Kansas has looked like the No. 1 team in the country, racking up three double-digit cover wins in the Tournament and easily getting by a good Maryland squad in the Sweet 16 for its 17th straight victory overall. Villanova has put on a shooting display in the Tournament and will need to be dialed in once again to earn a Final Four trip.
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HOW THE VILLANOVA WILDCATS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Several teams still alive in the Tournament are using unpleasant memories of the past as learning tools and motivation to move forward. Villanova knows the misery well. Rather than let those memories be a distraction, the Wildcats adjusted to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009.
Villanova suffered a second round loss in each of the last two seasons, and bowed out in the first round in 2013. The Wildcats entered the Tournament having spent three weeks as the nation’s top-ranked team. Now, they’re showing just how good they might be.
Villanova never trailed against Miami, scoring the first eight points and hitting 62.7 percent of its shots and a season-best 66.7 percent beyond the arc. The blistering shooting opened up the middle and allowed Daniel Ochefu to dominate down low.
It’s hard to imagine Ryan Arcidiacono and Kris Jenkins combining to make 9 of 13 three-point shots against Kansas, but anything close to that could send the Wildcats into the Final Four for the first time since 2009.
HOW THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Kansas is the perfect team for the Tournament. No, the Jayhawks are not a perfect team, just the perfect one right now. They dismantled Maryland in typical Kansas fashion. They played smart. They played steady. And at times were spectacular.
Perry Ellis epitomizes KU basketball. He has a well-rounded game and is a perfect fit in coach Bill Self’s offensive machine. He’s the team’s leading scorer and one of the best all-time at KU. Ellis returned for his senior season to play in a Final Four and he’s 40 minutes away.
Ellis was nearly unstoppable scoring 27 points in a 79-63 win over Maryland on Thursday. He was joined in double figures by Wayne Seldon, Landen Lucas and Frank Mason for the Jayhawks steady offense.
But the offense wasn’t what allowed Kansas to build an insurmountable second half lead. It was defense. KU crowded the lane, not giving Maryland any inside traction. They held the Terps to 5 of 25 from distance and will need the same defensive intensity to cool the hot-shooting Wildcats.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Villanova did everything right in taking down Miami on Thursday. The Wildcats were unconscious from the field, hitting a ridiculous 62.7 percent of their shots. And they were good from all over the floor. Nova knocked down its first 15 free throws before finishing 18 of 19 at the line, and drained 10 of 15 from beyond the arc. The healthy perimeter shooting also opened up the lane for Ochefu, who scored 17 points. Overlooked in the dizzying shooting display was what Miami accomplished on offense. The Canes hit 53.2 percent overall, and 58.8 percent from distance.
Don’t expect the Wildcats to torch the nets at that pace against Kansas. The Jayhawks are as active on defense as they are offensively. They also have more depth than Miami, who was plagued by foul trouble in its loss to Nova. I anticipate this game being much closer than what the teams went through on Thursday and the Jayhawks are playing a complete brand of basketball with a mission to be in Houston.
Kansas 74, Villanova 69
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Villanova Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks will go down Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 8:49 p.m. ET at KFC Yum! Center.
