UW Takes On Middle Management Uconn’s Voskuhl Will Keep Macculloch Occupied

Talk about Washington and you have to talk about center Todd MacCulloch. Talk about Connecticut and center Jake Voskuhl’s name usually is low on the list.

That has changed as tonight’s East Regional semifinal between the teams of Huskies approaches. Suddenly, there are other names being mentioned for Washington, while Voskuhl has become a central figure for Connecticut.

While MacCulloch averaged 23.5 points and 13 rebounds in the opening-round wins for 11th-seeded Washington (20-9), Voskuhl had a total of 17 points and 17 rebounds as second-seeded Connecticut (31-4) reached the round of 16 for the sixth time in the ‘90s.

“MacCulloch’s not the only story,” Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said of the 7-foot, 280-pound junior who averages 18.6 points and 9.7 rebounds and led the nation in shooting for the second straight season at 65 percent.

“He’s been large for them in a lot of different ways but Deon Luton is a terrific shooter and Donald Watts has game, as our kids would say, and their bench really gives them some energy. You just can’t worry about the 7-footer. We really have our work cut out for us.”

Bob Bender led Washington to its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1986 and the fifth-year coach is worried about what Voskuhl, Connecticut’s 6-11, 235-pound center, can do to MacCulloch.

“The matchup will be very physical and Voskuhl is a very strong player and has that post defensive mentality,” Bender said. “He is really good at getting people out of their scoring area. Todd is good at catching the ball in his scoring area and completing plays. He has to get in there against Voskuhl and then finish.”

What goes on in the open court will probably be what decides the game.

Luton had more than half of Washington’s 145 3-pointers this season and averaged 16.7 points. Watts, the son of former NBA player Slick Watts, was the third double-figure scorer at 15.3 per game.

“Obviously, we have to help out some down low, rake the ball out of there,” Connecticut freshman guard Khalid El-Amin said. “We have to use our quickness to our advantage, get up and down the court, tire him out. He couldn’t be used to running the way we do in practice.”

Connecticut’s perimeter game has been impressive all season, led by Richard Hamilton, the Big East player of the year. Hamilton averaged 21.7 points, while El-Amin, the conference’s freshman of the year, averaged 15.7 points and 4.3 assists. Voskuhl’s 6.9 scoring average is lowest among the starters, but he does lead the team at 7.2 rebounds.

“We’ll go with them either way,” Watts said when asked if the Huskies could forgo their halfcourt style for a run-and-gun game. “We’re very comfortable in the halfcourt with Big Todd in the middle and the others trying to open things up. If the opportunity to play our game isn’t there we’ll run. That’s not a part of the game we overlook by any means.”

The winner will meet the winner of the North Carolina-Michigan State game on Saturday, with a berth in the Final Four at stake.

Connecticut has come close to the Final Four during its power run of the last nine years. Washington hasn’t even come close to returning since its only appearance in 1953.

“We don’t feel like we’re playing the underdog role,” Watts said. “We have been using the opportunity to practice each day and play teams and we want to keep earning those rights.”

MEMO: Dawg meets Dawg Washington vs. Connecticut, approx. 6:50 p.m. on CBS TV. The first TV game will be North Carolina vs. Michigan St., beginning at 4:30 on CBS.