By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SAN ANTONIO - If Georgia Tech's junior center Luke Schenscher were about a half-foot shorter, tonight's individual matchup against Emeka Okafor might be a modern-day version of David versus Goliath.

But it's a stretch to cast a 7-foot-1 Australian as a biblical David, even if he's going up against a first-team All-American in Connecticut's Okafor.

In tonight's national championship game at the Alamodome, Okafor could face one of his most legitimate challenges of the season in Schenscher and Georgia Tech's help defense.

"A seven-footer is a seven-footer," said Okafor, who struggled with a bad back when the teams met Nov. 26, a 16-point Georgia Tech win. "He has long arms. I have a game plan against him, but I'll have to see how he reacts to it."

Third-seeded Georgia Tech's (28-9) game plan will be to give Schenscher as much help as possible against Okafor, who scored all 18 of his points Saturday night in a second half comeback against Duke. Okafor has been an intimidating presence throughout the season for opposing centers, averaging 17.4 points and 11.6 rebounds entering the Final Four.

Schenscher has come on of late, scoring more than double his 8.9 points average with 19 Saturday night and 12 rebounds. The manner in which he dominated Oklahoma State's smaller defenders set up tonight's intriguing matchup against the 6-10 Okafor.

"Don't discount Luke at 7-1 and a reach of 9 (feet) 4 (inches)," Georgia Tech assistant coach Dean Keener said. "He affects an awful lot of things . . . Luke won't guard Okafor by himself. That's the strength of our team, our athletes on the perimeter can double-down. We'll choose one person on the opposing team, who we're going to leave and who we'll double off of."

That means Georgia Tech will probably use point guard Jarrett Jack to play off his man, Taliek Brown, No. 2 seed Connecticut's (32-6) weakest outside shooter.

When the teams met in November in the championship game of the Preseason NIT, neither Okafor nor Schenscher was very effective. Schenscher scored two points and a stiff Okafor finished with nine points, but did grab 13 rebounds.

Neither player is quite the same tonight, however. Okafor is free of the back pain that hobbled him, and Schenscher is physically stronger and full of confidence.

"When my back was at its worst, it felt like two steel rods were in my back, and I couldn't really move," Okafor said. "It wasn't the most pleasant feeling in the world, but I got through it."

Schenscher recovered from a disastrous sophomore season playing behind Chris Bosh. Schenscher averaged 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. But with Bosh gone to the NBA, Schenscher saw this season as an opportunity and put in more work than any other Georgia Tech player this summer, Keener said.

"I had to be able to look back at the end of this season and say, 'No regrets,' " said Schenscher, who will have the entire farming community of Hope Forest Australia watching tonight's game on television. "My girlfriend tells me that everyday, 'No regrets.' "

Based on the impact he has made for Georgia Tech so far, it would be hard for Schenscher to have any regrets, regardless of what happens tonight against Okafor.

"Luke has pretty much given every big guy he's faced trouble all year," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said. "He's going to have to play one of his better games."

MATCHUPS

Point guard

Connecticut: Taliek Brown is a winner. He's won 102 career games as the unheralded leader of UConn.

His downfall is his outside shot. Brown has made just one 3-pointer all season in five attempts. That will allow Georgia Tech to play help defense off of him, focusing on more productive players.

Georgia Tech: Jarrett Jack has emerged as one of the most dynamic point guards in the NCAA Tournament. But reputations don't win champions. Fortunately for Georgia Tech, Jack has some playmaking ability as well. And his size, 6-feet-3, and strength enable him to control a half-court game.

Edge: Georgia Tech

Shooting guard

Connecticut: It's hard to find a better shooting guard than Ben Gordon, who can score from anywhere on the court and shoots almost as well from 3-point range (43.7) percent as he does overall.

Gordon put 36 points up against Alabama in the regional final, but made just five field goals in the national semifinal against Duke. Regardless, he could easily lead UConn in scoring tonight because he can get to the basket so many different ways.

Georgia Tech: Which Marvin Lewis will show up tonight. Will it be the Lewis who made five first-half 3-pointers Saturday against Oklahoma State, or the one who didn't make a single field goal in the regional final against Kansas.

If the senior captain's shot is on tonight, it could win him a national title.

Edge: Connecticut

Small forward

Connecticut: Technically, Rashad Anderson is more of a second shooting guard, which is why Connecticut counters Georgia Tech's perimeter strength so well. Anderson is every bit as good of a shooter as any Georgia Tech guard, and he proved he could hit a big shot by making a clutch 3-pointer in the comeback against Duke.

Georgia Tech will try to run, and Anderson must be more than just a 3-point shooter. His transition defense will be important.

Georgia Tech: Where has B.J. Elder gone? Ever since his ankle injury against Nevada in the regional semifinal game, Elder has been largely ineffective. The Yellow Jackets' leading scorer made one field goal against Oklahoma State in 19 minutes Saturday. He has played a total of 34 minutes in the last three games.

If he can become effective, it would be a significant boost to Georgia Tech.

Edge: Connecticut

Power forward

Connecticut: Josh Boone was the unsung hero of Saturday night's win against Duke. When Okafor went down with early foul trouble, Boone grabbed 11 first-half rebounds and essentially kept the Huskies in the game.

A 6-10 freshman, Boone has almost as many offensive rebounds (95) as he does defensive boards (106), which explains his 55.2 shooting percentage. Boone will be Georgia Tech's most difficult matchup.

Georgia Tech: For a role player, Anthony McHenry does a great job filling his role. He's not in there to score, and he doesn't grab a lot of rebounds for a 6-7 forward with an average of just 3.1 boards per game.

Instead, McHenry is a versatile defender who can venture from the lane out to the 3-point line. He's averaging more than seven points per game in the Tourney.

Edge: Connecticut

Center

Connecticut: Emeka Okafor is the All-American, the player UConn turns to in the clutch.

He is not invincible, however, particularly if back problems flare up. Going up against a bigger player will also create situations Okafor is not used to seeing. But he averages a double-double, and it would be surprising if he didn't record another one tonight.

Georgia Tech: Luke Schenscher is America's new favorite player. The 7-1 Australian import was arguably Georgia Tech's most important player in the semifinal win, and he'll be key tonight.

If Schenscher can draw Okafor into early foul trouble, the game could change dramatically.

Edge: Connecticut

Bench

Connecticut: The Huskies have a productive bench in their first two reserves, freshman Charlie Villanueva and sophomore Denham Brown, a one-time starter. Both will come in and look to score.

At 6-11, Villanueva needs to establish himself down low on the boards because Georgia Tech won't be able to combat UConn's size if Schenscher is locked up with Okafor.

Georgia Tech: Calling these guys reserves is hardly fitting. How about difference makers, starting with Will Bynum, who not only made the game-winning layup against Oklahoma State but has made big shot after big shot throughout the Tournament.

In the lane, Georgia Tech must get big games defensively from Isma'il Muhammad and Theodis Tarver. Senior forward Clarence Moore can also be counted upon in a variety of positions.

Edge: Georgia Tech

Coaching

Connecticut: In his only previous trip to the Final Four, Jim Calhoun won the national championship in 1999. This weekend, he has allowed his players to imagine what it will feel like to win another one. That's a mark of a coach who isn't paranoid or nervous, but rather secure that his team is capable of winning.

Georgia Tech: Paul Hewitt is 40 years old, coaching in his first national championship game, but he has proven that he belongs here.

Hewitt plays as many players as he can, which means there's always a hot shooter to turn to or a playmaker to rely on in the final minute. Hewitt's team is here because he made them a confident team in October and allowed them to grow into a great team.

Edge: Connecticut

Intangibles

Connecticut: The Huskies are the favorite, which might or might not be a factor. If they jump out to an early lead, they could run away with the game. If not, UConn players might start thinking about the November matchup when Georgia Tech gave them their first loss, a 16-point shellacking.

Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech's win against Connecticut in New York is a major source of confidence for the Yellow Jackets. And the Yellow Jackets also have the "team" element working in their favor. There's no one player the Yellow Jackets must rely on.

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com