Tigers battle, but fall short to Huskies
Kemba Walker, a freshman guard from the Bronx, New York, was spectacular in leading the UConn Huskies into the Final Four.
The Missouri Tigers defeat of the Memphis Tigers was impressive. So much so that I thought it would propel them to the Final Four and beyond. They had the tenacity and prowess on defense and the talent on offense to get past the Connecticut Huskies, it was just a matter of living up to their potential.
It didn’t appear that the Tigers would, as they came out of the gate flustered, allowing the Huskies to start the game on a 13-2 spurt. Yet, the contest was only three minutes old, so they played their game and no urgency whatsoever. Suddenly, Connecticut came unglued, frustrated by Missouri’s pressure defense.
The Tigers are a very odd defensive team. They were very aggressive in the backcourt, frustrating the Huskies considerably. Yet, once Connecticut split double teams–thereby cracking the defense–the floor was wide open to impose their will. This is why, even though Missouri forced plenty of turnovers, they couldn’t entirely make up for their lack of interior defense and spacing.
The Tigers feisty defense, albeit only for the first five seconds of a possession, rattled the Huskies enough. As the first half wound down, it was clear that Connecticut was off kilter. Ridiculous cross-court passes had an arc to them, which gave Missouri’s athleticism plenty of time to adjust and intercept. By flustering the Huskies, they gained momentum and made easy transition shots to make an upset a distinct possibility.
Connecticut giant center Hasheem Thabeet was not a factor offensively, but that didn’t keep them from maintaining their lead. The advantage was slim, but it was theirs nonetheless. The Huskies, because of some dominating defense of their own as well as the performance of guards Kemba Walker and A.J. Price, looked to have the edge. They were the favorite, after all. Expected to win.
Missouri, themselves, expected to win. After all, they were in contention and had the confidence of a champion. They continued to hassle Connecticut, force turnovers, and score with regularity. The Tigers had the Huskies on the ropes. I began the game rooting for them, but as the tension grew and the margin tightened, I became a full-fledged bandwagon fan.
Talking throughout the second half, my cousin Matt and I concluded that Missouri would win. Our brackets were already busted. What would another upset hurt?
Connecticut’s turnovers were no longer just boneheaded. They were stupefying. The Tigers played well; there is no mistaking that, but the Huskies shot themselves in the foot multiple times. Forward Jeff Adrien’s was the capper when he attempted to inbound the ball in the closing minutes and proceeded to lose the handle. The words “Missouri ball” were uttered countless times.
The Huskies, as talented as they are, took advantage of fortuitous bounces and lucky shots built on a hope. They did not deserve the win they obtained. Missouri, after their destruction of Memphis, was not to be taken lightly and clearly a sure-fire national championship contender. They had the strength, talent, and overall efficiency to take down number one. Yet, they could not.
Walker, a freshman, took over for Connecticut late. If there is one thing Missouri lacked it was speed. Unfortunately, this attribute is why Walker is touted. He blew by the Tigers constantly, highlighted by the luckiest of shots, a one-handed bank shot in the closing minutes that sealed the win.
Apparently, Connecticut likes to makes their presence felt in the NCAA Tournament every five years; they won a title in 1999 and 2004. If they want to continue this trend, they will have to play with a lot more enthusiasm and intelligence in the Final Four.
