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During the college basketball season, all eyes were on Kemba Walker. He was one of the most exciting players in the country and Connecticut games became must-watch television thanks to their star. Walker ultimately carried the Huskies to a national championship with his prolific scoring and jaw-dropping talent, but not without developing a reputation that he’s trying to dispel during the draft process.

Because he was one of the top scorers in the country, teams are wondering if he’ll be able to succeed as a pure point guard who can get others involved at the next level.

Walker, however, isn’t concerned.

"I’m a point guard," Walker told HOOPSWORLD. "That’s it. There’s no in between, no combo, no nothing. I’m a point guard and that’s what I’ve been all my life. Some teams may want me to score and others may want me to pass. I’ll do whatever it takes, but I’m a point guard at heart regardless. My number one position is point guard."

"That’s one of the biggest concerns about me for a lot of teams," he added. "A lot of teams think I’m a scoring point guard because of the year I had, but it was out of necessity. I had to score for my team. We had an extremely young team and I had to take on that huge scoring load. But earlier in career, I was a guy that always passed the ball. I had the second-most assists in the Big East during my sophomore year. I’m a willing passer and I’m a very unselfish guy. I wouldn’t mind at all getting guys involved."

Walker has often been compared to fellow UConn scorer Ben Gordon, but he doesn’t see it at the next level. When asked if believes the comparison is fitting, Walker shrugged and said, "Not really."

"I think I’m more a true point guard," Walker said. "I think a lot of guys compare me to Ben now because I had such a big scoring year and that’s what Ben did at UCONN – he had a huge scoring load. I think that’s where it comes from now, but it’s not really [a good comparison].  At the NBA level, I’m going to be a pure point guard."

Walker believes that his biggest strengths are his "speed and penetration," two things that will allow him to succeed at the one.

"I’m able to get to a lot of different places that certain guys can’t get to and that opens up a lot of opportunities for either passing or scoring," Walker said.

There were some concerns about his height entering the Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago, but he measured in at 6-foot-1 with shoes on, which is the only height that matters in Walker’s mind.

"I play with sneakers on so [being 5-foot-11 without shoes] doesn’t really matter," Walker said. "My height has never been a problem for me. A lot of the teams told me that it wasn’t a concern. There were maybe two or three teams that said my height was a concern, but a lot of teams actually said, ‘Don’t even worry about that.’ I’m not worried about it and hopefully I can get picked up. Height is not a concern for me. I don’t know about other teams, but not for me."

Unlike some prospects who can’t wait for this stressful process to end, Walker is enjoying himself.

"It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m enjoying myself," he said. "Not everybody has the opportunity to have this moment or this experience. I’m just taking it all in and it’s been fun. I got the chance to meet with a bunch of different teams and see how interested they are in me. I’ve been able to meet new guys. It’s been a fun process so far."

Walker met with plenty of teams over the weekend and received positive feedback from all of them.

"They really just wanted to know things about me like my upbringing and how I think I’ll fit in with their team," Walker said. "With some of them, I had the chance to ask questions and I asked, ‘How do they think I’ll fit in with their team?’ A lot of them just told me that they liked my attitude, work ethic and the fact that I’m a winner."

Walker has had success at every level and always found a way to elevate his game. Now, he’s on a mission to stifle concerns, silence detractors and prove that he’ll still be the same electrifying player that made "Kemba" a household name.

Austin Colbert Worth the Hype: St. Patrick High School has another star on their hands. After producing projected top picks such as Kyrie Irving and Mike Gilchrist in recent years, the school has another five-star recruit that is prepared to maintain the program’s reputation as a basketball powerhouse.

Austin Colbert is a 6-foot-9 small forward that causes plenty of match-up problems on the floor. His versatility has allowed him to develop into one of the top players in the class of 2013. Although he’s often the biggest player on the court, his athleticism and ball-handling allows him to dominate on the perimeter as well as in the paint.

"I like to watch Kevin Durant play," Colbert told HOOPSWORLD. "I’m wiry and thin like Kevin. I can handle the ball pretty well for my size. That’s what I’m working towards. I’m working towards playing like Kevin and hopefully when people watch me play, they’ll make that comparison. I can see myself playing the three at the next level."

"The last time I went to the doctor, about a month ago, he said I have about two more inches to grow so we’ll see," he added.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Colbert began playing varsity basketball as an eighth grader. Despite being five years younger than his competition, he often led his team and even hit a game-winner or two. His early start allowed him to improve at a rapid rate and play against some of the top players in the country.

"I was fortunate enough to play varsity during my eighth grade year because I went to a private school that allowed me to do that," Colbert said. "It was a great experience and it helped mold me a little bit. It helped me grasp the concepts early and prepared me to play a high level, especially with the names we were going up against. I played against James McAdoo, Steve Pledger and Andre Dawkins that year and now those are all my good friends."

These days, Colbert is the one with the notable name. As a top recruit, he has started to get national attention and his recruiting has started to pick up.

"It’s always nice to get recognized and it has changed things a little bit," Colbert said. "When I go to basketball tournaments, sometimes I’ll get, ‘Hey, are you Austin Colbert?’ I get a little bit of that, but other than that, things haven’t changed too much and that’s the way I like it. I don’t like people seeing me differently because I’m a basketball player. I want people to see me as a better person instead."

Similar to Durant, he comes off as extremely mature for his age, which was another benefit of playing above his age group.

"I think my maturity has been an advantage for me," Colbert said. "I get a lot of respect, not only from adults, but also from people my age. I feel like I can have mature conversations with people, and hopefully people look upon me as a mature, young man who they can go to, talk to and trust."

Programs from across the country have expressed interest in Colbert, but only Pittsburgh, Xavier and Seton Hall have made him offers. Georgetown, North Carolina, Duke, Oklahoma, Florida, Penn State and Harvard have made their interest known. While Colbert doesn’t have a top five at the moment, he did offer his top eight schools.

"It’s hard to narrow down my list, but I’ll try my best," Colbert said. "In no particular order, I would say North Carolina, Texas, Duke, Seton Hall, Harvard, Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Florida."

Colbert comes from an extremely supportive family and he realized that he could have a future in basketball when he had a five-inch growth spurt in the months leading up to sixth grade.

"I realized once I started growing," he said. "I didn’t really start growing until that year and that’s when I really started being able to play basketball better than ever before. That’s when I started thinking it to myself and people like my mom would tell me all the time, ‘You have the capabilities to go far.’ That’s when I started getting more serious about basketball."

"Everyone has been very supportive," Colbert added. "My father is always telling me that I can do this and that he always has my back. Even when I’m not playing basketball, he’s always been really supportive of me, especially in school. He has always told me that I can be whatever I want to be. Whether I’m a basketball player or a doctor, he’s going to be there for me and that’s kind of what all of my family has said."

The only thing more impressive than Colbert’s abilities on the court is how he carries himself off of it. The mature young man has a very bright future and St. Patrick can rest assured that they’re still in good hands.