Scouting Report

About Arizona: Quickness and versatility have been the keys to the surprising run of the Wildcats, the fourth-seeded team in the Southeast Region. A three-guard lineup of Mike Bibby, Miles Simon and Michael Dickerson proved too much for even Kansas to stop. They have been the team’s top three scorers in the tournament and have been able to keep games at an up-tempo pace. Dickerson’s scoring is down six points from the regular season (19.8 to 13.8), but center A.J. Bramlett has filled that gap, increasing his scoring four points and nearly doubling his rebounding from the regular season. Coach Lute Olson has called his development the key to the Final Four run. Jason Terry is a quick defender off the bench who has proved valuable in the tournament.

About North Carolina: Six-foot-nine forward Antawn Jamison is more athletic than any frontline player left among the Final Four teams, and 7-3 center Serge Zwikker is taller. When guards Shammond Williams and Vince Carter are making shots from the outside, Zwikker and particularly Jamison have enough space to work and dominate. Williams starts at point guard, but freshman Ed Cota gets most of the minutes and is averaging eight assists in the tournament. He works particularly well with Carter, setting him up by penetrating and passing the ball out, or with quick passes inside. He also is the one player who consistently gets Jamison the ball as deep as he likes it. The Tar Heels go only seven deep but have managed to stay out of foul trouble in the tournament.

Keys to the game: The North Carolina backcourt needs to control the pace and make sure Jamison and Zwikker get their touches. Cota and Williams must stay composed under the Wildcat pressure. Two from the trio of Bibby, Simon and Dickerson need to produce for Arizona to be successful, and forward Bennett Davison, although unlikely to completely stop Jamison, must force him into an average game. Bramlett is much quicker than Zwikker, but smaller, and must keep him off the boards while helping on Jamison. He must continue to be that threat offensively that gives Arizona the outside-in offense that even Kansas couldn’t stop, and if he or the guards can get even one Tar Heel in foul trouble, North Carolina’s lack of depth will show.

NORTH CAROLINA: Starters

No. 15: Vince Carter

No. 3: Shammond Williams

No. 33: Antawan Jamison

No. 45: Serge Zwikker

No. 13: Ademola Okulaja

NORTH CAROLINA

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No. Player Pts. FG% FT% Reb. Ast. 33 Jamison 19.1 .549 .613 9.4 0.8 3 Williams 14.4 .435 .815 3.2 4.4 15 Carter 12.8 .525 .747 4.4 2.5 45 Zwikker 11.6 .497 .758 8.1 0.4 5Cota 8.1 .500 .718 2.6 7.0 13 Okulaja 8.1 .426 .576 6.4 2.8 4 Ndiaye 1.9 .406 .444 1.7 0.2

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ARIZONA: Starters

No. 10: Mike Bibby

No. 34: Miles Simon

No. 21: Bennett Davison

No. 42: A.J. Bramlett

No. 23: Michael Dickerson

ARIZONA *--*

No. Player Pts. FG% FT% Reb. Ast. 23 Dickerson 9.8 .422 .709 4.5 1.6 34 Simon 17.6 .455 .750 4.1 4.3 10 Bibby 13.1 .450 .686 2.9 5.3 31 Terry 10.9 .451 .707 2.7 4.5 21 Davison 9.9 .506 .678 6.5 0.9 42 Bramlett 8.4 .546 .511 6.9 0.5 13 Harris 5.9 .474 .576 5.9 0.4 40 Lee 3.3 .415 .667 1.8 0.7 33 Edgerson 2.7 .412 .392 3.5 0.2

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