Why UConn Wins

I told Pat that I would write the rebuttal to why the Connecticut Huskies will cut down the nets tonight in Houston, but as the day progresses, it's hard for me to cheer for UConn. I love Kemba Walker, but that's about it. I cannot stand Jim Calhoun and my hatred for Geno Auriemma carries over to the men's team.  I still think the Huskies will win tonight, but your boy Chuckie T will not be cheering for them.  I like to see the Big East take it, but I am a sucker for the feel good story. So here are the three reasons or ways that UConn can beat the Butler Bulldogs.



1.) Kemba, Kemba, Kemba- Of course, we are looking for comparisons for Kemba Walker, and no one is allowing him to just be Kemba. Is this one of the best 10 game span we have ever seen? Absolutely, but why do we have to say it reminds me of Pervis Ellison or Danny Manning? It's something that grinds me with the media sometimes.  Big East fans are not shocked at the things Walker does on the court. He made plays all season no matter who was guarding him during the year so I am not worried about Ronald Nored locking him up tonight. Not to mention, Walker is better when giving the ball to Jeremy Lamb or Alex Oriaki.  I told you that all throughout the tournament, and it took a couple big games from Lamb for people to believe me about the significance of the other Huskies.

2.) Keep Matt Howard Off The Glass and Court- I don't know if I can remember a player like Howard who is always attacking the glass and somehow finding the ball in his hands. He is guaranteed a double-double therefore it's imperative that UConn finds Howard on every rebound. When Butler gets those second-chance opportunities, they never lose. The other thing about Howard is he always finds himself in foul trouble, and Butler is an entirely different team when he is not on the court.  If I am UConn, I attack inside to start off the game and try to get a quick 2 fouls on Howard.

3.) Push The Ball- I don't know if there is a better player in the nation than Kemba in transition. If he controls the pace, Butler could be in big trouble. I like UConn much better running up and down the court than UConn playing in the half court letting Butler assembled their tough defense . Butler had some troubles with VCU's fast pace style of offense, same thing happened when Butler played Florida.  The Huskies need to find ways to sprint out whenever they get the defensive rebound.

I will take UConn 67-64, with Kemba hitting a three with under 10 seconds left. If I am a Butler fan, the last thing I want to see tonight is Mr. Walker have the ball in his hands with the shot clock turned off because there is no doubt that the ball is going in. If you need an example...

-Charlie.