Enjoy today, Villanova fans. Not just because the Wildcats have reached their first national championship in over 30 years. Not just because this team is playing perhaps better than any team to wear the uniform before them. Enjoy today because now the entire country is focused on our school’s basketball team like we have all season. Everyone is talking about Villanova, there is more content than you can possibly try to consume (See today’s Arizin), and I just can’t live without it.
But by the end of the week, as if by magic, all of that will disappear. Win or lose, the 2016 basketball season will be over and it will be six months before it can resume. So, before the final chapter of what has surely been one of the most exciting seasons in team history comes to a close, here are some final thoughts for the finale:
Nice basketball
Last November, I wrote an article about how Villanova seniors reach their full potential. Well, that goes for the whole team. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is playing at their best. But it’s not just that they’re making great individual plays, it’s also how they trust their teammates to support them when they’re putting their individual talents to work. Phil Booth He can throw 5 steals aggressively against Oklahoma because he knows he’s the tip of the spear and the entire defense is behind him. I’ve never seen a team play with such cohesion and confidence on defense, and that confidence leads to truly remarkable levels of efficiency on offense. It’s truly beautiful basketball.
Does Philadelphia support us?
There’s a lot of talk about whether Philadelphia is behind a suburban school on the Hoity-Toity Main Line, especially among other Big 5 schools. Many students refuse to support Villanova because they’re rivals. In a way, I get it. I don’t want St. Joe’s, Temple, or any of Nova’s rivals to win horseshoes, much less basketball. But that being said, if one of them were to trade places with Nova right now, I’d support them. There are three reasons for that:
1) It looks better to you. This is the same reason I don’t understand why fans yell “OVER-RATED” when they beat a higher ranked team. You’re just devaluing your own victory! Same concept here. All our rivals lost to us this season, but it makes your team look better if you lose to the eventual national champion. It’s just science.
2) Who wants North Carolina to win? If you’re a small school, you hate those Blue Bloods. If you’re a Blue Blood, you don’t want one of your peers to get a leg up.
3) We’re playing again next season. Wouldn’t you rather beat the defending national champion than beat your rival? A Nova championship just creates more opportunities for your team to do well if you know you have them on the schedule in 2016-17.
To focus
I think my favorite story from this Final Four is Jay’s adaptation of the team’s approach from 2009. He said he wanted the team to enjoy everything and this unique experience. But once the team started enjoying the event, they could never find the same level of focus that brought them to Detroit. Now, in Houston, the team is focused on what matters. You hear the phrase “humble and hungry” every game, and the only stats the players want to talk about are defensive stops. Kris Jenkins They described it best when asked if they enjoyed their time at the Final Four, saying that their enjoyment came from winning, and that’s what they were focused on.
Brotherly Love
I’m sure you’ve all seen by now that Kris Jenkins and his brother Nate Britt II will be will face each other in tonight’s championshipIf you haven’t read it yet, do so. #FeelAllTheFeels
The story of the final
Since Saturday night, I’ve been hearing the same question over and over about the championship game: How will Villanova be able to handle North Carolina’s interior scoring? What? I understand that their greatest strength (offensive rebounding) is one of the Wildcats’ greatest weaknesses and that’s not to be taken lightly, but how do you explain that?
Here are a few things that have happened for Nova over the last 5 games: They have proven they can stop interior defensive teams like Kansas; They have proven they can score against interior defensive teams like Miami; They have proven they can do both against an elite perimeter team like Oklahoma.
Here are some of the things that have NOT happened for UNC in the last 5 games: They have not played a Top 4 seed; They have not shot over 33% from 3-point range in more than one tournament game; They have not played a Top 15 defense (according to KenPom).
So my question is this: why are we asking how the best defensive team in the tournament that hasn’t allowed anyone (including two top-10 offenses) to score 70 points? Why not ask how a team with a KenPom defensive ranking outside the top 20 is going to stop the most efficient offensive team in the tournament?
“Combined” numbers
There were a lot of stats thrown around, but one that caught my attention was the “combination” one I keep seeing about Villanova and UNC’s dominance. I’m not saying North Carolina didn’t win convincingly, but the Wildcats had the lion’s share of those stats. First off, the teams combined for a record 202-point margin of victory on their way to the Final Four. 121 of those points were Villanova (60%). Additionally, the teams combined for a 61-point margin of victory in the Final Four. 44 of those points were Villanova (72%). Again, I know North Carolina is a very talented team, but this tournament favors teams that are in shape and are peaking at the right time. That’s Villanova.
Win one for Jay
Jay Wright North Carolina is currently 0-3 against Roy Williams and UNC, with all three losses coming in the tournament. You know what that means: Final Four elimination, first-round elimination, and the Phantom Walk Call. UNC isn’t exactly a Villanova rival, but there aren’t many other teams I’d rather beat in the tournament.
Tomorrow
There are only three things I can be sure of at the moment:
1) Tomorrow I’m going to wake up and be proud of this team. Whether they win or lose, they’re going to give it their all tonight.
2) Tomorrow I will wake up and be grateful for this team. The great memories I have made with my friends, family, and random fans this season will last me a lifetime.
3) Tomorrow I will wake up and be happy. Win or lose, this season has already been a success that the nine players returning next year will be able to build on.
Oh and if we win I won’t sleep until Thursday. LET’S GO NOVA!!!!
