Preview by Jim Woods
No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 5 Boston College
This contest is a rematch of the 2001 Championship game where the Eagles took home the title. The only Eagle who remains from that group is Uka Agbai and his leadership has been a big reason for BC’s late season surge. I am assuming that his responsibility tonight will be to match-up with Big East Freshman of the Year Chris Taft. Taft is a future star who can score, rebound and pass. Agbai will rely on his strength and smarts to gain his advantage. Pitt’s perimeter defense is suffocating and all year teams have had trouble getting into their offense. Boston College likes to run a tight _flex_ offense from 18 feet in, so watch to see if the BC offense is getting pushed out behind the arch. If it is, the Panthers have gained a major advantage. How this game is officiated will be huge. A closely called game away from the ball favors the Eagles. Another factor will be fatigue. This is BC’s third game in three days, but they faced back to back zone teams that played at a slow p
What to Look For:
• Boston College to play some zone. Despite not running much the first two games, the three games back to back can have an effect on the legs. Also, the Panthers are not a consistent team from behind the three-point line.
• Who will win the battle of the bench. The Panthers only had 4 points from a non-starter against Virginia Tech. BC has gotten good play out of Stevie Hailey and Jermaine Watson in the opening rounds. Expect Watson to be on the floor during crunch time.
Prediction: This will be a physical battle in which points will be at a premium. Pittsburgh has the advantage in the backcourt and that is why I like the Panthers to prevail 60-57.
No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 11 Villanova
Villanova has certainly risen to the occasion this week and become the story of the tournament. Randy Foye and Allen Ray give the Wildcats a good one-two scoring punch on the perimeter, and Jason Fraser showed last night why he was one of the most sought after recruits in the country two years ago. Connecticut packs plenty of offensive punch themselves, led by guard Ben Gordon. Gordon will shoulder a great deal of the load if Emeka Okafor is once again in street clothes. Charlie Villanueva and Josh Boone clean up Gordon’s misses and look to get out and finish in transition. Expect the Huskies to really turn up the pressure defensively on the young Wildcat backcourt. Jay Wright will not let his team fall guilty to the “happy to be here” mentality. The ‘Cats are thinking win two more and get an automatic bid. Its long shot, but stranger things have happened.
What to Watch For:
• Somebody has to help Ben Gordon shoulder the perimeter scoring load. Either Rashard Anderson and Denham Brown needs to step up their level of play a bit. Gordon played 39 minutes last night and took 24 shots. He needs some help, especially if the Huskies want to have anything left if they get to Saturday.
• How will Mike Nardi play for the Wildcats? Nardi faces an older more experienced guard in Taliek Brown. Browns physical strength and on the ball defense can disrupt a team_s offensive flow. Nardi needs to go right at him and try to be the aggressor. If he gets pushed out away from the basket, the Wildcat scorers will be receiving the ball out of their scoring range.
Prediction: Villanova has had a nice run, but tonight the party will come to an end. They will not back down to the Huskies and it will be close, but the Huskies depth of talent will win out. Connecticut 82-77.
