Vivid seats has upstairs tickets for $17? Isn't going to be a sellout tonight ?

of course, that'll be next year..........

http://www.philly.com/philly/column...unson_plays_with_an_old-school_mentality.html

Fran Fraschilla on College Game Day just picked Arch as the tournament MVP so far. One of the other commentators picked Perry Ellis.

Well that was awesome

Here is Villanova’s shot chart the past 3 games… it’s good.


The 1.56 points per possession against Miami was the best in college basketball this season.


KANSAS

Kenpom #1 (#7 Offense / #4 Defense)

Big Wins: #6 Oklahoma (2x), #26 Baylor (2x), #7 Kentucky, #10 West Virginia (2x), #14 Iowa State, #25 Connecticut, #24 Maryland.

Losses: #5 Michigan State, #10 West Virginia, #100 Oklahoma State, #14 Iowa State


OFFENSE

Shot Distribution: 40% Rim / 27% Mid-Range / 33% 3pt

• Kenpom #7
• Very efficient shot selection
• Play at a relatively fast pace (#66)
• Excellent shooting team (#9 eFG%)
• Shooting 62% at the rim / 40% mid-range / 42% 3pt
• #4 3pt shooting team in the land
• Decent at the line connecting on 71% (#117)
• Prone to turnovers (#144), especially steals (#240)
• Good offensive rebounding, they get 33% of misses (#78)
• Get to the foul line at an above average rate (#109)

DEFENSE

Shot Distribution: 34% Rim / 32% Mid-Range / 33% 3pt

• Kenpom #4
• #316 in defensive possession length, meaning long defensive possessions. An indication of limiting transition.
• #16 eFG% defense
• Don’t force a ton of turnovers (#144)
• Solid defensive rebounding (#100)
• Excellent 2pt defense (#18)

THE STARS


PERRY ELLIS (6-8) SENIOR

Shot Distribution: 49% Rim / 37% Mid-Range / 14% 3pt

• #5 player in the country according to Kenpom
• Takes the most shots on the team
• Excellent shooter 57% eFG%
• Good, but not great rebounder
• Does not turn it over
• Not a good shot blocker
• Never gets into foul trouble, only 2.2 fouls / 40 minutes
• But draws a ton of fouls, 5.2 / 40 minutes (#330)
• Shoots 80% from the line / 62% at the rim / 46% mid-range / 44% 3pt
• Scored 20+ points seven of the last 8 games. All of them highly efficiently.

FRANK MASON (5-11) JUNIOR

Shot Distribution: 46% Rim / 23% Mid-Range /31 % 3pt

• Likes to get to the rim
• Most efficient spots are wing threes
• Plays 83% of the game
• Excellent assist rate (#280)
• Excellent turnover rate
• Good steal rate (#489)
• Draws a ton of fouls, 4.9 / 40 minutes (#437)
• Gets to the line at a very high rate and knocks down 74% of foul shots
• Shoots 39% from 3pt

WAYNE SELDEN (6-5) JUNIOR

Shot Distribution: 30% Rim / 22% Mid-Range / 49% 3pt

• Efficient shot selection, and excellent shooter
• Not a great rebounder
• Not a great foul shooter (61%)
• Shoots 40% from 3pt
• Converts 67% at the rim.

DAVANTE’ GRAHAM (6-2) SOPH

Shot Distribution: 22% Rim / 24% Mid-Range / 53% 3pt

• Plays 81% of the game.
• Excellent shooter, 57% eFG% (#159)
• Excellent assist rate (#431)
• Good steal rate
• Shoots 74% from the foul line.
• But shoots 43% from 3pt on high volume.

LANDEN LUCAS (6-10) JUNIOR

Shot Distribution: 81% Rim / 18% Mid-Range / 1% 3pt

• The guy keeping Dialo and Bragg on the bench.
• Plays 42% of the game.
• Elite rebounder (#12 Offensive / #49 Defensive)
• Excellent block rate (#239)
• Draws fouls at 4.5 / 40 min
• Converts 78% at the stripe
• Shoots a super efficient 63% from 2pt range, with most shots coming at the bucket.

SVIATOSLAV MYKHAILIUK (6-8) SOPH

Shot Distribution: 21% Rim / 18% Mid-Range / 62% 3pt

• Makes Arcidiacono look easy to spell
• Tall shooter off the bench
• Shoots 39% from 3pt but has shot 59% over the last month.
• Hard to predict if he gets minutes, but you need to be aware of him if he gets into the game.

• Self has a very deep team that’s why Cheick Diallo basically hasn’t played in a month. Jamari Traylor and Carlton Bragg have been getting limited and inconsistent minutes. Brannen Greene is also a fantastic player (shooting 49% from 3pt) but has been injured and has barely played the last month. Self has been riding his starting back court as much as he can. Believe it or not they are #262 in bench minutes, despite what may be the deepest bench in the country.
• This team commits very few fouls, but is great at getting fouled themselves.
• This is the Kenpom #1 vs #2. The algorithm predicts a 1 pt Kansas win, but with each team having a 50% chance to win. This is incredibly close, with only a .0002 difference between each team’s Pythagorean. For context the difference between #1 and #2 last year was .01068 which is a 54x greater gap.

AROUND COLLEGE BB

• Josh Hart is back on the KPOY board, checking in at #6
• Again to the preseason poll. In order it was: UNC, Kentucky, Maryland, Kansas, Duke, Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, Wichita State, Villanova.
• Kind of late in the game, but if you aren’t listening to the cbs college basketball podcast, then you should be. Not beholden to pumping up any conference, they also enjoy criticizing other writers for lazy narratives (like Villanova can’t get out of the first weekend), they are a great listen. Today Gary Parish and Matt Norlander gushed about Villanova for ten minutes, said Nova and Kansas are playing the best basketball of the tournament right now. Norlander picked Nova, and Parish Kansas.
• I’m enjoying watching so many of the pundits picking Syracuse tonight. Apparently their zone is some derivation of string theory. Here are some stats for you. Cuse is #337 in defensive rebounding, while Gonzaga is #29 in defensive rebounding (and #99 Offensive). And by the way Sabonis shoots 50% from the high post area.

And this

Bans itself from the 2015 postseason when it had no chance to get in.

Gets their head coach suspended 9 games.

Yet they still get in the dance as a 10 seed when they really don't deserve it. The committee may even have looked at those games differently without Boeheim, making the suspension relatively toothless.

Then they get a really easy draw in the first few rounds and get into the Elite 8.

Disgusting.

Sad part is, I'll still probably root for them to beat Virginia to make our potential championship game easier.

i will get into town about 1 pm or so. Any VU Sports pregame festivities? Is the team doing a send off from Brown Hotel?

Iowa State looks overmatched early

Wells folks it's one game at a time. We start tonight taking out the first 1 seed, and the way it looks to take the whole darn thing we'll need to beat 3 of the 4 1 seeds. Maybe Oklahoma wins tonight but I don't see VA or NC not moving on. I wonder if that has ever happened, beating 3 1 seeds. I think in 85 we beat 2.

Let me say, I'm feeling this game. Last year, many on the board had a bad vibe about NC St, including myself. I know the whole first weekend monkey thing, but I'm curious how people feel about our forthcoming matchup.

It really struck me last year when people were posting they did not have good feelings about NC St. They were very "in tune" and correct.

I love the confidence this team is playing with now. Arch wants to play on.

How do you feel now?

After we lost last year one of my UCONN buddies texted me ragging about how Nova is not good, how they are overrated, typical Nova loss in the second round, blah blah.

Last night I received this text from him:
I'm rooting for you guys so bring it. Archie and this team plays with so much god damn heart, they are relentless and never quit. Just enjoy watching them. Cheering for you guys the rest of the way.

Response was Thanks, glad they could provide you with the enjoyment, too bad you missed out on in prior years, end of text.

As I have said before I have enjoyed this team so much the past few years. Getting all these texts, calls, emails, ESPN articles or whatever they are great but they are late to the ball game.

In the end I feel bad for them, they have missed the ball on how special this team and program has become.

...if and when it is seriously revisited again is the only negative against Gonzaga distance?...we travel to Nebraska for Creighton which is half-way across the country so would University cost exponentially be that much greater to go another 1,379 miles to Spokane...they would fit so well in our conference and would elevate the national status of the BE overnight...the recruiting of west coast stud-HS ballers would be enhanced and I would think that the round-robin would still be doable with 11 BE teams...

just walked down the driveway to get my papers.....Arch picture on top of front page of the Post....booth and Jenkins high fiving on full back page.....then inside the Daily News a huge bench picture with nearly the whole team ....what exposure for VU....like I'm not pumped up enough already

NCAA Tournament
South Regional Final
Villanova vs. Kansas
KFC Yum! Center
Saturday, March 26 at 8:49 p.m. (EDT)
TV: CBS

Team Hotel
The Brown Hotel
335 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202

For more details on events taking place on Saturday: https://www.villanova.edu/LetsMarchNova

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Saturday, March 26
6 p.m.
Team Sendoff and Pregame Meetup
The Brown Hotel
The Team send-off will take place during the meet up, sometime after 6:30 p.m.

REGIONAL GAME WATCHES

Atlanta: Horseshoe Bend Country Club

Baltimore: Heavy Seas Alehouse

Boston: Warehouse Bar & Grille

Charleston: Mac's Place

Chicago: Derby Bar & Grill

Colorado: The Irish Hound, Denver

Dallas/Fort Worth: Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom

Fairfield/Westchester: Bob Hyland's Sports Page Pub

Greater Jacksonville/North Florida: Philly's Finest (RSVP to neflvualumni@gmail.com)

Greater Philadelphia: Field House

Greater Princeton: Brickhouse Tavern
and Tap

Greater Washington, D.C.: Parlay Sports Bar & Lounge (Dupont Circle)

Hampton Roads: (2 locations) Marker 20, Hampton and Shorebreak, Virginia Beach
RSVP to Frank Driscoll at 757-406-8210.

Houston: Doc's Motorworks Westheimer

Lehigh Valley: Boston's Restaurant & Sports Bar

Long Island: (2 locations) Pomodorino’s Restaurant, Huntington and Changing Times, Bay Shore


Los Angeles: The Garage

Louisville: The Brown Hotel

Manhattan: (2 locations) Gramercy Ale House and The Australian

Michigan/N.Ohio: Blackfinn Ameripub

Monmouth /Ocean: Knights of Columbus

Morris/Somerset: Sona 13 (downstairs)

Naples: Tavern on the Bay

Northern New Jersey (Hoboken location): Mills Tavern

Northern New Jersey (Ridgewood location): The Office Beer Bar & Grill

Palm Beach: Duffy's Sports Grill of PGA Blvd. and U.S. 1, Shoppes of Oakbrook

Phoenix: Kelly's at Southbridge

San Diego: Home & Away

Sarasota: Gecko's Grill and Pub at the Landings Shopping Plaza

San Francisco: Pete's Tavern

South Florida: American Social Brickell

Tampa: Ducky's Sports Lounge

Villanova Club of the Low Country
(Hilton Head, SC): Drydock Restaurant

..per thread...http://www.scout.com/college/kansas...gn-at-the-elite-8-game-for-my-daughter?page=3

1. Arcidiacawhat?!?!
2. Your not in Kansas anymore Lol!" (Sic)
3. Jay, your run is VillanOVER.
4. Kansas is Perry good.
5. Game Ova Nova
6. K-State Wildcats, check. Kentucky Wildcats, check. Villanova Wildcats - NEXT
7. "Jay Wright wishes his name was Jay Hawk!"
8. "Where are they now?" With pictures of Allan Ray, Curtis Sumpter, and Scotty Reynolds
9. Villanope
10.Novay UR Vinning

said to be the key match-up Saturday night.......

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20160326_Ford__Crucial__Nova-Kansas_matchup_is_at_forward.html

....reminds me of one of those Gerry McNamara a**holes"...from the Kansas board...

http://www.scout.com/college/kansas/forums/2481-hoops-talk/14653606-nova?page=2

From Bleacher Report last night:

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(For those who don't know, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a Miami alum.)

Basketball Times Third Team All-American: Josh Hart

Of the 15 players on the 1st thru 3rd teams, 9 are Seniors.
Ulis, Simmons and Dunn seem headed to NBA.
Poeltl, Grayson Allen and Hart were the others and, should they return next season are in the early discussion for 1st Team or, in the case of Poeltl, to repeat 1st Team.

NABC Awards:
District 5 COY - Jay Wright

District 5:
1st Team - Josh Hart
2nd Team - Ryan Arcidiacono

Clark Francis ranking of Top Coaches:
1. Coach K
2. Rick Pitino (whores for recruits)
3. Larry Brown (banned from postseason this year)
4. Tom Izzo
5. Roy Williams (beneficiary of ineligible players who took fake classes)
6. John Calipari (vacated Final Fours at multiple schools)
7. Bill Self
8. Jim "Nosedigger" Boeheim (banned from postseason last year and suspended)
9. Jay Wright
23. Chris Mack
34. Dunphy
39. JTIII
56. Martelli

Top Assistants:
31. Bake Show
57. Ashley Howard

Would he really leave Cleveland again?

Discuss

Anyone know? Sat evening before team send off perhaps? Thanks Tom

It was awesome that he came back and dominated Miami's front line last night. Kansas' front line will be a lot tougher and have more depth, so we need the Chief to be completely healthy. Just wondering if there was any report out there about what happened during that stretch where he went to the locker room and appearing limping for some time.

Quote from around the horn:
"I like Villanova a lot! They should have been a one seed and should be playing in Philly!"

hamier wrights coach was on local tv as being named coach of year. Question was asked about hamier's recruiting. Coach mentioned nova and Maryland as being out front but after mentioning a number of others indicated that providence was getting in the mix. One comment was that he could see wright at Maryland with Kevin huerter.

1. Larranaga
Around here Beilein, Ryan, and Brey, seem to get all the accolades but I happen to think hat this guy is better than all of them and he already schooled us in 2011 in Cleveland and I was there to witness it.

2. Ja'Quan Newton
I'm not regretting or lamenting the fact that we did not get this guy. I am very happy with Booth, and I expect him to be awesome next year.
His 22 minutes and 10 points per game should not worry anybody but you just know that this the kind of guy that in a game like this could go off for 20/25 points.
We need to be careful about him.

With all that said, I think we win comfortably and then take our chances with Kansas.