Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball: Keys to success at Villanova in 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball against Jermaine Samuels #23 of the Villanova Wildcats in the first half at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots the ball against Jermaine Samuels #23 of the Villanova Wildcats in the first half at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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VILLANOVA, PA – DECEMBER 04: Villanova Wildcats huddle. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA – DECEMBER 04: Villanova Wildcats huddle. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Opponent Intel: Villanova Wildcats

Villanova will enter this contest ranked at No. 9 in the country and as winners in 10 of its last 11 games. As a result, the Wildcats’ record currently sits at 14-3 (4-1 BE) on the season and it is obviously no secret that they are one of the best teams in the country. Head coach Jay Wright once again has a Big East and national title contender on his hands as this is arguably the most talented, albeit young, roster in the conference.

Villanova currently holds the 13th-best adjusted offensive efficiency rating in the country and that is due to its extensive number of viable scoring options. Leading the way, of course, is the top-tier duo of Collin Gillespie and Saddiq Bey but they are far from alone. In fact, they are just two of six Wildcats scoring at least eight points per game so far this season. This team boasts elite-level spacing with so many legit shooting threats and their size at all five positions is impressive.

To summarize, here is a quick breakdown of Villanova’s roster from a size and scoring perspective:

  • Gillespie (6-foot-3): 14.9 ppg and 4.5 apg – 38.1% 3P
  • Moore (6-foot-4): 10.6 ppg and 2.8 rpg – 32.9% 3P
  • Samuels (6-foot-7): 10.9 ppg and 5.2 rpg – 27.8% 3P
  • Swider (6-foot-7): 8.2 ppg and 3.4 rpg – 42.0% 3P
  • Bey (6-foot-8): 15.1 ppg and 5.0 rpg – 44.9% 3P
  • Robinson-Earl (6-foot-9): 10.8 ppg and 9.5 rpg – 29.4% 3P

These are the main six players in the rotation as all of them average 20+ minutes per game. Brandon Slater is the only other player that has played in every game so far this season so he is also worth mentioning as a consistent piece of the rotation. He only averages 2.1 points in 13.2 minutes per game, though.

On the whole, there are not many teams in the country as offensively dangerous as Villanova. The Wildcats shoot a ton of 3-pointers and they are especially efficient on those shots. They move the ball extremely well while working to find the best possible shot on each possession. Villanova will use JRE as an interior scorer but is otherwise a perimeter-oriented squad.