Not a lot of time for a proper game preview this afternoon, as we have to race around the central Connecticut area to pick up fellow travelers, grab some pre-game grub, and head to Storrs early enough to check out the campus. As such, we’ll jump right to our keys for today’s game…

Solid transition defense – UConn doesn’t force very many turnovers, but when they do, you can bet the ball will quickly be pushed up the floor. The Huskies also earn a bunch of points by beating their opponents down the court after misses. UConn’s offense has been fairly stagnant lately, but they are able to make up for that recent scoring anemia with these easy transition points. Texas shouldn’t be so concerned with transition buckets that they give up on offensive rebounding chances, but the Horns certainly need to be ready to backpedal down the floor.

Drive and dish – The Huskies are the best team in the nation when it comes to blocking shots, swatting more than one in every five opportunities. Against Kansas State, another great shot-blocking team, the Horns had their greatest success when the guards penetrated, drew defensive help, and then dished to a big man on the blocks. When Texas simply tried to force things inside, they were typically bogged down by double- and triple-teams, and the offensive either stalled or turned it over. If the Longhorn guards can penetrate this tough defense, it should open things up against the formidable UConn frontcourt.

Weather the crowd – We mentioned via Twitter that Monday night’s crowd was the loudest we had heard in four-plus years of traveling. Texas managed to fight through the crowd and the momentum that comes with it, fighting back from an eleven-point deficit to even take the lead. Today’s crowd could be just as electric as Texas plays its last game with the No. 1 crown.

The Huskies have been in a recent backslide, losing four out of seven, and will be playing without the leadership of legendary coach Jim Calhoun. Connecticut also doesn’t have a true “great win” on its résumé yet, and this afternoon’s contest definitely provides that opportunity. If that’s not enough to get a storied Big East crowd fired up, I don’t think there’s much that will.

This shouldn’t be a high-scoring, up-and-down game, so any scoring runs that either team can manage will be even more important than usual. If the Longhorns find themselves falling behind as the frenzied crowd starts to froth at its collective mouth, they will simply have to play smart basketball or risk digging a hole they can’t climb out of.

One final note… – Connecticut is the fourth-best team in the country when it comes to keeping opponents off the foul line. For Texas, that is outstanding news, especially coming off of a 9-for-22 free-throw performance against Kansas State. But it also means that the Longhorns must be able to knock down their shots against a very well-coached defense. Connecticut will keep the Texas players in front of them, while a steady frontcourt holds things down inside if the Longhorns happen to make it to that second wave of defenders. If Texas has a bad shooting day against this team, it could be a long, ugly afternoon.