Final Four Preview, 2004 Edition

TEAM: UConn
COACH: Jim Calhoun, Won title in 1999 (beat Duke), 1-0 in title games
KEY PLAYER: Ben Gordon. He’s absolutely lighting up teams in this tournament. As close to unstoppable as there is. If he keeps scoring at this clip, UConn is a lock.
KEY INJURY: Emeka Okafor has battled back problems all season and suffered a neck stinger in the Elite Eight. Reports are that he couldn’t even shake hands with reporters after the game. He will not practice until midweek.
ROAD TRAVELLED: Easiest of the four teams left. Beat a 15 seed, a 7 seed, a 6 seed and an 8 seed. They barely broke a sweat, winning by an average of 16+ points.
KEY MATCHUP: Ben Gordon v. Chris Duhon. Look for Coach K to put his best defender on UConn’s best player. If Gordon misses a few early, he could start forcing shots to get his points, to the detriment of the team.
WILDCARD: Rashad Anderson. One of the best three point shooters in the tourney. Duke will have either Daniel Ewing or JJ Redick matched up against him. Whoever it is has to make Anderson put the ball on the floor as his effectiveness is diminished if you make him take a few dribbles.
DON’T FORGET: They haven’t played a close game yet and that may come back and bite them. Shooting a collective 62% from the free throw line. Also, UConn is 2-5 versus ranked teams this year.

TEAM: Duke
COACH: Mike Krzyzewski, Won title in 1991, 1992 and 2001, 3-4 in title games
KEY PLAYER: JJ Redick. If he hits 4 or more three pointers against UConn, Duke will win.
KEY INJURY: Chris Duhon has played all tournament with bruised ribs. His scoring has dipped to next to nothing but he has raised other parts of his game (as eveidenced by a career high 10 rebounds in the Sweet 16) and played 40 minutes in the Elite Eight. Duhon will practice all week.
ROAD TRAVELLED: Beat a 16 seed, an 8 seed, a 5 seed, and a 7 seed. It should be noted that 5 seed Illinois came into their match up with Duke winning 16 of 18 and 7 seed Xavier was on a 9 game winning streak (including a W over #1 seed St. Joe’s) when they matched up with the Blue Devils. They were considered the two hottest teams in the country at that point.
KEY MATCHUP: Sheldon Williams v. Emeka Okafor. Will Okafor be able to play heavy minutes? He’s only averaging 18 minutes a game in the tourney so far. Williams is a beast down low but takes a long time to get his shot off, leaving Okafor plenty of time to try and block the shot. Both have to stay out of foul trouble.
WILDCARD: Shavlik Randolph. Can he provide much needed minutes off the bench and get the Blue Devils some points and rebounds while he is on the court? He fouled out quickly against Xavier, he can’t do that versus the Huskies.
DON’T FORGET: JJ Redick has missed just 7 free throws all year. If it’s a close game and the ball is in hands, add 2 on the Duke score if he gets fouled. Coach K will be looking to avenge his loss to UConn in the 1999 title game.

TEAM: Georgia Tech
COACH: Paul Hewitt, first time to the Final Four. The last coach to win it all on his first trip to the Final Four was....Jim Calhoun.
KEY PLAYER: Jarret Jack. He stepped up big time against Kansas in the round of 8 with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. That’s a big time performance under the national spotlight. Also, unknown to me until yesterday, Jack is Chris Duhon’s cousin.
KEY INJURY: BJ Elder. Tech’s leader and leading scorer in the regular season suffered a sprained ankle in the round of 16. He tried to go against Kansas but only managed 12 unproductive minutes.
ROAD TRAVELLED: Beat a 14 seed, a 6 seed, a 10 seed, and a 4 seed.
KEY MATCHUP: Jarret Jack versus John Lucas. If Lucas can be stopped, that’s more pressure for Tony Allen to carry the load.
WILDCARD: Luke Schenscher. Chris Bosh’s replacement has been lighting it up in the tournament and is giving Tech a big time post presence to go with their deadly outside attack.
DON’T FORGET: Tech beat UConn in the pre-season NIT, so if they meet again, the Yellow Jackets won’t be scared at all.

TEAM: Oklahoma State
COACH: Eddie Sutton, reached Final Four in 1995
KEY PLAYER: Tony Allen. Could cause match up problems for the other teams in San Antonio with his scoring ability and stocky frame. Shooting over 50% from the field for the season.
KEY INJURY: None that I am aware of.
ROAD TRAVELLED: Beat a 15 seed, a 7 seed, a 3 seed and a 1 seed. The only team left to have beaten a #1 seed.
KEY MATCHUP: Ivan McFarlin versus Isma'il Muhammad. With the deadly backcourts going toe to toe, whoever controls the boards will gain the upper hand. McFarlin is averaging close to 10 boards a game in the tourney.
WILDCARD: Eddie Sutton has the second most career tournament wins without winning the whole thing. OK State is the sentimental pick in San Antonio.
DON’T FORGET: On Jan. 27, 2001, 10 members of the Oklahoma State traveling team were killed in a plane crash returning from a road game at Colorado. For the team to be back in the Final Four so soon is an accomplishment unto itself.

USA TODAY had some interesting info on the potential matchups of former high school teammates that might emerge this weekend:
•Bellaire (Texas): Oklahoma State's John Lucas III and Connecticut's Emeka Okafor.
•Willowridge (Sugar Land, Texas): Oklahoma State's Ivan McFarlin and Duke's Daniel Ewing, who list Missouri City, Texas, as their hometown.
•Crane (Chicago): Oklahoma State's Tony Allen and Georgia Tech's Will Bynum, who will meet in the national semifinals.
•Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.): Duke's Luol Deng and Connecticut's Charlie Villanueva, who also will meet in the national semifinals.

Check out DBR's preview of Duke / UConn.