'Nova hopes to upset top-seed Kansas in Sweet 16

vs.

12-seed Villanova Wildcats (22-12) vs.

1-seed Kansas Jayhawks (33-3)

Date: Friday, March 28, 2008
Location: Detroit, Michigan (Ford Field)
Time: Approx. 9:40 p.m. EDT
Television: CBS

Kansas coverage: PhogBlog | Rock Chalk Talk

In mid-January, who would have thought that the Villanova Wildcats would have a chance to upset a 1-seed in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament? That will exactly be the case on Friday, when the Wildcats square off with the Kansas Jayhawks at 9:40 p.m. in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Kansas started the season by winning 20 straight games and cruised to another Big 12 Conference title by going 13-3 in its division. The Jayhawks' three losses on the year came in February, when the Kansas fell to Kansas State, Texas, and Oklahoma State by a combined 13 points. One could conceivably make the argument that Kansas flirted with going undefeated more so than Memphis, as the Jayhawks faced stiffer competition all season.

Make no mistake about it, head coach Bill Self has built a loaded roster, with talented former McDonald’s All-Americans top to bottom.The Jayhawks led the nation in regular-season scoring margin, at more than 21 points per game. Additionally, Kansas led the Big 12 in offense and several key defensive categories, including blocks, steals, and defensive field percentage. Simply put, the Jayhawks don't just beat you, they blow you out.

Kansas essentially wears down opponents by exercising its athleticism and depth to the fullest by regularly rotating nine or ten men each game. In the first two NCAA Tournament games, Kansas pummeled Portland State and UNLV by 24 and 19 points, respectively.

Touting nearly five double-digit scorers, Kansas is led by sophomore forward Darrell Arthur (13.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg). Joining him in the frontcourt are senior Darnell Jackson (11.5, 6.7) and senior Sasha Kaun. In the backcourt, junior Brandon Rush, who tested the NBA draft last spring before tearing his ACL, averages 13.0 ppg. Mario Chalmers, who shoots nearly 48 percent from downtown, chips in 12.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. Not to be overlooked, sophomore Sherron Collins puts in just under 10 points per game and is an electric spark off Bill Self’s bench. Any one of these players, who all average under 30 minutes per game, can be the star, and it will be important that all players are accounted for and not forgotten, as all are lethal in their offense.

Keys to the game

Containing Jayhawk frontcourt: ‘Nova is severely undersized in the frontcourt, both in height and athleticism. While ‘Nova has contained the likes of Georgetown, UConn, and Clemson down low, the Jayhawks’ big men as a group are much deeper and talented. Villanova will try to seal off the passing lanes and make Kansas’ guards make shots from the outside, much in the same way ‘Nova contained Clemson in the second half.

Contest three-pointers: To be honest, Villanova has definitely benefited from its tournament opponents missing open three-point shots. Chalmers and Brandon rush both shoot over 44 percent from beyond the arc, so even though Villanova will be denying the post, the guards must contest shots on the wings from these two Jayhawks.

Ball control: Kansas pressures the ball the full length of the court. Scottie Reynolds is still Villanova’s best ball handler, but Fisher has more than proved his worth the past two games. Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson both average more than two steals per game, so limiting turnovers will be a big part of competing in this game.

‘Nova supporting cast: We know Reynolds can get the job done, but who else will provide the added punch to knock the Jayhawks out? Stokes needs to light it up and Pena and Cunningham must add some points and offensive rebounds inside.

X-factors

Shane Clark: I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Clark’s intangibles (leadership, seniority) and some timely rebounding will help ‘Nova immensely. Either that, or his poor dribbling and blown defensive rotations will cause Kansas to have a field day. With Self using basically his entire roster, there is no way the ‘Cats can keep pace without doing the same, especially with Drummond out for good. It is this reason why Clark and the rest of Jay Wright’s bench will be so important come Friday.

Coaching: Will another one of Bill Self’s teams self-destruct in the tournament? Will Jay Wright finally have his young team believing in themselves? We will all find out by midnight on Saturday.

Ford Field: ‘Nova teams traditionally have trouble shooting the three in football and baseball stadiums that have been converted to basketball arenas for NCAA games. Because this team relies so much on its outside game, let us hope this game does not turn into 2006’s version of the Minneapolis Metrodome (Florida defeat).