NCAA Basketball: Three takeaways from the Villanova, Virginia thriller

Jan 29, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Josh Hart (3) and Virginia Cavaliers center Jack Salt (33) and guard Marial Shayok (4) battle for a loose ball during the first half at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 24, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright during the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Marquette won 74-72. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Villanova still has their fair share of issues

Yes, I know Villanova just defeated one of the best teams in the ACC and showed the heart of a champion down the stretch of the game, but as mentioned on the first slide, Virginia punched the Wildcats in the mouth for 32 minutes.

They shut down Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins (who were a combined 4-of-19 for the game), contested every shot and exposed Villanova’s normally stout defense.

If it wasn’t for the play of the poised Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges (he played one of his best games of the season on Sunday), and the lack of turnovers, Villanova could’ve been trailing by even more than 13 in the second half.

In fact, in four of their last five games, Villanova hasn’t played their best basketball. They were sleeping walking in a road game against St. John’s, let Providence hang around at the Wells Fargo Center, were stunned by Marquette on the road and nearly let Virginia capture a win on their home floor. The exception was the final eight minutes of Sunday’s match-up against UVA and their 30-point beat down against Seton Hall.

Jenkins has been cold and Hart’s game has tailed off a bit, but the real issue lies with their lack of defensive consistency and lack of depth in the paint. The Wildcats miss Daniel Ochefu’s rim protection and more importantly, they miss him on offense. Last season, Villanova could throw the ball down to the big man on the block and let him operate with his array of hook shots and post moves. This year, they don’t nearly have that type of player.

And if someone doesn’t emerge soon (we are looking at you Darryl Reynolds and Eric Paschall), Villanova could get tripped up in the Big Dance before having a shot at repeating.

Yes, Virginia is a great team and yes, the Wildcats won this game, but this is confirmation that no team in college basketball is safe. Every team has their fair share of flaws. The National Champion will be decided by who is able to correct those concerns/problems at the right time.