Arlington, Texas - During the recruiting process, they're told of UConn's rich basketball tradition and possibilities of playing for a national championship.

But seniors Shabazz Napier, Tyler Olander and Niels Giffey never dared to dream about winning two national titles during their careers.

Tonight, they'll attempt to accomplish that feat against Kentucky and capture the program's first championship since 2011, their freshmen seasons.

"To win one is something outstanding," Olander said Sunday. "To get back for a second time, is almost impossible to put into words."

They're also on the verge of making UConn men's basketball program history.

They've already done something that Kemba Walker, Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Donyell Marshall and other UConn greats failed to do by reaching their second national championship game.

Now they can become the first to win two national championships at UConn.

"That would be unbelievable," Giffey said, "because we would be the first three guys in UConn history to make that happen. You have so many great players that go to this program. Guys like Ray Allen, they congratulate us on making it to this Final Four. He's never been to this point."

The three seniors played a supporting role on the 2011 national championship team, following the lead of Walker, who carried the Huskies to the program's third title.

This time, they're the leaders - Napier, an All-American guard; Giffey, a savvy veteran and all-around contributor; Olander, a vital behind-the-scenes contributor and reserve big man.

Giffey compared the two magical NCAA tournament runs.

"I would say I was more surprised my freshman year, because at this point I know what it takes to get here," Giffey said. "Freshman year, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't even know what all these seedings meant."

They can add to their impressive legacy with a historic win tonight. During their careers, UConn is 11-1 in the NCAA tournament.

Final Four rematch

UConn and Kentucky share a Final Four history, facing each other in the 2011 national semifinal in Houston. The Huskies won 56-55 on the way to winning the program's third national title.

The rosters are almost completely different this time around. No Wildcats appeared in the 2011 meeting while Napier, Giffey and Olander saw action for UConn and Ollie was an assistant on Jim Calhoun's staff.

The Wildcats have seven freshmen in their rotation. John Calipari remains the head coach.

"It feels like every single year they bring in this big freshmen class and all these talented guys," Giffey said. "Leading up to those games, I feel a lot of attention is on those big names. Each player on their squad is a challenge. They are a little deeper this year than when we played them before."

What they're saying

UConn junior DeAndre Daniels on Kentucky: "They are pretty big, but pretty much like every other team. They are pretty physical, but we just have to keep doing what we have been doing. Keep them off the glass and try out best."

Napier on comparing 2011 national championship team and this season's team: "We had Kemba Walker, the biggest difference. That team was definitely a unique team. This is a totally different team. … We always said that we want to do what that team did, but at the end of the day, we want to go on our own path."

Junior Ryan Boatright on Kentucky's seven McDonald's All-Americans: "They're supposed to be future pros. We don't really look into that. ... We're not taking it as an extra challenge."

g.keefe@theday.com