NCAA Basketball: Keegan Murray, UVA struggles among key takeaways

‘Nova can beat or lose to any team

Coming into the 2021-22 season the Villanova Wildcats were looking to improve upon a season where they won the Big East Regular Season Championship and having lost to Baylor in the Regional Semifinal of the NCAA Tournament. The hope was hinged on the fact that they had won two games in the tournament without the services of injured guard Collin Gillespie.

With Gillespie back – and even with Jeremiah Robinson-Earle gone – the Wildcats were placed seventh in the Busting Brackets pre-season poll. After two weeks it is apparent the Wildcats are able to beat any team one through twenty-five, as well as lose. Sometimes win and lose within days.

The reason behind the Wildcats’ unpredictableness is the fact of how much they depend upon the three-point shot. If in one particular game they are making their shots, it will be nearly impossible to beat them, but in other games, they will simply defeat themselves by continuously taking three-pointers.

Last season the Wildcats were ranked No.34 in the amount of three-point attempts, this season they are attempting twenty-eight per game and are successful on the fourth most with13.7 made per game. Their percentage from beyond the arc is currently No.3 in the nation at almost 49 percent.

The difficulty of being a Villanova fan is summed up in their first three games. If the Wildcats connected on 12-24 as they did versus Howard, they will beat any team – including Gonzaga and Kansas, if however, they shoot the 3 for 12 that they did in their 40 point victory over Mount St. Mary’s they can lose to anybody that they will meet in the Tournament.