Villanova solidified its position as one of the favorites for this year’s March Madness with a resounding win over Xavier in the Big East Tournament title game. The Wildcats will look to live up to that favorite tag starting on Thursday when they take on the Lafayette Leopards in the first round of the national tournament.
Will Villanova stamp its class over Lafayette? Or will Lafayette add to the craziness of March Madness and be the first 16th-seeded team to advance into the second round? Read on below for a breakdown of this East region matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our first-round previews of Butler vs. Texas and North Carolina vs. Harvard.
[sc:MarchMadness ]March Madness No. 1 Villanova Wildcats vs. No. 16 Lafayette Leopards Preview
Where: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh
When: Thursday, March 19, 6:50 PM ET
Line: Villanova Wildcats (-23) vs. Lafayette Leopards (+23); total: 145.0 – view all March Madness lines
Betting on the Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats (32-2, 16-2 Big East) will head into the national tournament with momentum on their side after they captured the Big East Tournament title in emphatic fashion at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. The Wildcats hammered the Musketeers, 69-52, to grab their ninth regular-season conference title.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Villanova used a balanced offensive attack to overwhelm Xavier in the championship game. Eight players scored at least three points and eight players recorded an assist as well. The Wildcats’ depth came to the fore once again as their bench scored 27 points against the Musketeers. Leading the way for the Wildcats was Josh Hart (15 points) who became the first reserve to win the Big East tournament’s most outstanding player award.
What makes Villanova’s lopsided win so incredible was that it did it even with limited production from Ryan Arcidiacono. The Big East player of the year scored just three points in that Xavier game. For the Wildcats to go deep in the tournament, though, they need Arcidiacono to be more aggressive on the offensive end.
Arcidiacono has been a vital cog to the Wildcats’ success this season, averaging 10.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and a team-best 3.5 assists per game. He’s one of three players scoring in double figures for Villanova which include Darrun Hilliard II (14.0 PPG) and Josh Hart (10.4 PPG).
Thanks to this triumvirate, the Wildcats have managed to put up a whopping 76.3 points per game this season, 23rd in the entire nation. They are expected to run roughshod against a Lafayette defense that has allowed 72.4 points per game this campaign, 312th in the entire NCAA.
Villanova is 10-0 in its last 10 games.
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Betting on the Lafayette Leopards
Bring on the mighty Villanova!
The Lafayette Leopards (20-12, 9-9 Patriot) booked a spot in the national tournament with a thrilling 65-63 win Wednesday over the American Eagles in the Patriot League tournament championship. It was the fourth consecutive win for the Leopards who earned their first NCAA Tournament berth in 15 years.
It was an improbable run for the fourth-seeded Leopards who became the lowest-seeded team ever to win the Patriot League tournament title.
Nick Lindner led the way for the Leopards in the championship game, scoring 25 points on a sizzling 9-of-13 shooting from the field. Lindner, who was left out of the Patriot League’s first and second teams, scored 71 points in three tournament games. He shot an incredible 24-of-39 from the field during this period and dished out 16 assists to earn tournament MVP honors.
The Leopards will look to create more history when they take on No. 1 Villanova in the first round. Facing the Wildcats might be a daunting task but the Leopards will fancy their chances of scoring an upset because of their phenomenal offense. Lafayette is averaging 74.2 points per game this season, 34th in the entire nation.
Aside from Lindner (12.8 PPG), two other players are averaging in double-figures for the Leopards this season, namely Dan Trist (17.3 PPG) and Seth Hinrichs (13.1 PPG). Hinrichs scored 16 points in the title game but Trist struggled, netting just six points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field.
For them to stand a chance against Villanova, they will need all three players, particularly Trist to be right on target on the offensive end right from the get-go. It will be easier said than done, however, as the Wildcats are 44th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 60.9 points per game this season.
Lafayette is 6-1 in its last seven games.
Writer’s Prediction
Villanova (-23) crushes Lafayette, 85-61.
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