Why Is Kemba Walker So Low On NBA Draft Boards?

He led the UConn Huskies to 5 straight victories in 5 days in the Big East Tournament. He averaged 23.6 ppg during the regular season while playing in arguably the best conference in all of college basketball this year. And now, he's managed to single-handedly bring the underdog Huskies to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

So why is Kemba Walker projected to go Number 22 in the 2011 NBA Draft?

1) Scouts believe he'll be an undersized two-guard in the NBA.

- Listed at a generous 6-1, Walker does have the look of a scorer than he does a point guard, which he is currently listed at. However, he did record a near triple-double in the 3rd Round of the NCAA Tournament against Bucknell with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists. Still think he can't play point guard at the next level?

2) As a Junior, scouts believe Kemba Walker has peaked.

- Yes, you could argue that college upperclassmen sometimes do appear to have reached their ceiling as they get older, but let's take a closer look at Walker's college statistics:

- He hasn't just shown progress in three years, he's shown significant progress each and every year. As a Freshman, he averaged 8.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 2.9 apg. In his Sophomore year, he averaged 14.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 5.1 apg. That alone is a big jump, but let's take a look at his Junior year. In his Junior year, Walker averaged 23.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 4.5 apg. He has made huge strides in scoring each year and hasn't showed signs of slowing down. Still think he's reached his peak?

3) What will it take for Kemba Walker to move up in the NBA Draft?

- Perhaps, a college basketball Naismith National Player of the Year Award and a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament, but is that really necessary? Kemba Walker has already overcome all odds to get to this point and proved he's a lottery pick. Maybe if he was a couple of inches taller he could be a sure-fire lottery pick, but then again the NBA has become a Guard's game, with teams now trending smaller and quicker shooting guards than in years past.