Connecticut - San Diego Preview

West- Round One
Connecticut Huskies (4) Vs. San Diego Toreros (13)
Friday, March 21 @ 3:00 pm
Betting Line From Bookmaker: UCONN -11.5

The 17th ranked Connecticut Huskies (13- 5 Big East, 24- 8 overall) enter the NCAA Tournament as the fourth seed in the West. This is a surprise, since coach Jim Calhoun still expected his club to be in the midst of a rebuilding phase. What happened? A.J. price is what happened.

Price (14.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 6.0 APG), who has been hampered by health issues during the past few years, developed this season into a go-to playmaker and prime defender. On the other side of the backcourt, sophomore guard Jerome Dyson (12.4 PPG, .329 3-PT%, 3.7 RPG, 0.7 BPG, 1.8 SPG) has proven to be viable. In front, Hasheem Thabeet (10.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 4.5 BPG) has developed into more than just a shot blocker. He’s the club’s most accurate shooter, hitting 61% of his tries. Five guys on the team average double-digit scoring, and the club blocks 8.8 SPG.

The San Diego Toreros (11- 3 WCC, 21- 13 overall) had a better than average season and enter the NCAA Tournament having beaten Gonzaga 69- 62 in the WCC championship final. This team, over the course of the season, has improved. They have a shot in the first round as they now bring solid “D” and quality “O” to the court.

Guard Brandon Johnson (16.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.5 APG) is a skilled player with the ability to score and set up others. Swingman Gyno Pomare (13.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG) is sound under the hoop and freshman forward Rob Jones (8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG) is a force in the paint. Pomare is an accurate inside shooter and a good shot blocker.

San Diego will need to play an outside game and hit as many as they can from the perimeter. Going inside on the Huskies could be disastrous. If Price has a big game, it’s all over for the Toreros.

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