Five Against One

On the eve of the NCAA regional semifinals, I thought I'd preview the upcoming games. Instead of breaking down in detail each team's strengths and weaknesses, however, I decided to write up some crib notes, offering only as many reasons to like a particular team as their opponent's respective seed allows. The No. 1 UConn Huskies, for instance, take on the fifth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers tomorrow night, so here are five reasons to go with the Huskies. The singular reason to like Purdue follows. 

1. A.J. Price: Price, who's scored at least 20 points in three straight games, makes the Huskies's offense go. Since taking over the offense last month, after junior Jerome Dyson blew out his knee, Price has averaged about six assists per game, including 10 dimes in the sextuplet-overtime classic against Syracuse in the Big East Tournament, while the Huskies, as a team, have put up roughly 81 points per game. In their first and second round games, the Huskies scored 103 and 92 points, respectively, winning both games by an average of 41 points.  
2. Hasheem Thabeet: The seven-footer averaged about 14 points and 11 rebounds a game this season, and his 146 total blocks this season were second only to Mississippi State's Jarvaris Varnado. Thabeet fills the lane, and can take over a game. 
3. UConn's Defense: The Huskies have the third most efficient defense in the country, according to Ken Pomeroy's impressive rating system. Through their first two games, UConn held Chattanooga and Texas A&M to 47 and 66 points, respectively. 
4. Jim Calhoun: Although he's had a rough couple of weeks-- his press conference tirade, his hospitalization and the recent allegations of recruiting violations-- Calhoun is still one of the best coaches in college basketball, leading the Huskies to the Sweet 16 for the 12th time since he arrived in Stoors. After he missed the team's first round game against Chattanooga, the Huskies, to a man, swore they'd run through walls for their coach. Don't think for a second that Calhoun won't make his players live up to their word.    
5. Stanley Robinson: Since scoring six points in a 70-60 loss to Pitt, Robinson, who's had a largely forgettable three years at UConn, has suddenly put up 28, 24 and 12 in his last three games. He seems to have figured something out, and is now a viable third option for the Huskies. If he can keep it up, UConn will be tough to beat. 

Meanwhile, the Boilermakers will have their work cut out for them. From where I sit, Purdue's only chance of winning hinges on the performance of one player: Robbie Hummel. Sure, 6-10 forward JuJuan Johnson will have to contain Hasheem Thabeet down low for Purdue to stay in the game; but Hummel, who shoots just shy of 40 percent from beyond the arc, will have to go off if the Boilermakers have any real chance of upsetting the heavily favored Huskies. Hummel, a 6-9 forward, can play in the post and on the perimeter, which should give Jeff Adrian and Stanley Robinson all kinds of problems when they try to guard Hummel. He'll need to take full advantage of these potential mismatches, and score at least 20 for the Boilermakers to advance. 

(Ed. Note: I rolled two previous posts into one.)