PLAYING PAINTBALL `BIG MEN' HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT IN FINAL FOUR TEAMS' SUCCESSES.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

The big moments in the NCAA Tournament always seem to belong to guards. They hit the game-winning 3-pointers and force the game-turning turnovers. After all, who goes crazy for an offensive rebound?

So while the guards might get the most face time at the Final Four, the team that celebrates Monday night most likely will be the one that got the most consistent play from its post players.

And don't forget who made the biggest shot in LSU's regional final victory over Texas. That would be LSU's 6-foot-9, 310-pound Glen Davis, whose overtime 3-pointer put the dagger in the Longhorns.

By now everyone has heard of Davis, he of ``Big Baby'' fame, and Florida's Joakim Noah, he of the impressive athletic lineage. But because of those players' notoriety, UCLA and George Mason won't be taken by surprise, and how they deal with Davis and Noah, respectively, will determine their fates.

Will UCLA, a heavily guard-oriented team, get worn down by the constant pounding, not only from Davis but from Tyrus Thomas, or will the Bruins' unheralded big men, specifically much-maligned Ryan Hollins, step up to the challenge and continue the strong play that made him the MVP of the Oakland regional?

Can otherwise-undersized George Mason ride 6-foot-7, 274-pound Jai Lewis to the title, or will Florida's trio of versatile forwards, led by Noah, match the Patriots' athleticism and overpower them?

Those are the questions that likely will determine who comes away with the only win that matters.

--LSU vs. UCLA

Not long ago, it would have been difficult to see this big-man matchup as anything but a huge advantage for the Tigers, with Davis and Thomas drawing comparisons to Shaquille O'Neal and Stanley Roberts.

In the victory over Texas, Davis and Thomas combined for 47 points and made 21 of 33 shots, and they might be even more impressive on the defensive end, with their bulk and ability to block shots.

``We're going up against the human fly-swatting machine,'' UCLA coach Ben Howland said.

But while Davis has turned into a tournament darling, helped along by his girth, inspiring backstory and outgoing personality, the Bruins quietly have made substantial improvements to their inside game.

The biggest change came from Hollins, who seemed destined to be remembered as an underachiever.

Hollins' low point came before a Dec. 23 victory over Sacramento State, when Hollins strained his groin during pregame warmups, the latest indignity for a player already viewed as being soft.

``I've never had a player injure himself in the layup line,'' Howland said then, without much empathy.

Hollins' UCLA career has been all about unrealized potential. Hollins briefly lost his starting job after a loss to USC but has rebounded brilliantly, and his big moment came in the regional final against Memphis, when Hollins totaled 14 points and nine rebounds and elicited a much different response from Howland.

``God, did he make some incredible athletic plays,'' Howland said of Hollins.

Hollins stands 7-feet tall and is generously listed at 225 pounds. His long body and athleticism make him difficult to shoot over and hard to defend, but he's also susceptible to opponents who can outmuscle him.

The further problem for UCLA is that Davis and Thomas aren't just flyswatters. Davis is a versatile big man who can run the court, and just ask Texas about Davis' ability to hit shots from 3-point range.

So it's likely that Hollins, even with his resurgence, will need some help.

The Bruins have talented freshman Richard Mbah a Moute and Alfred Aboya to provide depth, but the wild card could be Michael Fey, who has been buried at the end of the Bruins' bench.

Fey's UCLA career has been derailed by injuries, but at 7-feet and 270 pounds, Fey lacks the footwork but has the stature to make things difficult for Davis and Thomas. Hollins sees the potential.

``Don't count him out,'' he said of Fey, and given where he came from, Hollins speaks from experience.

--FLORIDA vs. GEORGE MASON

George Mason has been here before. Not to the Final Four, of course, but on the verge of a matchup with another opponent that would seem to have a huge advantage over the Patriots in the paint.

The Patriots' forwards don't look like much when they take the court. Plus, there's only two of them. George Mason usually goes with a three-guard attack, leaving Lewis and Will Thomas, also 6-7 but more than 50 points lighter at 220, to tangle with the big.

In Florida, the Patriots face a team that lacks a traditional center but features a frontline of Noah (6-11), Corey Brewer (6-8) and Al Horford (6-9). And handed that mismatch, the Patriots will shrug.

That's because in their regional final against Connecticut, Lewis and Thomas gave up four and three inches, respectively, to the Huskies' big men, Hilton Armstrong and Josh Boone.

Everyone saw how that turned out. Connecticut tried single coverage on both Lewis and Thomas, who combined for 39 points, including eight of the Patriots' overtime points in their stunning victory.

``They're strong, they're quick and they have the most important ingredient you need: basketball IQ and the heart to go with it,'' George Mason coach Jim Larranaga told The Washington Post.

And when opponents try to double team the post? Wichita State tried that in the regional semifinals. Lewis and Thomas kicked out to the perimeter, and the Patriots' guards made 8 of 15 3-pointers.

Already in this tournament, the Patriots have neutralized two excellent big men, North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough and Michigan State's Paul Davis, but the Gators could provide the biggest challeng.

It all starts with Noah, and perhaps no player has improved his NBA future more.

Noah is averaging 17.3 points, 10 rebounds, 4.8 blocks, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals during the tournament and displaying such an amazing all-around game that he is drawing comparisons to Kevin Garnett.

``I am busting my butt and working hard, but so is everyone else,'' Noah said. ``We are sharing the ball and playing unselfishly. We are not worried about statistics. It is all about winning.''

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

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UCLA will need Ryan Hollins, left, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, center, and Cedric Bozeman to pick up their defense today.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press