In a little under a month, the Connecticut Huskies have put together a run that defies logic in many ways. In a little under a month, UConn has won 10 straight games in two tournament settings, including five wins in five days to capture the Big East Tournament Championship. As an encore, the Huskies came from the No. 3 seed line to crash the Final Four part and advance to Monday night's NCAA Championship Game. To say the Huskies are streaking would be an understatement, to say the least.
UConn's done it with flaring, relying on its stars to carry the team when it mattered most. And over the last month, no star has shined brighter than Kemba Walker, the Huskies clutch junior guard. Walker has been a one-man wrecking crew at times, putting away teams with last-second shots and coming up with jaw-dropping performances almost every time he takes the floor.
In the NCAA Tournament, UConn hit another gear as freshman Jeremy Lamb came into his own and flourished. Lamb was already an efficient scorer -- his 115.2 ORtg is second on the team to Walker -- but his role continues to evolve, and UConn has been better because of it.
Efficiency is the name of the game for UConn, and its 116.4 offensive efficiency is just on the outside of the top-10 nationally. It's the same on the defensive end as UConn has held opponents to .914 points per possession, 23rd best in the NCAA.
Like Butler, UConn doesn't turn the ball over much -- 17.1 percent of the time -- and keeps opponents off the glass -- giving up offensive rebounds at a 33.4 percent rate. The Huskies don't force turnovers, either, instead forcing tough shots and, unlike Butler, blocking shots in the process. Offensive rebounds is a big part of the Huskies offense and their offensive rebounding percentage of 38.1 is in the top-10 nationally.
Athletic, long guards, capable big men and the ability to crash the glass on both ends of the floor has UConn in the 2011 NCAA Championship Game and one step from a national title. Oh, and there's that Kemba Walker fellow. You may want to keep an eye on him tonight, especially if the game goes down to the wire.
For more on the matchup, check out the rest of our NCAA Championship Game StoryStream.