ATLANTA—With his headphones on and hood up, Malcolm Armstead walked directly to the back of the plane as he boarded the Shockers’ chartered flight to Atlanta. He talked to virtually no one, sat down and closed his eyes as the two-hour flight commenced.

With a matchup against the overall number one seed Louisville looming, Armstead will not only have to continue scoring 15.5 points per game, but he will also have to shut down the Big East Tournament MVP, Peyton Siva.

Whether it was Tray Woodall, Aaron Craft or Kevin Pangos, Armstead stepped up to the task, holding them to a combined 30 points.

Siva, known more for his assists than his scoring, is coming off of a 16-point game against Duke in Indianapolis. He plays almost 31 minutes a game and will be another challenge for Armstead, who will have to step up if the Shockers have a chance at advancing to Monday’s national title game.

So far this tournament, Armstead has been called a ball hog and the team’s quarterback by both the media and his teammates. But the name Most Outstanding Player for the West Regional was the tip of the iceberg.

Siva is also no stranger to winning awards. He was named Big East Player of the Week twice this year and was selected to the 2012 NCAA West Regional all-tournament team.

No matter how you draw it up, both guards will have their hands full during Saturday’s game. Along with many other key matchups, looking to Siva and Armstead will show not only the pace of the game but, possibly, the team that will play in the national title.

Armstead walked off the plane in Atlanta still with his headphones on and his hood up. As one of the four seniors for the Shockers, look for him to lead the team into battle against the Cardinals.