FINAL: SCOUTING REPORT

DUKE STARTING LINEUP

Forward: Chris Carrawell, 23, 66-6, 220, Jr.

Forward: Shane Battier, 21, 6-8, 215, So.

Center: Elton Brand, 42, 6-8, 260, So.

Guard: William Avery, 5, 6-2, 185, so.

Guard: Trajan Langdon, 21, 6-3, 200, Sr.

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About Duke: The Blue Devils are on the verge of more than a championship. A victory tonight would be No. 38 for the season, setting an NCAA record that now belongs to the 1998-99 and 1985-86 Duke teams and the 1986-87 UNLV team. It would also move Mike Krzyzewski into a tie for second place with Adolph Rupp for the most Final Four victories (nine), behind only the 21 of John Wooden. This is also Duke’s fifth championship game appearance this decade--though the first for any of the current players. The Blue Devils’ 68 points against Michigan State in the national semifinal was their lowest output since the 1998 ACC tournament. But they also showed a toughness in becoming only the third opponent all season to outrebound the Spartans, all the more noteworthy because Elton Brand was limited by foul trouble to 29 minutes.

CONNECTICUT STARTING LINEUP

Forward: Kevin Freeman, 15, 6-7, 235, sr.

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

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

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

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

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About Connecticut: Graceful small forward Richard Hamilton, a star even before the tournament, has gone beyond that in five NCAA games in which he has averaged 23.6 points and shot 51.1% while displaying a jumper and the ability to put the ball on the floor. Point guard Khalid El-Amin responded to one of the worst performances of his career--the West Regional final against Gonzaga when he missed all 12 shots--to score 18 points on eight-of-15 shooting with six assists and three steals in the semifinal win over Ohio State.

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Keys to the game: Connecticut probably wants an up-tempo game, but but Duke was bothered by the physical, half-court defense of Michigan State. The first decision for Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun is whether to put his best defensive guard, Ricky Moore, on former high school teammate William Avery in an attempt to stop his penetration or on Trajan Langdon to try deny his three-point shooting. (Moore, when asked whether he would prefer to get Avery or Langdon, said “Coach K.”) The next is how to double-team Brand without one of the many Blue Devil perimeter shooters hurting the Huskies.