UConn vs. Pittsburgh: A Battle for Big East Supremacy

Well, there has been a lot of talk and discussion about UConn and Pittsburgh squaring off in the Big East opener only two days after Christmas.

Tonight at 8:30 p.m. in Peterson Event Center, we will get a glimpse of how UConn will fare in a hostile environment on the road against one of the top programs in the country.  Pittsburgh is 12-1 on the season with its only loss coming at the hands of a very streaky Tennessee team.

No doubt about it, UConn has six freshman that are going to see minutes tonight. Whether they are ready or not, only time will tell.  UConn is ranked fourth in the country right now and many people believe that they will drop as the season goes on, but from what they've accomplished this season, they have earned their spot among the best teams in College Basketball.

No player is more valuable to his team in Division I basketball at the moment than Kemba Walker.  Walker has brought his game to another level and has been dominant on the court.  His talent and leadership has helped his young teammates adjust and adapt to the college game.

Walker is leading the nation with 26.5 points per game and is a legitimate All-American candidate.  Kemba's hard work and determination during the off-season is paying huge dividends now.  With the injury to Duke's point guard Kyrie Irving, Walker is the best guard in the country as of right now.

UConn has beaten Michigan State and Kentucky so far this season.  They have the talent to compete with any of the top teams in the Big East, and the way they were disrespected in the preseason has only added fuel to the fire.

Alex Oriakhi has been a big surprise early this season.  Last season his offensive production was lackluster, but he has now found consistency and helped shoulder the load down-low.  Now the challenge remains if UConn can control the battle on the boards against Big East teams.

Charles Okwandu and Enosch Wolf are both going to be called upon to put their seven foot-frames to work in the paint. People can say what they want about Okwandu, but he has shown potential in the last couple of games.  He doesn't need to do a lot, just enough to help keep Dante Taylor and Gary McGhee off the boards.

Wolf has only been part of the team for a couple of weeks.  He has shown the ability to step outside and hit the perimeter jump shot.  Calhoun likes his basketball IQ, but doesn't know if he is in the physical shape to be able to play sustained minutes in a big game.

UConn's keys to victory start with sound defense and finishes with transition offense.  The Huskies play their best when they are creating turnovers and attacking the rim.  UConn is going to need to be able to limit Ashton Gibbs and disrupt Brad Wanamaker on the perimeter. Gilbert Brown is another big-body who can score both inside and out.

Kemba Walker needs to take control of this game and continue to lead by example.  It's not rocket science, but god forbid he goes down with an injury or even picks up two quick fouls, it could be a major problem for this young UConn team.

Shabazz Napier, Jeremy Lamb and Roscoe Smith have been the three most productive freshman early on this season.  Napier can shoot and is a defensive nightmare for his opponent.  Don't be surprised to see him go toe-to-toe when it comes to shutting down Ashton Gibbs.

Jeremy Lamb and Roscoe Smith are both long and athletic.  Smith has been a bright spot since being inserted into the starting lineup at the 3 spot.  He can shoot and attack the rim.  Lamb has been the third leading scorer for UConn, but as of late his defense has been a concern.

One player who has been a major disappointment for the Huskies is Jamal Coombs-McDaniel.  It would be nice to see him do something effective in a game of significance.  His minutes have declined simply because when he comes in the game, he is misses shots and makes mistakes on defense. 

He was highly recruited out of high school, and it seems ever since he has gotten to Storrs he has struggled.  Now is the time for Coombs to regain form and make some contributions to this team.

In Pittsburgh's lone loss at home against Tennessee, they were a woeful 25 of 42 from the free-throw line.  Pitt also shot the ball poorly and was out-rebounded by the Volunteers.  Coach Jamie Dixon realizes the importance of this game and is going to have his team ready to play.

Pittsburgh has to find a way to limit Kemba Walker on the offensive end.  If I were Jamie Dixon, I would run a Box and One on him.  The Panthers will probably go man-to-man and have Gibbs defend Walker.  Gibbs is a talented to player who limited Walker last year to 10 points in a 67-57 win in Hartford.

That was last year, and after a summer in which Walker competed among the elite college players and against NBA talents such as Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo, he provides a new challenge for any team.

Pittsburgh has been predicted to win the Big East conference this season.  Dixon has done an incredible job at Pitt, but neither he nor anybody else should be shocked at the level UConn is playing at so far this season.

It goes both ways; Calhoun may have not wanted to play Pittsburgh when the schedule came out just after the holiday, but his team is playing some of their best basketball right now after they were predicted to finish tenth in the conference. 

It is a battle for Big East supremacy, because year in and year out these two programs have gone head-to-head, and it seems the winner gains confidence heading into the important months of January and February.

UConn looks to snap a three-game losing streak against Pittsburgh.  The Huskies haven't won at Pittsburgh since February 26th, 2005.  That can all change with a key road win tonight.

Tune in to ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m., when the Huskies take on the Panthers in a critical Big East basketball battle.