Elite Eight Preview: Dayton Regional

Beating Connecticut has proven to be virtually impossible over the past two years and 75 games. The major reason for that is the known quantities the Huskies bring, namely junior Maya Moore (pictured right), last year's consensus national Player of the Year and senior Tina Charles, who seems a lock to succeed Moore this year.

But it's the unknown quantities that have taken the "virtually" away from impossible when it comes to stopping Connecticut from their quest of back-to-back unbeaten championship seasons.

Those unknowns are the kind of things that can keep coaches, like Florida State's Sue Semrau, who gets Connecticut next in Tuesday's Dayton regional final, awake at nights.

"I think if I put myself in the mind of an 18- to 22-year-old, and I've watched Connecticut annihilate people, I think there would be trepidation as you approach it," said Semrau, after FSU's 74-71 win over Mississippi State Sunday. "The fact that we haven't just watched it, but we've been in a game with Connecticut, I think it will help us in our approach."

Maybe, but that assumes that the Seminoles can account for everything. Iowa State didn't in their 74-36 loss to Connecticut Sunday, as they were blitzed by the expected (Moore had 25 and Charles had 16), and the unexpected, namely Kelly Faris.

Faris, a 5-foot-11 freshman, has had some moments here and there this season, but has struggled to some extent from the field, shooting just 28 percent from three-point range.

That is, until Sunday, when Faris had 16 points in 21 minutes off the bench, including all four three-pointers she attempted.

"I said at one point during the game, isn't it funny that the one thing we worried about Kelly doing was hitting shots on a consistent basis," said Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma.

"She wasn't highly recruited because she wasn't a shooter. It was just a matter of time until she started hitting. She's already made more shots than we expected her to when we recruited her. She's such a good basketball player, that making shots for her just adds to her value on the floor. She's very smart, a good defender, quick, strong, and a tough kid. Even if Kelly didn't take a shot, she would still help us win games. When she's in a groove like she is now, it takes a little pressure off our other guards. I tell her to keep shooting and we need her."

"Yeah, right now my shots are finally falling," said Faris, who averages 4.3 points per game. "Coach is always saying that if we get open don't hesitate to shoot it. Right now, my shots are falling so I'm going to keep going at it. If they stop falling, I'm going to do something else to get it to someone else.

For the record, Faris had four points in 13 minutes in Connecticut's 78-59 win over the Seminoles in late December, so if she has found her shooting stroke, you could add one more thing to the list of things Semrau and Florida State have to worry about.

Here's a look at the Dayton regional championship game:


Coaches: Connecticut's Geno Auriemma (732-122 in 25 seasons); Florida State's Sue Semrau (212-165 in 13 seasons).

Road to the Regional Final: Connecticut beat No. 16 Southern 95-39 in the first round and No. 8 Temple 90-36 in the second round, both in Norfolk, Va. The Huskies beat No.4 Iowa State 74-36 in the regional semifinal Sunday in Dayton. Florida State beat No. 14 Louisiana Tech 75-61 in the first round and No. 6 St. John's 66-65 in overtime in the second round, both in Tallahassee. The Seminoles beat No. 7 Mississippi State 74-71 in the regional semifinal Sunday in Dayton.

Starting Lineups:

Connecticut
G Tiffany Hayes (10.3 points per game; 82.4 percent free throw percentage)
G Caroline Doty (7.0 points per game; 3.6 assists per game)
G Kalana Greene (11.6 points per game; 43.5 percent from three-point range)
F Maya Moore (18.3 points per game; 8.2 rebounds per game; 40.9 percent from three-point range)
C Tina Charles (18.3 points per game; 9.3 rebounds per game; 63.5 percent field goal percentage)

Florida State
G Courtney Ward (10.9 points per game; 5.6 assists per game; 37.3 percent from three-point range)
G Angel Gray (6.4 points per game; 51.6 percent from three-point range)
G Alysha Harvin (11.0 points per game; 36.6 percent from three-point range)
F Chasity Clayton (8.1 points per game; 5.4 rebounds per game)
F Jacinta Monroe (13.1 points per game; 7.3 rebounds per game)

The Matchup to Watch: Connecticut C Tina Charles vs. Florida State F Jacinta Monroe. For the Seminoles to have a chance to knock off Connecticut, Monroe, who had 14 points and five blocks in the teams' first meeting, will have to bring Charles out from the low post and hit some jumpers. That approach didn't work so well for Iowa State in the regional semifinal Sunday, but Monroe is more athletic than any of the Cyclones' post players. Of course, improved play from Monroe and reserve Cierra Bravard is only one thing FSU needs, but it is the biggest thing.

The Player to Watch: Connecticut F Maya Moore. Shockingly, Iowa State left Moore, the reigning Wade Trophy winner, alone on the perimeter during stretches of Sunday's regional semifinal. Bad move. Correction: Really bad move. Moore torched the Cyclones for five three-pointers on the way to 25 points. If allowed, the Seminoles should pick up Moore out of the locker room and follow her to the bench and everywhere else she goes.

Outlook: In theory, Florida State's balance of inside play and three-point shooting would present a serious threat to Connecticut's hegemony. In practice, the Huskies will probably be able to book Final Four hotels and tickets early in the second half. The Seminoles' victory might be in piercing the double-digit victory aspect of Connecticut's streak, but that will be it.