Baylor Basketball looks to contain Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Villanova

High turnover rate

Regardless of the competition, the Wildcats have shown throughout the season, that they can control the ball at an elite clip. They are the best team in the country, at just 8.8 turnovers per game. However, Baylor has exploited an elite ball-controlling team once in the tournament.

The second-best team in the country in that category is Wisconsin, and Baylor forced 14 Badger turnovers, in their effort against the Bears.

The loss of Collin Gillespie has been highlighted significantly over the past three weeks but has not affected the Wildcats’ efficiency in protecting the ball. Since Chris Arcidiacono has taken over at point guard, the Wildcats have stayed the course, with a mere 16 combined turnovers in the previous three games.

Fortunately for Baylor, they cause havoc on defense and the main source comes from Steals. The Bears rank eighth in the country in steals, with 9.1 per game.

Even when the Bears mess up on defense, the hustle and tenacity that they bring make up for it. Eventually, it turns into either a low percentage shot or a turnover. In the clip from above, it turned into a jump ball, in a game where Baylor hounded Kansas on defense.

The main guard Baylor will be focusing on will be Justin Moore, a former top 60 recruit in the 2019 class. He ranks third on the team in points at 12.8 per game and ranks second on the team in assists. Although not the main ball handler, look for Davion Mitchell to be keeping tabs on him.

Mitchell has been known as “off-night” and he showcased that in the Wisconsin game. The duo of Wisconsin guards, Brad Davison and D’Mitrik Trice had 50 points in their first-round win over North Carolina. In the second round, the two combined for just 20 on 4 of 14 shooting from beyond the arc.

If they can get double-digit turnovers from the Wildcats, it should give Baylor enough possessions to come out victorious.