Villanova Has Enough To Get By Miami
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS) — There's no team in the Sweet 16 playing better than Villanova right now.
The Wildcats have beaten their first two NCAA opponents by a combined 49 points, for the largest average victory of any of the 16 teams left in the tournament, winning by 24.5 points a game. Of the 16 teams left, no team is giving up fewer points than the Wildcats' 63.6 points a game, a two-point drop since the tournament began. Only Kansas (39.7%) and Gonzaga (39.7%) are holding opponents to a lower percentage of shooting than Villanova (40.1%) in the Sweet 16 field.
Now the Wildcats face a large test in Miami Thursday night, a team that averages 75.4 points a game and is one of the better shooting teams in the nation, hitting shots at a 47.7% clip. What makes the Hurricanes even more imposing to Villanova is their size. If the Wildcats have a weakness, that's dealing with larger teams.
Villanova's 6-foot-11 Daniel Ochefu will have a lot to deal with in 7-foot Miami senior center Tonye Jekiri and 6-8 junior forward Kamari Murphy.
The difference could be Villanova's offense, which has come alive over the first two games of the tournament. The Wildcats 58.6% from the floor and 48.9% from three-point range. Another major factor is for Ochefu to stay on the court. Ochefu, who's had 21 rebounds and six blocked shots during this tournament, is the hub of the Wildcats' defense. Miami's senior 5-11 guard Angel Rodriguez has been torrid so far this March, averaging 26 points a game in the Canes' opening two tournament wins. Villanova guards Ryan Arcidiacono and Jalen Brunson need to cancel that out, or the Wildcats may see Ochefu in early foul trouble.
That's what Miami does best. Canes drive and kick (44.4% from three-point range), or penetrate and get fouled (71%). Miami is also a team that won't quiver if its down, The Canes blew a 21-point lead against Wichita State and were poised enough to close strong. That comes from great senior leadership in fifth-year senior guards Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan. Miami is a team that moves well off the ball, yet the Wildcats are more than capable of matching the Canes' quickness.
A high-scoring game favors Miami. If Villanova can control the tempo and slow the game up, the Wildcats will be one step closer to the Final Four.
