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Gardner, El-Amin square off in old-fashioned match-up

UA freshman point guard Jason Gardner faces his toughest test of the season tonight when he goes head-to-head with Connecticut's junior guard Khalid El-Amin.

Arizona, which jumped to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll with a 6-0 record, also faces its toughest test of the young season, against the defending national champions in the Great Eight Classic at the United Center in Chicago.

UConn is currently 5-1.

Tip off is approximately 7 p.m. (MST), or 25 minutes following the Michigan State-Kansas game, which begins at 5 p.m.

This is the first meeting between the schools, which have had two of the best programs in the country over the past decade. Arizona is No. 5 in overall wins, while UConn is No. 7, and both teams have won recent national championships.

Both schools also feature point guards who will be relied upon for leadership and scoring punch in the game's most intriguing match-up.

El-Amin, who has already married, had two children and divorced, let alone played two successful seasons of college basketball, will take on a 19-year old that is still adjusting to life away from home.

Gardner, a native of Indianapolis, marked this date on his calendar a long time ago.

"I just think that's going to be a lot of fun," Gardner said. "He's one of the best point guards in college basketball and they have a great team, and as long as we come out and play hard, I think it's going to be a great game."

Both may not have ideal frames for point guards - Gardner is 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds, while El-Amin is a stocky, 5-foot-10 and 203 pounds - but both are incredibly quick and good defenders. El-Amin's extra weight may get him ridiculed by opposing fans, but his power is tough to match, let alone beat.

"Jason Gardner is going to face his biggest test at the point position," UA head coach Lute Olson said. "He will be looking forward to that to see how he is playing so far this year."

Gardner creates more with his speed and a jump shot that is heating up - he shot 4-for-6 from beyond the three-point arch in Saturday's 88-81 win over Texas - but is more relied upon for his maturity and ability to lead the team.

El-Amin takes on a role of being the go-to guy this year, averaging 18.7 points per game. Connecticut's leading scorer a year ago and the 1999 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Richard Hamilton skipped his senior year for the NBA.

"El-Amin is one of the stronger point guards in the country," said ESPN commentator Jay Bilas, who will be on the sidelines for the broadcast tonight. "There is a lot of strength in that body. Jason is a little quicker, but El-Amin is a pretty good defender.

While the UConn backcourt of El-Amin and Albert Mouring has the edge because of experience, don't expect Gardner and freshman guard Gilbert Arenas, who is 17-years old, to back down. But if the perimeter shooting isn't where it needs to be, Arizona feels that it can take it down low on the Huskies.

UA sophomore forward Michael Wright has five double-doubles in Arizona's six games, and returns to his hometown to play in front of friends and family for the first time while in college. He was also the Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Week for last week.

"It is going to be great for Michael Wright to get back in front of his neighborhood," Olson said.

Sophomore forward Richard Jefferson put the team on his shoulders on Saturday night in the win against Texas, scoring all of his 19 points in the second half. Much of last year, he was criticized for not playing up to his potential, but is squashing those doubts with every game that goes by.

Junior center Loren Woods will go against UConn senior Jake Voskuhl, a scrappy but effective 6-foot-11 player. Also bolstering the Huskies' frontcourt will be forwards Kevin Freeman, Edmund Saunders, Souleymane Wane and Ajou Deng.

"Our front court is a decent size," UConn head coach Jim Calhoun said. "Edmund Saunders is not as strong as Michael Wright. Loren Woods can change the game and Jefferson, who we recruited out of high school, is one of the most athletic players. But Ajou Deng and Souleymane Wane give us plenty of depth in the front line."

Arizona found success on a neutral court earlier this season, winning the Preseason National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Wildcats and Huskies, along with the other six teams in the event, will only play one game, win or lose, and are looking at this game as an opportunity to prove itself on a national stage again.

The event gives West Coast teams like Arizona and Gonzaga, who don't receive as much media exposure on the other side of the country, a chance to show writers and fans on the East Coast what they can do.

"This type of game is why guys come to play at Arizona," Olson said.