Villanova Wildcats
Big East (32-2, 16-2)
Villanova began the season as the favorite to win the Big East. That bore out over the course of the season. They began with 13 straight wins and hit 20 wins just after the calendar flipped to February. The Wildcats have been consistently fast up the court and on the scoreboard. They will wear teams down and pull away at the end of games. Coach Jay Wright has one of his best teams since he’s been in Philadelphia.
Big Wins: 2/7 Georgetown (69-53), 2/11 at Providence (74-68), 2/14 at Butler (68-65)
Bad Losses: 1/13 at Seton Hall (61-66), 1/19 at Georgetown (58-78)
Coach: Jay Wright
Why They Can Surprise:
A deep run for the Wildcats is not out of the question. The biggest asset that the Wildcats have is their ability to fill it up. Villanova averages points in the mid-70s. They can keep up with anyone and will not be outhustled. Villanova’s end of game execution is fantastic and they are one of the best finishing teams in the country. As a team, they only shoot 38.3% from 3-point range, but they have a couple of individuals who are clutch in that regard. Josh Hart and Phil Booth are both shooting well over 40% from beyond the arc. What makes this team dangerous is their ability to spread it around. They have great scorers on the perimeter in Darrun Hillard II and Ryan Arcidiacono and a beast underneath in JayVaughn Pinkston. They can attack from anywhere.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The Achilles heel of this team is size. They pound teams with their speed, but if they are in a game with big, athletic players, they could have some trouble. They only average about 35 rebounds per game. It’s a team built on guard play with a great player in Pinkston manning the middle. Unfortunately after Pinkston, Coach Wright has Daniel Ochefu and not many other options for physicality in the paint. The Wildcats have been great all season at hitting shots, yet one bad day in the tournament could spell the end of their run since they have a difficult time manufacturing extra possessions.
Probable Starters:
Darrun Hillard II, Senior, Guard, 14.0 ppg, 2.2 apg
Ryan Arcidiacono, Junior, Guard, 10.2 ppg, 3.5 apg
JayVaughn Pinkston, Senior, Forward, 9.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.2 apg
Kris Jenkins, Sophomore, Forward, 6.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.0 apg
Dylan Ennis, Junior, Guard, 9.8 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.7 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Josh Hart, Sophomore, Guard, 10.4 ppg, 1.4 apg, 4.4 rpg
Daniel Ochefu, Junior, Forward, 9.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.4 bpg
Phil Booth, Freshman, Guard, 5.6 ppg, 1.5 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 76.7 (19th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 61.5 (52, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.8 (42, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.8 (80, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.8 (16, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.3 (40, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.9 (46, 2)
Rebound Margin: 2.7 (88, 5)
Assists Per Game: 15.8 (13, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.8 (33, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2014 NCAA Second Round win over Milwaukee
2014 NCAA Third Round loss to Connecticut
2013 NCAA Second Round loss to North Carolina
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to George Mason
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Robert Morris
2010 NCAA Round of 32 loss to St. Mary's
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over American University
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over UCLA
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Duke
2009 NCAA Regional Final win over Pittsburgh
2009 NCAA National Semifinal loss to North Carolina
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Clemson
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Siena
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Kansas
2007 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Kentucky
*all team stats through 3/8
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
