Behind Enemy Lines: Villanova
No. 5 seed West Virginia will renew a series with an old Big East opponent in the Sweet 16 Friday night when the Mountaineers take on the No. 1 seed Villanova.
The two teams have met 42 times, 24 as members of the same conference but haven't played since the 2011 season. In that time, the Wildcats have developed into one of the premier basketball programs nationally claiming the 2016 national title.
In an effort to give our readers an in-depth look at the upoming opponent Villanova, WVSports.com goes Behind Enemy Lines for insight on the Wildcats from NovaIllustrated.com Publisher Josh Naso.
1. What does this Villanova team do well? They have six players that score in double figures and hit 50-percent of their shots, 40-percent from three. Perhaps the better question after you discuss their strengths is what weaknesses, if any?
Something that never ceases to amaze me with this Villanova team is the ball movement. They are incredibly unselfish and patient and that makes things really hard on the opponent's defense. They pass up good shots for great ones, and this helps them get a high number of good looks. They also have seven guys who can step out to the three-point line, which creates a whole other set of problems for defenses and helps the offense run.
In terms of weaknesses, obviously they are susceptible when shots aren't falling and they aren't the typical type of defensive team Nova has had under Jay Wright, which we'll get into a little later.
2. Who are the players that make this engine run for the Wildcats? Who are the key players and what do they do well?
Any discussion of the Villanova engine start with Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. Brunson is your classic crafty, smart, experienced point guard. He has a great understanding of the game and always seems to make the right play. He scores from all three levels and has a knack for knowing when the team needs him to take over.
Bridges is super long and athletic, and has progressed from defensive role player with potential into a complete player and likely lottery pick. He has really improved his three-point shot and made strides in his ability to create his own shot, all while continuing to make an impact defensively and on the glass. His performance in the second half against Alabama is a great example of what he can do.
Donte DiVincenzo provides the spark of the bench. He can knock down three's, rebounds well for his size, and has improved as a distributor late this season. Eric Paschall doesn't get talked about a ton, but his energy is huge for Nova. He never stops, and is the kind of guy who makes the winning plays for you, the big offensive rebound and put-back, things like that.
3. When Villanova has the ball, what do they like to do? Is this similiar to some of the Villanova teams from the old Big East days when they would square off against West Virginia or completely different? How guard oriented in this club and do they have any issues defending the post?
Villanova remains pretty guard oriented, although Omari Spellman is arguably the most offensively gifted big man they have had under Jay Wright. They love to move the ball and the defense until an open look presents itself. The guards won't hesitate to take their man off the dribble if they see an opportunity to do so.
Brunson is very good working in the post, and that combined with bigs who can shoot the three allows them to invert their offense, which they will do at times. Despite being guard-heavy, they have been solid defending the post. Spellman and Paschall can handle themselves down low, while Wright does an excellent job teaching his guards how to front the post when they find themselves in that situation.
4. Good guards help make beating a press a lot easier. Has Villanova gone against many teams that have attempted to pressure them this year and how did they handle it? How do you think they are equipped to handle what West Virginia will throw at them?
I don't know that any team is ever comfortable heading into a game against West Virginia and that press. Having Brunson and Phil Booth, both experienced and adept ball handlers, will help. The weapons are there to punish a broken press, but I don't know that they have seen anything like what West Virginia will throw at them this season. Most of the pressure they have faced has been of the token, delay the start of the half-court offense variety. It will be interesting to see how they respond. I'd expect to see an eight man rotation from Villanova, with DiVincenzo first off the bench and freshmen Collin Gillespie and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree filling out the rotation.
5. How about on the defensive end? Villanova use man, zone or a mix of both? How have teams attacked them to have success this season?
Jay Wright loves for the foundation of his teams to be defense, but this year's team hasn't been a typical Jay Wright defensive squad. Part of that was due to some injuries, especially to Phil Booth, and there has been some improvement down the stretch with a full roster available. For the most part they run man, mixing in some zone to change the look. They also favor a 1-2-2 press of varying intensity depending on what they are trying to accomplish, but Bridges and his 7'2" wingspan can be disruptive in that look. In the loss to Butler they fell victim to anomalously hot shooting, but struggled with some of the Bulldogs' motion and cutting.
Teams tried to replicate that in the Big East tournament and Nova did a much better job with it. In the loss to Providence, turnovers were the major issue. Most of the defensive issues have improved with the return of Booth, but the biggest struggles have come with communication and rotations, hence Butler's success with its motion.
6. What are your keys to the game and how do you see this playing out? What does West Virginia have to do if it wants to frustrate Villanova and put itself in position for an upset?
When the bracket was first revealed, West Virginia immediately jumped out as a red flag. I don't think they are a matchup anyone wants at this time of year. I think turnovers and rebounding will be huge in this game. Both teams protect the ball well, but West Virginia has been better at generating turnovers. If one team opens up a margin in both categories, I think they'll be in a good position to win the game. Brunson against Jevon Carter should be fascinating. If the press is working and West Virginia can consistently challenge Villanova's shots it will give them a big boost. Villanova does a really good job of staying poised and remaining confident in what they do, so it will be interesting to see that strength up against a team that loves to be disruptive. This really is a fascinating mathcup and it should be fun to watch it play out. Whoever advances to the Elite Eight will have earned that spot.
