Based on everything we have seen in this NCAA Tournament, Villanova should roll to the national title.
This is not to demean Michigan, which continued its title quest with a nice comeback against surprising Loyola-Chicago. The Wolverines struggled to settle into their offense — which was odd for a Jim Beilein-coached team — but they defended like crazy.
The chased the Ramblers to the three-point line, they cut off their drives and they choked off their passing lanes. During the last seven minutes of their semifinal game they broke down one of college basketball’s most efficient teams.
But Villanova . . . man, how do you stop that offense? The Wildcats knocked down three-pointers at a record pace this season. The weird shooting background at the Alamodome had no effect on them Saturday as they nailed 18 shots from beyond the arc while blowing out Kansas.
Jalen Brunson is deadly. So is Mikal Bridges. So is Donte DiVincenzo.
Villanova opened their semifinal game with a 22-4 run against the Jayhawks. This was not surprising, since the Wildcats earlier had an 18-1 run against Alabama, a 22-6 run against West Virginia and a 35-14 closeout against Texas Tech.
“Villanova is just another form of Loyola and probably a little taller, a few shot blockers inside and just probably better in some respects and maybe not in some others,” Beilein said Sunday during his team’s news conference at the Final Four. “And really a great example of how the game should be played, just like Loyola was. We’re going to do everything we can to meet that challenge.”
JUST LIKE THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Omari Spellman is a terrific three-point shooter and he plays center. So all five Villanova starters can comfortably make long-range shots.
The Wildcats can do damage inside, too, but they are so good from deep that their offense starts and finishes there. Opponents understand this but there is little they can do about it.
“This is Golden State Warriors here,” Beilein said. “This is Draymond Green type of thing where your guys can shoot it, they can pass it, they can do everything.”
That’s the idea. Villanova coach Jay Wright is a fan of NBA coach Mike D’Antoni, whose go-go style with the Phoenix Suns became a trend-setter.
“The NBA influence is all of us in college,” Wright said Sunday at his team’s news conference. “We all watch the best players, the best coaches and see what we can learn. And the Golden State Warriors have been using this style for a while now.”
MICHIGAN MUST COME READY TO SCORE
Wolverines big man Moe Wagner can attack from anywhere on offense. And he did so against Loyola during his brilliant all-around performance. He poured in 24 points, pulled 15 rebounds and even vaulted over press row in pursuit of a loose ball.
So how unique is Wagner? “I’ll just give you one play,” Wright said. “In the Loyola game, he shot-faked with his right hand and threw a left-handed bounce pass back door for a layup. Who does that? You don’t see point guards do that.
“He has the ability to beat you in any way. I think he’s one of those players that you’re not going to shut him down. You just gotta hope you can minimize his influence on the game. I think that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Despite Wagner’s brilliance and Michigan’s sustained late-season excellence, Villanova will be hard to bet against in the national title game.
