SportsLine.com Report
March 19, 2000

Round 2: Tennessee ends UConn's run for repeat

Take Khalid El-Amin away from Connecticut and things got ugly in a hurry.

The Huskies' junior point guard was held to 13 minutes and three points ... and the defending national champions didn't put up much of a fight, dropping a 65-51 decision to Tennessee, in a second-round South Region game in Birmingham, Ala.

Freshman Tony Robertson took El-Amin's place, scoring two points on 1-of-7 shooting. The Huskies had just four assists in the game. El-Amin averages 5.4 a game.

"I know that I bring the energy and demeanor to this team," El-Amin said. "And without me, we weren't able to go offensively like we are normally able to."

One of the hardest parts for El-Amin was that it happened just as the Huskies were playing the Volunteers and their point guard Tony Harris. The two are long-time rivals and have an uneasy relationship dating to their days of AAU ball. Without El-Amin to guard him, Harris had free rein through the lane. He made just four of his 11 shots, but was able to draw numerous fouls and finished 9-of-12 at the line.

Harris said he got no satisfaction in winning the most important battle the two have ever waged.

"I feel sorry for him because he got hurt at a big time for them," Harris said. "But he has a big heart and he will bounce back."

The big question now is, where will he bounce back at? College or pro. El-Amin considered leaving school last season, but opted to come back. He has yet to say what he will do next year.

How They Got There

The Huskies tried to defend their national championship after a spotty, but overall successful, regular season. UConn did not reside in the top 10 all season long as many people expected, but Jim Calhoun did an admirable job in blending a team of veterans and newcomers.

The Huskies finished 25-10 overall and finished tied for fourth in the Big East with a 10-6 record. UConn had won three of the previous four league titles.

Starting Lineup

• PG Khalid El-Amin (5-10, 203, Jr.): The key to the team and one of the best floor leaders in the country. If El-Amin plays at a high level, the Huskies will be a tough team to beat. His 39-percent field goal shooting scares pro scouts who already question his stocky body type.
• SG Albert Mouring (6-3, 180, Jr.): If Mouring is knocking down open jumpers, the Huskies attack grows in strength. Without some outside pop, this team struggles to score.
• C Jake Voskuhl (6-11, 245, Sr.): The prototypical banger, Voskuhl must stay out of foul trouble and finish inside bunnies for the Huskies to move through March.
• PF Ajou Deng (6-10, 205, So.): Replaced Edmund Saunders in the starting lineup and gives foes a tough defensive matchup with his size and ball-handling skill. Not a physical player but will rebound and block shots.
• SF Kevin Freeman (6-7, 235, Sr.): A hoped for jump in this player's production never happened. He is still a supreme finisher on the fastbreak but the lack of a consistent medium range jumper has hurt the Huskies offense.

Keys to Success

UConn needs to play consistent defense and get a supreme effort every game from star guard El-Amin if it is to defend its national title. Defense has been good most of the season, with the exception of the team's blowout losses. UConn holds opponents to 39 percent shooting and just 65.4 points per game.

El-Amin can be -- when he's on his game -- the best point guard in America. He's a 5-10 bundle of energy who leads both with his scoring and his harassment of opposing guards. El-Amin has had some great games this season and some awful ones. A season-low two points against St. John's was one of the keys to a 79-64 loss.

The Coach

There aren't many better than Jim Calhoun, especially with the tournament experience he's had over his long career. In his 14th season in Storrs, Calhoun owns a 23-11 NCAA Tournament record. That's the 15th best record in NCAA history. Last year's national championship run was the pinnacle, but Calhoun hopes to build on his record this month.

The Bench

Can be a strength even though there's not a lot of offense from among Edmund Saunders, Souleymane Wane, Tony Robertson and Marcus Cox. Saunders and Wane must be productive off the boards when they see their time.

Offense

UConn lacks the explosive, spurting offense it had last year, but that's what happens when a Richard Hamilton leaves the program. UConn averages 75.7 points, 71.1 in Big East play. ... Huskies hit 39 percent from 3-point territory, led by Mouring's startling 48 percent. ... El-Amin hits 89 percent (88-of-99) of his free throws, just what you want in a point guard.

Defense

UConn holds opponents to 39 percent shooting, 32 percent from the 3-point line. ... Big East foes grabbed 210 offensive rebounds versus UConn. The Huskies had 217. ... UConn can get sloppy with the ball, averaging 14.1 turnovers. They force 14.4 turnovers.