Villanova Basketball: Keys to Round of 64 matchup with Saint Mary’s

Villanova Basketball received a six seed in the NCAA tournament, and their first round matchup will be with 11 seed Saint Mary’s from the West Coast Conference.

Villanova hasn’t played Saint Mary’s since playing them in the NCAA tournament in 2010. The 10th seeded Saint Mary’s Gaels upset the second seeded Villanova Basketball 75-68. That’s one of the moments that still sticks out as one of the few true blemishes in Jay Wright’s coaching career. There’s a strong possibility another upset comes nine years later. The Wildcats are a very good team, but they’re not as good as they were back in 2010. This Saint Mary’s team was on the right side of the bubble for much of the season, but they’re huge upset over Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference championship secured their destiny into the 2019 NCAA tournament.

Although all the players are different from 2010 to now, the coaches remain the same. Jay Wright and Randy Bennett are very disciplined, unselfish coaches, and because of that the game should be a good one.

1. Control the Pace

Saint Mary’s wants to play a half court, defensive game. In their victory over Gonzaga, they held one of the top teams in the nation to only 47 points during the Gaels 13 point victory. Randy Bennett is a coach that likes to control the pace of the game, and force teams to play a slow, hard-nosed style. Even in most of their losses, the Gaels still did a good job defending.

If Villanova can get out in transition and effectively score on the break then the game should be theirs for the taking. Phil Booth and Eric Paschall need to attack the rim in transition, while Collin Gillespie and Joe Cremo can spot up on the wings.

2. Contain Jordan Ford

Jordan Ford is without a doubt the most important player for Saint Mary’s. Ford is averaging 21.3 points per game, while shooting 49.4% from the field, 80% from the line, and 42.3% from beyond the arch. He’s so critical for Saint Mary’s because they play a slow game. Thus, if Villanova can contain him in the half court sets, the Gaels will really struggle to find other consistent scoring options. Only one other player averages double-digit points per game for the Gaels. Only five of Saint Mary’s players average five points per game or more.

3. Don’t Get Lost In The Big Moments

Although Villanova has Phil Booth and Eric Paschall, both whom have won two national titles, a good amount of the team is new to March Madness. Villanova’s four freshman, including Saadiq Bey and Jahvon Quinerly, are new to postseason basketball. Two out of the three Sophomores didn’t play large roles last postseason either, so it will take these guys to step up in big moments if Villanova wants to avoid the upset and propel themselves into the second round.

Overall, Villanova should be able to handle Saint Mary’s, although it will be a tough game. Saint Mary’s has beaten two teams that are currently in the NCAA tournament in Gonzaga and New Mexico State, but they have also lost to LSU, Mississippi State, and UC Irvine. If Villanova doesn’t let Saint Mary’s slow pace get under their skin, they should live to fight another day.