Huskies Play for Elite Eight Tonight

UConn, who the UW Huskies will face tonight in an NCAA regional semifinal, is the best college basketball team in the country. According to nbadraft.net, five UConn players will be drafted in the first round of June's NBA draft--including the projected #1 pick, forward Rudy Gay.

Their front line is the best in recent memory--6-9 Gay, 6-10 Josh Boone (last year's Big East defensive player of the year) and 6-11 Hilton Armstrong (this year's Big East defensive player of the year). Future WWE villian Ed Nelson brings his 6-8, 260lb body off the bench.

The Huskies will be outsized and out athletic-ed inside. If Armstrong and Boone can hang around the paint, Brandon Roy's slashes to the basket will end up as blocked shots or charges. But, as the Seattle Times points out this morning, Mike Jensen's three-point shooting ability could draw UConn's big men out on the floor, giving Roy the space he'll need to score. And he'll need to score if the Huskies are to win.

Defending Connecticut is another conundrum. Coach Romar likes to use defensive stopper Bobby Jones on the other team's best guard--as he did with tremendous results against Illinois and Dee Brown. But if Jones guards a guard--who will guard 6-9 "small" forward Rudy Gay? Will they play zone? Romar faces some tough choices and it will be interesting to see what scheme he develops.

Also--with so much height inside, some of the lesser-used big men may get minutes in tonight's game. Look for Hans Gasser and maybe even freshman Artem Wallace sightings toward the end of the first half.

Jon Brockman, who hasn't scored a point in the tournament, is a key cog tonight. But we don't think he needs to score--he probably won't be able to, not with Armstrong and Boone guarding him. But he can be an active and pesky rebounder, which the Huskies need. If he focuses on getting boards, setting picks, and helping on defense, he can spur a win without a score.

The Times breaks down the matchups.

The game's at 7pm on KIRO-TV and KJR-AM.