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A look at what to expect from the starting perimeter players Saturday at approximately 4 p.m., Tucson time, at Anaheim between No. 5-seed Arizona (30-7) and No. 3 seed Connecticut (29-9) in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament:

PERIMETER

UConn guard Kemba Walker averages 24 points a game and has gone to the free-throw line 296 times, making 242 (US Presswire photo/Gary A. Vasquez)

CONNECTICUT

What’s going right: Arizona must be very concerned about Kemba Walker because look at what Jimmer Fredette, a similar point guard with a scorer’s mentality, did for BYU against the Wildcats the last two seasons. Moreover, San Diego State’s only three losses this season were to BYU and UConn. Fredette scored 49 points in McKale Center last year and 33 this season in Salt Lake City. The Cougars outscored the Wildcats 99-69 and 87-65 in those games, respectively. Walker can break down the defense like few other guards, and he has the flair for spectacular (See: Game-winning plays in Big East tournament). Defensively, Walker is a stud as well, with a team-leading 73 steals. When he draws double-team defenses, Walker generally kicks it out to shooting guard Jeremy Lamb, who has good size (6-5, 185) to shoot over defenders. Lamb was a deadly shooter against San Diego State, making 9 of 11 field goal attempts, including all three from three-point range.

What’s going wrong: Similar to his former Harlem (N.Y.) Rice High School teammate, Lamont “MoMo” Jones, Walker is a scorer who is required to make plays for others. Walker had only three assists and four turnovers against San Diego State in 40 minutes, but the Huskies won 74-67 because Walker set a UConn scoring record in the NCAA tournament with 36 points. Overall, however, Walker has a respectable 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 170 assists and 85 turnovers. A glaring stat is Lamb’s scant 49 free-throw attempts all season (he’s made 39). That shows that Lamb can be sheepish with the ball, not being the aggressor and settling for the pull-up shot or three-pointer.

Walker said Thursday: “We won five games in five days in the Big East tournament, and everybody said we were going to be tired. After that, everybody said it was going to affect us in the second and third round of the tournament and it hasn’t yet. We’re playing great basketball as a team. We have something huge in front of us. We have a huge goal as a team, and we’re not going to let fatigue beat us. We’re going to overcome it. We have a team that is extremely mentally tough, and that’s going to get us over the hump.”

ARIZONA

MoMo Jones and Derrick Williams hope to continue their celebration against UConn in the Elite Eight at Anaheim (US Presswire photo/Gary A. Vasquez)

What’s going right: Jones did not take a backseat to former UA point guard greats like Mike Bibby and Damon Stoudamire with his 16-point, 6-assist and zero-turnover performance against Duke Thursday night. The 6-foot sophomore matched a season high with six assists (also against WSU on Feb. 17), had no turnovers for the fourth time this year. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was so impressed he embraced Jones and patted him on the head after the game. An example that Jones played within himself: He didn’t attempt a three-pointer, only the fifth time this year that’s happened. In fact, he has not attempted a three-pointer in his last two games.

What’s going wrong: Kyle Fogg played adequately against Duke with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting but he is still mired in somewhat of a shooting/scoring funk since posting 20 points against Oregon on March 5. Fogg is shooting 29.4 percent (5 of 17) from three-point range in the six games since the game against the Ducks at McKale Center. His three-point percentage has dipped from 41.7 percent last year to 34.1 this season.

Jones said Thursday: “It’s always going to be love (in terms of relationship with Walker). That’s like my brother. That’s off the court. When you on the court you’re enemies. I got to go with my teammates. He got to go with his teammates. That’s basically the bottom line. We’re going to come out and play two great games and try to lead our teams to the win, to the Final Four. You know, off the court is off the court. On the court, I run with my teammates all the time.”

Who has the edge? Connecticut. Aside from the decisive loss to BYU and Fredette, the Wildcats also lost two of three games to Washington and point guard Isaiah Thomas. They came a blocked shot away by Derrick Williams from going 0-3 against the Huskies. Walker is in the same mode as Fredette and Thomas because he demands attention, which should open possibilities for others. The Wildcats’ help-side defense and awareness will be put to the test perhaps more so by Walker than Fredette and Thomas because he has speed, athleticism and no fear going to the basket (his 296 free-throw attempts are only 23 fewer than Williams).

NEXT BLOG: MATCHUP PREVIEW OF THE STARTING FRONTCOURT PLAYERS FOR EACH TEAM

Arizona forward Derrick Williams overpowered Duke's Kyle Singler with 32 points and 13 rebounds in the UA's 93-77 Sweet 16 win Thursday in Anaheim (US Presswire photo/Gary A. Vasquez)

If somebody was lost at sea since 2007 and returned to hear the news about Arizona qualifying for the Elite Eight on Thursday, what would the reaction be?

“That’s great to hear. Lute’s finally got them back where they belong. Great to see it happen after that collapse in 2005 against Illinois. When is he hanging it up? What is he 80?”

You were lost only four years ago, but since then, Lute Olson took a leave of absence and eventually retired. In the meantime, a couple of coaches replaced him as caretakers, each for a season, and then they finally hired this young, 42-year-old guy named Sean Miller.

Arizona is in the Elite Eight and Lute is not the coach? What?

Believe it. Nobody, not even Miller, can say they are not surprised. Last season, the Wildcats failed to make the NCAA tournament … (interrupted)

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Didn’t make NCAA tournament? Don’t they go every year?

Until Miller’s first year last season they went 25 straight years. But it’s not his fault the streak was snapped. The interim coaches — Kevin O’Neill and Russ Pennell — did not actively recruit in the two years after Lute left. A lot of turnover occurred as Miller brought in five of his own guys last year — three at the last minute because the USC coach left amid turmoil and those guys shifted their allegiance to Arizona. Miller told the Tucson media that he has a three-year plan to coach Arizona back to prominence.

Hold on. Arizona lost Olson, used two interim coaches, hired Miller … lost out on some recruits, all in the last four years … didn’t make the NCAA tournament last year. … and this guy Miller, in only his second year, has Arizona in the Elite Eight?

Like I said. Believe it. The Wildcats also won the regular-season Pac-10 title this year.

C’mon. Being lost at sea is troubling enough for my brain to process.

In my opinion, Miller’s coaching performance and the Wildcats’ 93-77 dominating win over No. 1 seed and defending national champion Duke on Thursday in Anaheim ranks as one of the program’s top five victories in their history.

Not to beat my own drum, but I have followed the Wildcats since Fred Snowden coached in the early 1970s. I sat in McKale Center with the 6,000 or so fans in Olson’s first year at Arizona in 1983-84 after the embarrassing year of Ben Lindsey as head coach. Yes, I also attended most of the games when Lindsey’s team went 4-24.

I covered the Wildcats for The Arizona Daily Star during their historic run through the NCAA tournament in 1997. I have watched probably more than 1,100 Arizona basketball games in my lifetime (I turn 44 in July).

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A look at what to expect from the starting perimeter players Thursday at approximately 6:45 p.m., Tucson time, at Anaheim between No. 5-seed Arizona (29-7) and No. 1 seed Duke (32-4) in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament:

PERIMETER

DUKE

Duke playmaker Nolan Smith is one of four finalists for the 2011 Naismith Men's Player of the Year Award (US Presswire photo/Bob Donnan)

What’s going right: Senior playmaker Nolan Smith, the ACC Player of the Year, is one of two players in the NCAA (Norris Cole, Cleveland State) averaging more than 20.0 points and 5.0 assists per game. He is attempting to join Dick Groat (1951-52) as the only players in Duke history to average over 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for a season. Smith is also attempting to become the third Blue Devil under Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to lead the team in scoring, assists and steals. Jon Scheyer (2010) and Grant Hill (1994) also accomplished that feat. Sophomore shooting guard Seth Curry leads the Blue Devils in three-point field goals (64) and three-point percentage (.438). Curry has made two or more three-pointers in 18 games this season.

What’s going wrong: Smith’s assist-to-turnover ratio is not impressive with 187 assists compared to 112 turnovers this season. He has produced as many turnovers as assists in 11 of Duke’s 36 games this season. Curry’s NCAA Tournament shooting selection is predictable with all eight of his field-goal attempts coming from three-point range. He went 3-of-5 in the first round game against Hampton and was 0-for-3 against Michigan.

Smith said Sunday: “I think the switch that I flipped (in Sunday’s win over Michigan) was I don’t want to take this Duke jersey off. It’s as simple as that. … Now going West, I hope we have a lot of fans out there on the West Coast. I don’t know. We always have great fan support wherever we go. We’re excited to get out there.”

ARIZONA

MoMo Jones embodies the nastiness Sean Miller desires from his team in the NCAA tournament (US Presswire photo/Chris Morrison)

What’s going right: In five postseason games (including the Pac-10 tournament) sophomore Lamont “MoMo” Jones has gone to the free-throw line second-most behind Derrick Williams (32-of-45) with 18 attempts and he’s made 15 for 83.3 percent. That means Jones is playing aggressively and putting Arizona in a position to win with key free throws in the second half. Junior guard Kyle Fogg, despite playing the off-guard position, leads the Wildcats with 96 assists (compared to Jones’ 85). He made the pick-and-roll pass to Williams that resulted in a three-point winning play for Arizona against Texas on Sunday. Arizona Republic reporter Doug Haller wrote Monday that Fogg leads the Wildcats with 37 assists to Williams.

What’s going wrong: Similar to Smith, Jones’ assist-to-turnover ratio is lacking (more so than his Duke counterpart with only 85 assists and 70 turnovers). Jones has also struggled with his shot in the postseason, making only 27.9 percent of his field-goal attempts (12 of 43). He went scoreless against Texas, shooting 0 for 6 from the field. Since injuring his left quadriceps entering the Pac-10 tournament, Fogg has averaged only 3.6 points a game.

Jones said Tuesday: “We’re in the Sweet Sixteen as a team, and we practice as a team. We win as a team, we lose as a team, we fight as a team. We know a lot of people are going to key onto Derrick, and some nights a lot of guys will key on to me, or Solomon (Hill), or to Kevin (Parrom). A lot of people try to key on the key players of this team, but there’s not just one key player on this team.”

Who has the edge? Duke, and it’s not close given Smith’s accolades and Curry’s potential. Smith is a Naismith men’s college basketball player of the year award finalist because he can beat you in so many ways. The other finalists are Jimmer Fredette of BYU, Jared Sullinger of Ohio State and Kemba Walker of Connecticut. Curry is not only a dangerous perimeter shooter but he is also solid defensively with a team-high 51 steals. One thing in Arizona’s favor: Jones and Fogg battle when pushed to the brink. They won’t give in easily. Jones especially embodies the nastiness Miller desires from his team in the postseason.

NEXT BLOG: A matchup preview of the starting frontcourt players of each team