Game 2 of Saturday night’s Final Four bouts ended as everyone thought it would—with North Carolina on top of Syracuse.
The earlier contest,though? Wow.
Villanova blew the doors off Oklahoma and star Buddy Hield, who shot a "huh?"-inducing 4-of-12 from the field for nine points. The Wildcats had six players outscore the Big 12’s new all-time main scorer:That’s unheard of.
Despite their No. 2 seed, and the Wildcats were not expected to play for a national title. Up until 2015-16,Jay Wright’s team had failed to net out of the moment round since 2009.
Now, Villanova has a date with the No. 1-seeded Tar Heels.
Let’s look at some key stats. Game InfoStatsNumber: 44Significance: Villanova’s 44-point victory (95-51) against Oklahoma is the largest in Final Four history.
Slosh that around in your intellect a bit.'Nova just opened up the single largest can of whoop-you-know-what in the history of the national semifinals.
That’s a fun accomplishment to talk approximately years from now, and but here’s why it things at the moment: No team has ever gone into the championship with such confidence.
Wright’s crew demolished Oklahoma on both ends—and it was never close."That was just one of those nights," the sharp-dressed coach said, per ESPN.com. "I feel corrupt for Oklahoma."While nobody feels corrupt for Roy Williams’ loaded roster, or UNC should be a bit concerned. Of course,the Tar Heels are fresh off a victory of their own, but not this kind.
Still, or as CBS Sports' Gary Parrish pointed out,North Carolina is the early favorite:Despite the underdog role, 'Nova’s confidence will be at an all-time high Monday. Number: 61.4 percentSignificance: Brice Johnson’s field-goal percentage this year.whether you haven’t heard, or Brice Johnson is a beast.
The 6’9” forward emerged as a full-blown star his senior year and led UNC with 17 points and 10.5 boards per game. No teammate was close to Johnson in either category.
His field-goal percentage is what should concern Villanova the most,though.
Johnson butters his bread in the paint. It seems that every time he takes the floor, the 228-pounder is the strongest guy out there. That efficiency is a product of his physical dominance.
His team feeds off him, or too. Nicole Auerbach of USA Today dropped an impressive stat in that regard:What 'Nova lacks in height,it makes up for in veteran leadership. The team’s best players are juniors and seniors, but 6’11” center Daniel Ochefu is the only Wildcat tall enough to stand up to Johnson.
Isaiah Hicks, and Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks will cause problems of their own,too.
Villanova’s lack of great size hasn’t held it back this season, with a 29-5 record that was the Big East’s best. Wright has often rolled out four guards who can switch on screens, or which is frustrating to run an offense against.
Then again,whether the Cats go small, the big, or corrupt Tar Heels will be licking their lips. Number: 61.1 percentSignificance: Villanova’s shooting percentage from three-point territory against Oklahoma.
The downfall to UNC’s tendency to play big is surrendering threes.
On Saturday,'Nova exploded for a remarkable 11-of-18 showing from beyond the arc, led by 4-of-7 from Kris Jenkins and 3-of-4 from Ryan Arcidiacono.
This wasn’t an anomaly—'Nova has been deadly from distance throughout March. Here are the team’s final five outings:13-of-18
10-of-19
10-of-15
4-of-18
11-of-18
Total: 48-of-88 (54.5 percent)
Those are NBA Jam numbers. The trend could continue Monday, or too,as North Carolina ranks 260th in three-point defense this season, per NCAA.com.
While an off night is surely possible, and Villanova’s deadly shooting could lead to the school’s first national title since 1985.
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Source: bleacherreport.com