Hot News: NCAA championship to be a tale of two backcourts

USA TODAY Sports college writer/producer Scott Gleeson previews Monday's championship game between Kentucky and UConn

ARLINGTON, Texas - Shabazz Napier was overwhelmed. The UConn freshman took the court in Houston for the national title game against Butler and says he got swallowed by the magnitude of the moment.

Then a defensive pest tasked with getting the ball to Kemba Walker, Napier was young and wide eyed, and it showed. He made 1 of 6 shots in the game and turned the ball over three times.

'I kind of let the moment get to me,' Napier recalled Sunday. 'A lot of guys put me in my place.' BRACKET HUB: CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: UConn's defense will test Kentucky Everything March Madness

Napier, who has carried UConn through large stretches of this improbable postseason run, hopes to be on the other end of that narrative in Monday's national title game against Kentucky at AT&T Stadium. He and backcourt mate Ryan Boatright, a junior, will face Kentucky's freshmen backcourt of the Harrison twins in a pivotal matchup of formidable guards.

Andrew and Aaron Harrison, who grew up just a few hours south in Richmond, Texas, know that Mnonday night will be stage unlike any they have seen. FINAL FOUR: FINAL FOUR: Kentucky takes out Wisconsin UConn knocks off No. 1 Florida

'It's going to be tough,' Andrew Harrison said about sleeping Sunday night. 'I'll have to take some Benadryl.'

All four featured guards already have left their imprint on this topsy-turvy NCAA tournament. Napier, at times, has looked like a clone of Walker, whose tournament performance in 2011 was not expected to be duplicated for years to come ... until Napier has looked the part this postseason.



Connecticut Huskies guards Ryan Boatright (11) and Shabazz Napier (13) celebrate a win over Memphis.(Photo: David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports)

'I'd be stupid not to emulate him,' Napier said. 'A lot of what I do is what he did. I'm not going to shy away from the comparisons.'

Boatright has been a stalwart defender, chasing Michigan State's Keith Appling in the East Regional final and on Saturday hounding Florida's three-point marksman Michael Frazier coming off screens.

Napier said Boatwright is always a great competitor, even when he is the smallest guy on the court. He even got a rebound over Florida's robust Patric Young, Napier said. BRACKET BRIEFING: The 10 best tourney memories

As a defender, Boatright said his main objective is to irritate his man, adding that, 'I know going into the game if I can make him uncomfortable and irritate him or get him fatigued, he makes mistakes.'

When the story of Kentucky's uneven, yet resurgent 2013-14 performance is written, Andrew Harrison will play a major role. His play as a facilitator has helped save Kentucky's much anticipated season. As coach John Calipari has preached 'less is more' with his team, Harrison has listened. He has shared the ball particularly well in the postseason, averaging two more assists per game.

And all Aaron Harrison has done is - with one national title game remaining - leave an indelible mark in the annals of NCAA tournament lore. After shooting 30% from three-point range during the regular season, he has made more than 50% of his shots beyond the arc in the postseason.

No one will soon forget the 25-foot, game-winning three-pointer he sank with 5.7 seconds remaining against Wisconsin on Saturday night, which was the third consecutive game in which he has made a critical three-pointer in the final minute.

'The biggest thing is, he's not afraid to miss,' Calipari said. 'He's okay with it. He is comfortable in his own skin. He knows how hard he's worked.'

Napier said hopefully the game won't come down to a last shot by Aaron Harrison. If it does, he said, 'We're going to make sure we move him away from that left side where he's been knocking down that shot consistently. He has that clutch gene everyone's talking about.' GALLERY: HOW ALL 68 TEAMS FARED IN THE TOURNEY

Napier said Kentucky creates a lot of disruption with its size in the backcourt. Napier is 6-foot-1, Boatright is 6-0. The Harrison twins are 6-6.

When asked about UConn's quickness advantage in the backcourt, Napier said he didn't buy into that notion, adding, 'The Harrisons are as quick as we are. When you are young, you have (fast) feet.'

Napier remains the most important and potent offensive player in the game. He scored just 12 points and took just six shots from the field on Saturday, but he knew how to manage the game. He said Sunday that he has learned that a particular game does not always require him to score in bunches.

He's the elder statesman in the compelling backcourt matchup Monday night, playing his final collegiate game against two elite freshman guards who have their first taste of what a national championship game is all about.

'You have to realize it's just like any other game,' Andrew Harrison said. 'Well, it's not, but you have to think of it as any other game.'

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