Last weekend, the writers of SB Nation Arizona gathered at Seth Pollack's house to have a barbecue. The unplanned part about it, however, was that the Arizona Wildcats would be taking on the Connecticut Huskies in the Elite Eight.
So, instead of eating burgers, we sat around the HDTV and watched the Huskies and Wildcats play basketball. In that game, we learned a lot about both teams.
Connecticut, for one, is beatable if you play them the right way. Superstar guard Kemba Walker has been responsible for 107 of UConn's 289 tournament points, which breaks down to 37% of his team's production. Freshman Jeremy Lamb has accounted for 25% of the scoring. Does that information surprise you? 62% of all Connecticut scoring came from two players.
Kentucky will have to focus on stopping these two players, playing aggressive man-to-man defense and getting a little chippy when the ball is in their hands. UConn's secondary role players, such as Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith, will have to step up and make some big shots against this athletic Wildcats team.
Another thing UConn needs to focus on: making their three pointers. The Huskies only hit nylon on 29% of beyond the arc shooting against Arizona, and only won because the Wildcats shot less than 20% from that same range.
Will the Huskies be able to stop Josh Harrellson on the inside? Brandon Knight on the outside?
Both teams must be playing with a lot of swagger right now, but Kentucky beat Ohio State and North Carolina to get to the Final Four. Executing their game plan should lead to a victory for John Calipari over his hated rival, John Calhoun.