should not call it a flat period but this game particularly, you know when you get 40 minutes away from a Final Four you kind of know what the stakes are, the kids know what they stakes are, but this game is a little different.  You are not quite there yet.  You have got another game to play and you got to try to make it a regular game as best as you can and that is what we are trying to do.  All of our activities are that way, etc., and we are just trying to make it a regular game…  One of the reasons I have always wanted to be out west or someplace else, better chance we can actually make it like a regular game.”

UConn Head Coach Jim Calhoun previews the Sweet 16