Villanova Basketball: 2019-20 keys for Wildcats vs. Ohio State

3) Limit turnovers

This obviously branches off of finding stable backcourt production but, in a game that could be close, limiting unnecessary mistakes could be the difference.

Villanova had no problems dispatching Army, yet they still turned the ball over more than you’d like to see. They gave it away on 21.3 percent of their possessions in the opener, a mark that sits just inside the top 150 in the country.

The good news is that the problem didn’t plague Villanova’s backcourt as Gillespie and Moore only turned it over one time each. The bad news is that it did plague two of the guys who had and will have the ball in their hands the most in Robinson-Earl and Samuels.

It was Robinson-Earl’s first collegiate game and Samuel’s first as a primary decision-maker in the offense, so mistakes were expected. I know turnovers were a country-wide epidemic during the first few days of the season and they should be improved in Game 2. That said, Ohio State has a much better defense than the Black Knights so everyone needs to be at the top of their game.

Essentially, if Villanova is able to play their game, they should take care of business despite being on the road. That said, given the young players they’re relying on while playing shorthanded, it’s much easier said than done.