Villanova Wildcats
Big East (29-5, 16-2)
In a year full of parity, Villanova was one of the constants atop the rankings. The Wildcats beat some decent teams in nonconference play, but their big games were against Oklahoma and Virginia, and they lost both of those. But the Big East was surprisingly tough this year and there were eight really good teams in the ten team league. And the Wildcats managed to win 16 Big East games with their only losses coming against Providence, at Xavier.
Big Wins: 12/1 at St. Joseph’s (86-72), 12/31 Xavier (95-64), 1/20 at Seton Hall (72-71)
Bad Losses: 12/7 vs Oklahoma (55-78), 1/24 Providence (76-82), 2/24 at Xavier (83-90)
Coach: Jay Wright
Why They Can Surprise:
Coach Jay Wright has an eight man rotation that has turned into one of the best in the country. The quality of the depth is a bit surprising considering Villanova had some unplanned departures from last season, but a couple freshmen have really stepped up. The most notable is point man Jalen Brunson. He arrived at Villanova with a ton of hype, but he is a smart team player too and has settled in nicely, averaging 9.9 points and 2.6 assists per game. He probably could be doing more, but on this team he does not have to, in either the scoring department or the passing department. Senior Ryan Arcidiacono can handle the ball and leads the team in assists with 4.4 per game and adds 11.9 points. Phil Booth is a point guard too and can spell either Brunson or Arcidiacono at the point. The result is Coach Jay Wright always has two point guards on the floor and the turnover numbers show that. Josh Hart has stepped up on the wing and is the team’s top scorer.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The problem in the backcourt is the inconsistent shooting. That has been an issue that has plagued Arcidiacono for years and it has not changed this season. Hart is great when it comes to slashing to the basket, but he too is inconsistent from long range. Forward Kris Jenkins is Villanova’s most prolific three-point shooter, and he hits just 37.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Sometimes Villanova settles for jump shots when they should be attacking the basket and at least getting to the free-throw line. Considering this is the best free-throw shooting team in the country, they need to get to the line more often. Because Jenkins is a stretch four and spends most of his time on the perimeter, the rebounding often falls on the shoulders of 6-11 center Daniel Ochefu. He does average 7.6 rebounds, 9.7 points and 1.5 blocks, but Ochefu does not get enough help on the glass and there are bigger and tougher teams out there that can dominate this team on the glass. On the year Villanova has a plus 2.1 rebounding margin. In their four regular season losses, they were outrebounded by an average of almost nine per game.
Probable Starters:
Jalen Brunson, Freshman, Guard, 9.9 ppg, 2.6 apg
Ryan Arcidiacono, Senior, Guard, 11.9 ppg, 4.4 apg
Josh Hart, Junior, Guard, 15.5 ppg, 1.8 apg, 6.9 rpg
Kris Jenkins, Junior, Forward, 13.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.0 apg
Daniel Ochefu, Senior, Center, 9.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.5 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Mikal Bridges, Freshman, Forward, 6.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Phil Booth, Sophomore, Guard, 6.9 ppg, 2.3 apg
Darryl Reynolds, Junior, Forward, 3.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 77.2 (79th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 63.3 (17, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.7 (52, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.6 (24, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.5 (53, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.5 (233, 8)
Free-Throw Percentage: 77.9 (1, 1)
Rebound Margin: 2.1 (121, 4)
Assists Per Game: 16.3 (30, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.2 (43, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA Second Round win over Lafayette
2015 NCAA Third Round loss to North Carolina State
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 3/6
