NCAA Tournament: Villanova pounds Iowa, advances to first Sweet 16 since 2009
Villanova advances to their first NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 since 2009 with a pounding of Iowa.
Villanova fans can officially exhale because their Wildcats are headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.
Jay Wright’s squad didn’t just advance and end their reputation for collapsing in the first two rounds of the Big Dance, they made a statement, dominating the Iowa Hawkeyes, 87-68, from beginning to finish on Sunday afternoon at the Barclays Center.
The Wildcats had four different players score in double figures – Kris Jenkins (15 points), Josh Hart (19 points), Ryan Arcidiacono (16 points) and freshman Jalen Brunson (12 points) – and they received strong contributions from their bench. Phil Booth, Darryl Reynolds and Mikal Bridges combined for 19 points and nine boards.
Villanova shot a stellar 59 percent from all areas of the floor, 53 percent from downtown and beat the Hawkeyes on the boards by three. They turned the ball over 13 times but with Iowa making some costly mistakes (they also had 13 giveaways), ‘Nova was able to create offense in transition.
Now the best team in the Big East Conference will head to Louisville to face off against the Miami Hurricanes, who squeaked by Wichita State in Providence on Saturday.
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Defense defense and more defense
Villanova is balanced, they have great chemistry and they can knock down the three ball, but this team is different from the Wildcat teams of year’s past.
And the difference is their defense. They communicate so well, give help on the back side, make smart decisions and are always in the right place at the right time.
On Sunday, the Wildcats held Jarrod Uthoff (16 points) and Peter Jok (11 points) in check until the game reached garbage time. Nicholas Baer had 15 off the bench and was the lone Hawkeye that was burning Villanova in the opening half.
Wright’s unit forced turnovers, blocked shots (Daniel Ochefu) and contested every Iowa jump shot. Jenkins did an excellent job on Uthoff and Villanova’s assortment of both pressure man-to-man and zone defenses flustered Iowa.
If Villanova keeps this defensive aggressiveness going, there is a strong chance that they can represent the Big East in Houston
Brunson emerging
Brunson struggled in the Big East Tournament, scoring just 12 points in three games, but in two NCAA Tournament showdowns, the freshman point guard has found his rhythm.
The lead guard has 22 points and seven assists combined in both contests. Most importantly, he has just three turnovers and doesn’t look shell-shocked by the big stage. Brunson is a calming presence and gives the Wildcats a secondary ball handler when Arcidiacono is getting a rest or when an opposing team pressures the basketball.
The youngster looked in command in the first half, scored in transition and shot 50 percent from the floor.
Balance is a typical trait for the Wildcats but Brunson is giving them yet another solid weapon.
Iowa stumped again in a big outing
There’s so much talk about Villanova and their postseason issues that many also forget about Iowa.
The Hawkeyes were ranked fifth in the country and looked like they were headed towards a number one seed in early February. Instead, they completely collapsed down the stretch, losing six of eight while dropping their first game in the Big Ten Conference Tournament to Illinois.
The four seniors – Uthoff, Mike Gesell, Adam Woodbury and Anthony Clemmons – couldn’t break through in the biggest of games. They blew a big lead against Iowa State in non-conference play, their best win before late December was Florida State and they nearly fell apart in their first round game against Temple.
While they swept both Michigan State and Purdue (which cannot be discounted), when it mattered most, the Hawkeyes couldn’t knock off Indiana (twice), Wisconsin and lost questionable games to Ohio State and Penn State.
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The lack of balance and inefficiency from the field overshadowed what was an unbelievable season from Uthoff and a breakout year from Jok.