Daily News | The keys to Villanova beating Kansas go beyond controlling the pace of play
NEW ORLEANS – Mirror images, these Villanova Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks are not. They get to the same place in different ways. One team goes about its business in quick, efficient bursts, looking for express lanes. The other takes its sweet time, happy to play in rush-hour traffic, probing every second for opposing weaknesses.
Kansas coach Bill Self said he watched the 2018 game this week just to check some details, like how when ‘Nova backed guards down into the post, whether they had the same action off the ball. Playing short-handed without one of their stars, Justin Moore, narrows the margin of error for Villanova. Inside baskets won’t be easy to find, either. Kansas blocked 11 shots in getting past Providence in the Sweet 16.
There are tapes that are worth watching for both schools. Since Kansas played both Providence and Creighton in this NCAA Tournament, both teams can watch the other playing those squads, see what worked and what didn’t. Self remarked how Villanova’s going 4-1 against those two Big East opponents gained his respect. Villanova can watch those Kansas NCAA games and use Creighton and Providence almost as scout teams.Villanova has the best point guard here in Collin Gillespie. Advantage, Wildcats.
Staying nimble in-game, is no small thing. During the regular season, Moore was often an X-factor in the sense that for all his contributions, if he tacked at least 16 points on top of that, Villanova had a really strong chance. Teams that kept Moore below that saw their chances rise dramatically, as in games Moore played, Villanova was 17-1 when he scored 16 or more points, and 12-6 when he did not.
It’s Self’s job obviously to disrupt that. The real X-factor might be whether Villanova hits enough three-pointers. Creighton made 12, to only three for Kansas, but the Jayhawks got 19 more two-point shots, enough to survive.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Winner buys dinner: It’s Joy vs. Cole & Villanova vs. KansasThe Final Four is Saturday, and while you might be betting on which team will emerge victorious -- so will Joy and Cole.
Read more »
Former Kansas star Joel Embiid: ‘I don’t like Villanova this weekend’Embiid hopes this season’s Kansas squad gives him locker room bragging rights over Duke and North Carolina teammates.
Read more »
Kellogg's Kansas union members ratify new contract, get 'historic' wage increaseWages for 570 workers at the facility will increase by 6% during the first year with another 5% increase during the second year and a 4.5% bump during the third year. This equates to 15.5% over the term of the contract.
Read more »
Flamingo that escaped Kansas zoo in 2005 spotted on Texas coastFlamingo No. 492, aka 'Pink Floyd,' has been spotted several times in Wisconsin, Louisiana and Texas over the 17 years since he escaped.
Read more »
Fugitive flamingo thriving in Texas 17 years after escaping Kansas zooThe exotic bird, nicknamed Pink Floyd for its pink and white hues, appears to have once again turned up in a bay near Port Lavaca on the Gulf Coast.
Read more »
Kansas seed business in 'no man's land' amid soaring wheat pricesEhmke Seed owners Vance and Louise Ehmke explained why they are in “no man's land” as it pertains to selling wheat amid the war between Russia and Ukraine, both major suppliers of the commodity.
Read more »