NCAA Championship Game 2011: 5 Keys to a UConn Victory

UConn has been and is the hottest team in the 2011 NCAA tournament.

Not many teams can say in any season that they have won 10 straight tournament games.

The Huskies can.

They rode the momentum that they built in sweeping through the Big East tournament right into the Big Dance.

And now they could be 40 minutes away from hoisting another championship banner to the rafters in Storrs.

Here are five quick keys to a UConn victory.

Kemba Walker's Overall Production

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 02: Kemba Walker #15 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrates after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats during the National Semifinal game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Reliant Stadium on April 2, 2011 in Houst

Kemba Walker's performance is the biggest key on either team.

Walker doesn't just have to score to make things happen for the Huskies.

Fran Fraschilla on ESPN.com says: "Walker is like a great spread-option quarterback who can beat you with his scoring and his passing. So, not surprisingly, he has contributed (via scoring or assists) to 60 percent of the Huskies' points in the tournament so far."

The Huskies play better when Walker manages his number of shots.

UConn is 5-6 when Kemba takes 22 shots or more, as opposed to 26-3 when he shoots fewer than 22 shots.

It might be better for the Huskies if Kemba has a double-double (18 points and 12 assists) than for him to fire up 25 to 30 shots. 

Jeremy Lamb: Kemba's Robin

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 01: Jeremy Lamb #3 of the Connecticut Huskies shoots the ball during practice prior to the 2011 Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Reliant Stadium on April 1, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Andy Lyons

Jim Calhoun was waiting for someone to step up to be the Robin to Kemba's Batman this season.

During the second half of the season, Jeremy Lamb has been that complementary player.

Lamb has scored in double figures in all 10 tournament games (Big East and NCAA).

He has gone from 11 points per game on the season to averaging 17 points during these five games in the NCAA tournament.

Lamb creates his own shot by either getting into the lane, pulling up or launching shots from beyond the arc.

He is shooting 49 percent from the field on the year and a scorching 65 percent (11-of-17) from three-point range in the tournament. 

If Lamb gets hot...look out, Bulldogs! 

Who's Gonna Stop Shelvin Mack?

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 02: Roscoe Smith #22 of the Connecticut Huskies reacts after a play against the Kentucky Wildcats during the National Semifinal game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Reliant Stadium on April 2, 2011 in Hous

UConn needs someone to shut down, or at least contain, Shelvin Mack.

One of the challenges that the UConn guards will have is that Mack (6'3", 215 lbs.) is taller (by a couple of inches) and weighs more (10 to 40 pounds) than most of UConn's perimeter players.

Calhoun may bring a number of defenders throughout the game at Mack.

An interesting thought would be to utilize Roscoe Smith (6'8", 205 lbs.) in this role.

If Smith, a long, athletic freshman, can disrupt Mack's shooting, he would make a valuable contribution to a Huskies' victory, regardless of how many points he scores.

Calhoun may also need to rely on another freshman, Shabazz Napier.

What Napier gives up in size (6'0", 170 lbs), he makes up for it with drive and confidence.

Alex Oriakhi's Primary Task: Keep Matt Howard off the Glass

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HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 02: Alex Oriakhi #34 of the Connecticut Huskies pulls down a rebound against the Kentucky Wildcats during the National Semifinal game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Reliant Stadium on April 2, 2011 in Hou

UConn has a nice collection of athletic bigs with Alex Oriakhi leading the way.

The Huskies don't need the sophomore center (6'9", 240 lbs) to score any more points than he already is (just short of 10 ppg). They do need for him to clog the middle and keep Matt Howard off the glass.

Howard works hard on every possession, and if you don't put a body on him, he will get the board and convert those offensive rebounds into points.

Charles Okwandu (7'0", 255 lbs) is another big, shot-blocking space eater who comes in off the UConn bench.

Can Shabazz Run the Show and Let Kemba Play off the Ball?

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WASHINGTON - MARCH 19: Shabazz Napier #13 of the Connecticut Huskies keeps the ball from Ibrahima Thomas #32 and Larry Davis #11 of the Cincinnati Bearcats during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Verizon Center on March 19,

The Huskies like Kemba to have the ball in his hands as much as possible.

But, for stretches of every tournament game, he has slid over and played shooting guard.

To do so, Shabazz Napier has to be able to handle the point.

On the year, the freshman guard has scored well (7.9 ppg) and distributed the ball (3.1 apg) effectively.

What is even better is the fact that Napier's assists-to-turnover ratio is a solid 1.69:1.

Whether it is to give Walker a blow or to allow UConn's leader to move off the ball for a while, Napier's role could be critical in tonight's championship game.