Yesterday’s Action
Coming off a tremendous victory over Georgetown in its regular season finale, Villanova could have come into the Big East tournament unfocused and primed for a let-down game. However, the Wildcats knew every win was another brick in their tournament foundation, and brought the defensive intensity, in a 66-53 win over St. John’s. With leading scorer D’Angelo Harrison suspended, the Red Storm struggled to maintain consistent offense, finishing just 35.6% from the floor, including 2-11 from downtown. The Wildcats also initially struggled on the offensive end, as the teams went into halftime tied 24-24. Finally, midway through the second half, Villanova came to life, going on a 10-2 run to pull ahead for good. Mouphtaou Yarou buoyed the Villanova offense, shooting 9-10 from the field for a game-high 18 points.
With their continued fine play, the WIldcats are upward movers on the latest NCAA bracket predictions and should have a tournament bid, locked down, as ESPN’s Ryan Feldman states:
With 5 wins against the top 50 and 8 wins against the top 100, it’s likely that Villanova has wrapped up an at-large bid with this win.
— Ryan Feldman (@TheRyanFeldman) March 14, 2013
Villanova will continue their Big East tournament journey against the Louisville Cardinals tonight (read below).
Today’s Action
6:30 PM: St. Joseph’s (17-12, 8-8 A-10) @ Xavier (17-13, 9-7 A-10) [1st Round, A-10 Tournament] – NBC Sports Network
With the 2012-13 regular season largely viewed as a disappointment, the Hawks will look to erase those negative feelings by pulling off the unlikely feat of winning the A-10 tournament. The first step in that quest will pit St. Joe’s against an Xavier squad they defeated at home, 59-49, in late January. These two squads are about as evenly matched as you will come across, featuring similar offensive and defensive efficiency profiles, and both preferring to play the game at a slow pace.
Like the Hawks, Xavier did not meet the high expectations the team had going into the season. Xavier has shown flashes of talent and an ability to beat almost anyone in defeating the likes of Saint Louis, Memphis, and Temple. However, they’ve also suffered bouts of inconsistency, losing to weaker opponents such as Wofford, Pacific, and Wake Forest. The Musketeers are led on the offensive end by freshman guard Semaj Christon, who leads the team in both points (15.4 ppg) and assists (4.7). The Hawks did a good job limiting Christon in the teams’ first meeting, as he needed 21 shots to get his 16 points, and only dished out 2 assists as compared to 3 turnovers. The other threat for Xavier is senior big man Travis Taylor, who averages 11.8 ppg and a team-high 9.0 rpg.
With two teams so evenly matched, the victor will likely be determined by which team does the little things: take care of the ball, get to the free throw line, etc. Both teams know their NCAA dreams will end here with a loss so we should see everything left on the floor from each side. Ultimately, I like the Hawks’ chances as they feature a more balanced attack with four players averaging double-figures. If St. Joseph’s can shut down one of two main cogs for the Musketeers’ attack, they’ll likely move on to face VCU.
7:00 PM: Villanova (20-12, 10-8 Big East) @ Louisville (26-5, 14-4 Big East) [Quarterfinals, Big East Tournament] – ESPN
After dispatching of St. John’s last night in its Big East tournament opener, the Wildcats continue their Madison Square Garden journey tonight against a powerful Cardinals squad. Villanova defeated Louisville back in January, 73-64, in the first of the Wildcats’ three victories over top 5 opponents this season. However, all three of those wins came at home where Villanova was 13-4 this year, as opposed to only 7-8 on the road or at neutral sites.
Much like Villanova, Louisville sports an impressive defensive resume, rating 1st in the nation in defensive rating at only 81.5 points per 100 possessions. The Cardinals’ defensive unit is anchored by Gorgui Dieng, the 6’11” junior from Senegal. Dieng averages a double-double at 10.3 points and 10.1 rebounds, while ranking top-20 in the nation at 2.63 blocks per game. Louisville also features a highly efficient offense, directed by senior guard Peyton Siva. Siva leads the team at 5.9 assists per game, and represents the latest in a long line of Louisville guards who seem like they’re on the team forever (I wouldn’t be shocked if Edgar Sosa suits up tonight). Russ Smith is the main scoring threat for the Cardinals at 17.9 ppg; like the Wildcats, Smith excels at getting to the free throw line, sitting among the top-20 in free throws made among NCAA players.
Ultimately, I feel Louisville represents too strong a foe for the Wildcats to take down at a neutral site, especially after having to play the night before. However, there’s a reason they play the games and Villanova has already proven they can beat this Cardinals team. Regardless, Villanova has reached the 20-win plateau and earned some high-profile victories along the way. They should find themselves dancing in next week’s NCAA tournament no matter what happens in the Big Apple tonight.
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