GAME 1 SCOUTING REPORT

CONNECTICUT STARTING LINEUP

FORWARD, 15, Kevin Freeman: 6-7, 235, Jr.

FORWARD, 32, Richard Hamilton: 6-6, 185, Jr.

CENTER, 43, Jake Voskuhl: 6-11, 245, Jr.

GUARD: 21, Ricky Moore: 6-2, 195, Sr.

GUARD: 42, Khalid El-Amin: 5-10, 203, So.

About Connecticut: The Huskies finally made it to the Final Four after years of tournament heartbreak. Seeded No. 1 in the West Regional, Connecticut played well to reach the national semifinals. But Coach Jim Calhoun acknowledges the Huskies must play better than they did in the earlier rounds. All-American swingman Richard Hamilton has been the Huskies’ postseason catalyst. He is averaging 23.5 points in the tournament while shooting almost 50%. Hamilton is the Huskies’ go-to guy, and Calhoun relies on him to carry the load when his teammates are struggling. Point guard Khalid El-Amin’s heart is as important to the Huskies as Hamilton’s talent. El-Amin’s competitiveness fuels his teammates. He prides himself on making big plays with games on the line, and Calhoun gives El-Amin the freedom to take chances. It helps that El-Amin often makes correct decisions. Guard Ricky Moore is a defensive stopper and an integral part of Calhoun’s game plan against the Buckeyes. Forward Kevin Freeman emerged as the outstanding all-around force Calhoun hoped he would become. Freeman led the team in rebounding and was Connecticut’s third-leading scorer. Center Jake Voskuhl provides solid interior defense and is second in rebounding.

CONNECTICUT STATISTICS

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Player G Min FG% 3FG% FT% Reb Ast Pts Avg Hamilton 32 31.9 .438 .344 .839 4.7 87 681 21.3 El-Amin 34 28.7 .408 .345 .783 2.8 130 467 13.7 Freeman 34 30.4 .592 .000 .711 7.3 30 429 12.6 Mouring 30 19.4 .437 .381 .760 2.6 35 222 7.4 Ricky Moore 34 30.7 .424 .354 .814 3.4 128 224 6.6 Saunders 33 17.8 .565 1.000 .625 4.8 23 202 6.1 Voskuhl 32 21.3 .508 --- .621 6.6 35 182 5.7 Jones 30 10.2 .506 .111 .630 1.7 24 106 3.5 Wane 28 10.3 .377 --- .423 2.9 13 57 2.0 Harrison 25 8.2 .455 .333 .600 0.8 22 49 2.0 Klaiber 22 3.3 .294 .000 .625 1.0 2 15 0.7 Tonella 9 1.3 .500 .000 .000 0.1 1 4 0.4 Richard Moore 9 1.2 .250 --- --- 0.3 1 2 0.2 Ocitti 4 1.3 --- --- --- 0.0 0 0 0.0 UConn 34 .465 .346 .735 40.3 531 2640 77.6 Opponents 34 .387 .287 .639 33.1 405 2075 61.0

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OHIO STATE STARTING LINEUP

FORWARD, 13, Brian Brown: 6-3, 190, Fr.

FORWARD, 23, Jason Singleton: 6-6, 190, Sr.

CENTER, 32, Ken Johnson: 6-11, 225, Jr.

GUARD: 22, Michael Redd: 6-6, 205, So.

GUARD: 12, Scoonie Penn: 5-10, 185, Jr.

About Ohio State: Coach Jim O’Brien has guided the Buckeyes to an impressive turnaround after they finished 8-22 last season. The Buckeyes, seeded fourth in the South Regional, have already tied the record for the biggest single-season turnaround in NCAA history. Ohio State’s outstanding backcourt of Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn is a big reason. Redd led the Big Ten in scoring as a freshman last season, and his game is better now. His combination of ballhandling skills and athleticism makes Redd among the most difficult players to stop. He scored 20 points in the Buckeyes’ 77-74 victory over St. John’s in the regional title game. Penn followed O’Brien from Boston College and things have worked out well for him. The point guard sparked the Buckeyes with his talent and personality. Ohio State opponents have rarely contained both Redd and Penn. Center Ken Johnson is an intimidating force, blocking 97 shots. Johnson matched his season high with seven blocks in the regional championship game and altered many others. Swingman Jason Singleton is a versatile defender.

OHIO STATE STATISTICS

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Player G Min FG% 3FG% FT% Reb Ast Pts Avg Redd 35 32.7 .469 .346 .615 5.6 82 688 19.7 Penn 35 34.5 .455 .387 .745 3.9 150 598 17.1 Singleton 35 25.6 .641 --- .561 4.6 68 310 8.9 Johnson 35 26.3 .528 --- .486 5.7 8 225 6.4 Reese 35 19.3 .418 --- .610 4.4 19 192 5.5 Sanderson 35 17.2 .477 .308 .614 3.4 28 189 5.4 Coleman 27 13.4 .364 .364 .833 1.1 13 128 4.7 Brown 35 18.8 .400 .381 .520 1.7 67 142 4.1 Savovic 33 12.0 .397 .321 .646 1.7 42 111 3.4 Dudley 15 6.4 .667 --- .500 1.6 2 34 2.3 Herron 10 5.1 .385 --- .250 1.4 0 11 1.1 Steele 13 2.8 .250 .333 .333 0.9 3 9 0.7 Smith 10 2.5 .000 .000 --- 0.5 2 0 0.0 Ohio State 35 .471 .360 .614 36.2 484 2637 75.3 Opponents 35 .402 .335 .684 34.2 399 2270 64.9

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Keys to the game: This matchup features two of the nation’s best backcourts, and the guards probably will decide the outcome. Moore’s assignment, and his performance, will be extremely important. If he’s assigned to Penn, as expected, and Penn struggles, the Ohio State offense will as well. Redd may have to play an even bigger role in the offense. Hamilton and Freeman may dominate the Ohio State front line unless Johnson comes up with another block party.