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COLLEGE BASKETBALL -- April 5

THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

U-CONN vs. GEORGIA TECH -- One would be very tempted to grab the points with Georgia Tech here, based on the Yellow Jackets' ability to move players in and out of the lineup with relative ease, their matchup-type zone and their demonstrated ability to play and win close games. Certainly when you can get a big effort like they did from Luke Schenscher in the semi-finals against Oklahoma State that's a huge bonus. But Georgia Tech does not have the edge in the matchups here. The presence of Emeka Okafor, as long as he doesn't get into terrible foul trouble like he did against Duke, is going to neutralize what Tech has with Schenscher, who was playing against an OSU lineup with no true center. Duke got into Connecticut's offensive pattern by playing a lot of man defense and coming out beyond the perimeter, and Georgia Tech simply doesn't do that as much. And BJ Elder's injury, which has limited him severely, will catch up to this team here. The Tech teams needs stars to win this, and they don't possess enough of them as long as Elder isn't 100%. Even if he is, having to deal with all that UConn size is a problem. Besides Okafor, the Huskies can throw 6'10" Josh Boone and 6'10" Charles Villanueva at opponents, and both freshmen are really coming into their own. The Yellow Jackets aren't as dangerous from the outside as Duke, and that will allow UConn to get back to the vise-like defense they have employed throughout most of the season. Give us the team with the gutsy, team-oriented Okafor. Better yet, give us the team that can go out there and win WITHOUT Okafor. THE PLAYS: U-CONN *** and UNDER 146 **








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