No. 2 South – Villanova Wildcats (Overall: 28-4, Conf: 16-2)
Team Strengths:
There is real balance in the Wildcats’ game. Villanova has a decent offense that makes 77.2 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting, while they hold its opponents down to only 63.3 PPG. Their defense arguably is what makes the Wildcats a terrifying team to face.Their perimeter coverage in particular has been tight with opponents shooting just 32.1% on two-point jumpers and 43.3% on two-point attempts overall. You can credit Villanova’s success to the experience brought to the team that features eight juniors and seniors led by the trio of Josh Hart, Ryan Arcidiacono, and Daniel Ochefu.
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Team Weaknesses:
For a team stacked with guards, Villanova is not shooting well from the outside. The Wildcats are just hitting 33.5% of their shots from the outside. That’s the lowest for Villanova since 2011-12, which was the last time the Wildcats missed the boat to the Big Dance. In addition, the Wildcats are posting just 35.8 rebounds per game. They were outrebounded in both their losses to Providence (39-32) and Xavier (42-33).
Team Stats:
Category | Stat | NCAA Rank |
---|---|---|
Points Per Game | 77.2 | 62 |
Rebounds Per Game | 35.8 | 174 |
Blocks Per Game | 3.4 | 167 |
3-Point Percentage | 33.5% | 236 |
Free Throw Percentage | 77.9% | 1 |
Starting Lineup:
Position | Name | PPG |
---|---|---|
C | Daniel Ochefu | 10.3 |
F | Kris Jenkins | 12.7 |
G | Josh Hart | 15.3 |
G | Ryan Arcidiacono | 11.7 |
G | Jalen Brunson | 10.5 |
Writer’s Prediction:
Villanova reaches Elite Eight.