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McCarville key for Gophers; LSU must rebound

NEW ORLEANS -- What will decide Sunday's Final Four matchups? ESPN.com asked the experts to share their opinion:

WHAT ARE THE X-FACTORS IN THE NATIONAL SEMIFINALS?
Minnesota vs. Connecticut
LSU vs. Tennessee

Nancy Lieberman: Nobody else has Diana Taurasi. But nobody has Janel McCarville, either. And nobody has as good a footwork or passing skills in the post as McCarville. If she plays as well as she has so far in this tournament, Minnesota will win the matchup in the paint. If McCarville and Lindsay Whalen can be impact players, that means Minnesota's playing free and relaxed. And that's when the Gophers are at their best.

Doris Burke: Janel McCarville has the best skills of any player her size, and she revels in being 6 feet 2 and 220 pounds. She snatches up rebounds and looks around as if to say, "Anybody want to take me on?" Now she must maintain that level. Still, UConn's defense on Whalen also is key. Do the Huskies switch off screens? Do they give her a little cushion to shoot? I think we'll see them giving her better looks at the 3-pointer. That being said, UConn will be hard to defend, too, and Minnesota's defense on Diana Taurasi will be as important.

Ann MeyersAnn Meyers: Rebounding is always important. But the role players are going to have a very big impact. We know what to expect from the stars, but who else is going to step up? Will two Husky starters, Ann Strother and Maria Conlon, fail to score any points again as they did in the Elite Eight? Probably not.

Nell Fortner: Shannon Bolden has to have a good defensive game against Diana Taurasi. Bolden has played very good defense up to this point. For UConn, Jessica Moore's defense on Janel McCarville will be key. Moore is an unsung hero for UConn; she quietly dominates, and her ability shouldn't be underestimated. She flat-out gets the job done in the paint.

Doris BurkeDoris Burke: Seimone Augustus has got to be sensational for LSU to win. Temeka Johnson, who has done all she has been asked, is playing as well as she has in her career. She has hit the key shots, in my opinion, and if Tennessee looks to take Augustus away, Johnson needs to continue to hit the medium-range jump shot.

Nancy Lieberman: LSU has had the toughest road and most distractions to reach the Final Four, and the inherent pressures of playing so close to home can take their toll on a team, especially one making its first appearance in the national semifinals. Seimone Augustus must continue to play big, scoring 20 or more points. Temeka Johnson needs to keep her stats up across the board. Doneeka Hodges must knock down some outside shots to get the team flowing. LSU won't go deep into its bench, but the starters have to come out active with a lot of energy from the opening tip. Most importantly, LSU has to rebound with Tennessee. Otherwise, it could be a long game for the Lady Tigers.

Doris BurkeStacey Dales-Schuman: Rebounding and bench contribution. Tennessee outrebounded LSU 44-28 when they played in February; this time LSU must hit the glass. Tennessee's bench came up big against Stanford, and is averaging 20 points; LSU's reserves combine for 13.2 ppg. Lastly, Tennessee's continued success to get to the free-throw line is important. Getting to the foul line does two things. First, it allows the Lady Vols to control the momentum of the game. And second, it stops the clock, which allows the players to recover and the coaches to discuss the game plan.

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