Villanova Wildcats: 3 Thoughts on Win over VCU

Villanova traded baskets with VCU early before a 16-0 run early in the second half allowed the Wildcats to run away with the victory. By limiting turnovers and making the extra pass, Villanova prevented VCU from effectively running its trademark defense. Hot shooting put the Wildcats safely in the lead.

JayVaughn Pinkston finally played up to expectations

Pinkston came into the game averaging 8.7 points per game, a dramatic drop from his average of 14.1 as a junior. Against VCU, he eclipsed this season’s average with more than 8 minutes remaining in the first half. Pinkston proved to be a matchup nightmare for the Rams, overpowering defenders near the hoop to create easy baskets and free throw opportunities. He started the game by knocking down his first four shots on his way to 15 points.

Pinkston picked a great game to play like he did as a junior, as tonight marked the team’s first real contest of the season. His first half performance allowed Villanova to enter the half with the lead while waiting for his teammates to knock down shots. When the rest of the Wildcats started shooting well, Villanova stretched its lead too far for VCU to catch up.

A great assist-to-turnover ratio proved crucial to the victory

Ryan Arcidiacono never got his shot going, but did an exceptional job of creating for others. He finished the game with 2 points on 1-for-7 shooting, but converted 9 assists and didn’t commit a single turnover. In the 2013 NCAA Tournament, Trey Burke and Michigan showed the impact that a great point guard can have on Shaka Smart’s Havoc defense. Arcidiacono did an excellent job of becoming more of a facilitator in the second half, while keeping the ball away from VCU defenders.

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Early in the second half, Villanova committed a pair of turnovers that led to a 6-0 VCU lead and a four point deficit for the Wildcats. The next turnover that the team committed didn’t come until there were less than 12 minutes left in the game. By that point, the Wildcats had a 16 point lead. Preventing Briante Weber from making significant strides on the NCAA’s career steals record and allowing the Rams to turn the game into a track meet was a vital part of Villanova’s victory.

Villanova can make noise in March with performances like this

Coming into tonight, it would’ve been difficult to make a case for Villanova as a dark horse Final Four team. The Wildcats struggled against Patriot League opponents Lehigh and Bucknell, even surrendering the lead late against Bucknell. Againts its toughest opponent of the season to date, Villanova demonstrated that it is certainly capable of a deep run in the Big Dance.

The biggest concern for the Wildcats, much like last year, is the team’s lack of a true big man. Daniel Ochefu is off to a nice start to the season, averaging 10 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, but so far he’s done it against inferior competition. Tonight, Ochefu scored just 4 points in his first contest against the type of post players he’ll see in a deep NCAA Tournament run. He’ll need to significantly up his production against top competition for Villanova to fulfill its potential.