[burgaweddie]

FRONTCOURT
The Wildcats have a much more athletic and powerful front line than UConn. You have as good a chance moving a grizzly away from a salmon as you do of moving Josh Harrellson off the block. Terrence Jones is second on the team in scoring, rebounds and steals and first in blocked shots. Alex Oriahki has the body and game to bump with Harrellson, and it would be a huge advantage for UConn if they can establish him down low and get Harrellson to the bench. Kentucky’s Darius Miller is a do-everything swingman. UConn freshmen Tyler Olander and Roscoe Smith have been physically overmatched. Senior Charles Okwandu gave UConn some great minutes against Arizona,but they cant expect him to bail them out again.

EDGE: Kentucky

BACKCOURT
Brandon Knight is everything you want in an NBA point guard, forget college. He can penetrate, finish, pass and is an 80-percent free throw shooter. DeAndre Liggins is a lockdown defender and has emerged as a clutch 3-point shooter. Liggins probably will get the first shot at shutting down the irrepressible Kemba Walker. Walker has been the player of the tournament, and there is no overstating his ability to take over the game. Jeremy Lamb has emerged as one of college basketball’s young stars. He’s the second coming of Rip Hamilton.

EDGE: Connecticut.



BENCH
Queens product Doron Lamb starts for just about any other program in the nation. Eloy Vargas, at 6-foot-11, gives the Wildcats five valuable fouls in the middle. But that’s about it for Kentucky’s bench. Connecticut has found its point guard of the future in Shabazz Napier. Okwandu is a better and more polished Vargas. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel and Donnell Beverly are solid reserves.
EDGE: Connecticut.


INTANGIBLES
Both of these teams are playing as free and easy as any UConn or Kentucky team that ever made a Final Four. After losing five NBA first-round picks, the Wildcats were not expected to make this deep a run. UConn, picked to finish 10th in the Big East, wasn’t even expected to make the tournament. The Wildcats have overcome a daunting road, facing Princeton, West Virginia, Ohio State and North Carolina.

EDGE: Even.



COACHING
This is an endorsement of Jim Calhoun, who has won two national titles, more than it’s an indictment of John Calipari. Still haven’t forgotten Calipari’s decision not to call a timeout in the final seconds of the overtime loss to Kansas in the 2008 title game. That was a big-time blunder.
EDGE: Connecticut.


PREDICTION: Kentucky 79, Connecticut 70

[Goodfella10]

Good luck tonight.