If 1 of 2 scenario's took place which would you prefer?

1. Win on Wed and lose in the BET finals to Xavier. This allows us to stay #1 in the polls for the foreseeable future, and gives us that marquee road victory. This also goes with the idea that its hard to beat a team 3 times in one year.

2. Lose on Wed and then win the BET by beating Xavier. We would lose our #1 ranking in the polls this week, but we would win the BET.

The obvious answer is to win Wed and then win the BET, but I wanted to see what everyone prefers if that idea was off the table.

My preference would be to lose on Wed and then win the BET, provided that Xavier is in the final. We still need another marquee win. Beating SHU or Providence in the BET final would not be ideal.

Has the Championship Game ever been that early?

Kenpom #14 (#22 Offense / #18 Defense)

Big Wins: #34 @Michigan, #35 USC, #43 Dayton, #21 Cincinnati, #42 Butler (Home & Away), #34 Seton Hall, #56 Providence (Home & Away)
Losses: @ #1 Villanova, #25 Georgetown, @#43 Creighton

Kenpom predicts a coin flip game, with a 49% chance of a Villanova victory.


OFFENSE

Shot Distribution: 39% at the Rim / 27% Mid-Range / 35% Three

• Play at the 55th fastest tempo.
• Not exceptional shooters: 50% 2pt (#109) / 36% 3pt (#144)
• But they get to the foul line at a very high rate (#21) and shoot 74% from the line. Taken together the team scores 24% of their total points from the line (#24)
• Real strength of the team is rebounding (#29 offensive rebounding)
• Because of all those rebounds they take 39% of their shots at the rim, very efficient shots.
• Can be turnover prone (#150)

DEFENSE

Shot Distribution: 32% at the Rim / 27% Mid-Range / 41% Three

• Similar to what we saw with Virginia, the nature of the pack-line is to give up a ton of 3pt shots. 41% of opponents’ shots are from three, only 21 teams give up more.
• Defensively the team is solid all around, but excellent at rebounding.
• Teams are shooting 31% from 3pt (#23)
• Xavier is the #28 defensive rebounding team in the nation, collecting 74% of opponents’ misses. For context the average is 70%, and Villanova gets 71%.
• The defensive rebounding is a feature of the pack-line, UVA is #23 in defensive rebounding (was #5 last year) and Xavier was #35 last year.

THE PACK-LINE

UVA gets the publicity for their vaunted pack-line defense, but Xavier plays the same system. We have lit up this type of defense the last two years. Below is our offensive point per possession in those games.

• 1st Xavier Game (last year): 1.31
• 2nd Xavier Game (last year): 1.24
• 3rd Xavier Game (BET): 1.11
• UVA: 1.25
• New Year’s Eve Xavier Game: 1.42

These compare favorably to our season averages of 1.165 this season and 1.17 last season. We have destroyed the pack-line in our last 5 opportunities, and all were top ranked defenses.


THE STARS

JALEN REYNOLDS (6-10) Junior

Shot Distribution: 61% at the Rim / 36% Mid-Range / 3% Three

• Now that the Stain-Train has moved on you would have expected Reynolds to take on a larger role, but he has largely maintained his minutes (plays 50% of the game) and shots from last year…Did you know Matt Stainbrook was an Uber driver?
• Excellent Rebounder (#93 Offense / #63 Defense)
• Has gotten to the line a lot more this year, where he is shooting 62%
• Foul prone, averaging 6 fouls per 40 minutes
• Why has he taken six three pointers this year?

JAMES FARR (6-10) Senior

Shot Distribution: 50% at the Rim / 46% Mid-Range / 4% Three

• Those Staintrain minutes went to Farr, and he has done really well with them, improving dramatically across the board from last year (he’s a senior now). He’s playing better than Reynolds, and I think you remember how good he is.
• Did you know Matt Stainbrook was an Uber driver?
• The big man knows he works at the rim, but can step out and hit.
• One of the best rebounders in basketball (#14 O / #23 D)
• #131 in blocks

Xavier will pretty much always have one of Reynolds or Farr in the game (but not both), giving them an excellent rim protector, rebounder, post player, and not having to worry about both of them being foul prone. Chef will really have his hands full, thankfully Darryl Reynolds has improved dramatically since the last meeting.


EDMOND SUMNER (6-6) Frosh

Shot Distribution: 52% at the Rim / 16% Mid-Range / 33% Three

• Drawing fouls at the 75th highest rate in the country… which has garnered him 126 foul shots. He shoots 73% from the line.
• Good 3pt shooter (35%)
• Efficient shot selection

TREVON BLUIETT (6-6) Soph

Shot Distribution: 24% at the Rim / 27% Mid-Range / 49% Three

• Playing the most minutes on the team (76% of the game), taking the highest percentage of shots.
• Think of him as the Xavier Josh Hart… they will likely be matched up against each other defensively as well, should be fun to watch.
• Shooting 38% from 3pt on the highest volume on the team.

JP MACURA (6-5) Soph

Shot Distribution: 34% at the Rim / 20% Mid-Range / 46% Three

• After a slow start to the year he is playing very well
• Has the 4th highest O-Rating in the Big East

MYLES DAVIS (6-2) Junior

Shot Distribution: 19% at the Rim / 21% Mid-Range / 61% Three

• The trumpet player can shoot.
• Taking 61% of his shots from three and connecting on 37%
• 86% foul shooter

AROUND COLLEGE BB

• Josh Hart is down to #7 in the KPOY standings.
• With UVA going down to Miami, you have to feel really good about Villanova getting the #1 seed in the East.
• Melo Trimble has hit a wall. Effective field goal percentage by month.
  • November 59%
  • December 55%
  • January 52%
  • February 33%

a $200 million upgrade to sports facilities including a new field house .....Rumors have it that Nova is trying to figure out where to park cars during the new garage construction!!!!!

Hmmmmmm?

If Hart does choose to go pro, in my eyes, the only "true" guards that we have next year are Brunson, Booth and Donte. We will still be a deep team, but as far as guards, I think we would be much better served bringing in another guard, especially a guy who can handle the ball.

Do people think if Jay knows that Hart is gone he is going to look to bring in another guard for next year? If so, what is his game plan? Look for a transfer, a 5th year senior, or try to find a 2016 kid who hasn't already committed?

I know this guy has been successful as a coach in many ways. But when I watch him "talk" to his players on the bench, it seems like berating, and they just look at the floor and don't answer. And it seems like that's what he wants, or that's what they know is the best response. I know Jay and other coaches light players up on the bench and I get the purpose. But it seems like Jay (and maybe others? I don't pay as much attention), the coach wants the player to look at him and acknowledge and maybe even give a response, at least a nod. Just seems off. And Huggins has a stool, I never noticed this before. Is this a Paul Prudhomme situation where fitting into a chair doesn't really work but standing at length also is not an option??

every time I see the track on tv, I cringe

I dont see an alumni event there but I'll be up in Morristown on Wednesday night. Anyone know of a place or want to go to a place to watch the game let me know.

Who would have thought that possible 3 years ago? Just awesome for the conference. And for those who can't appreciate it because it's only about March...go suck an egg.

Significant game tonight in the ACC. Miami is a 1 point favorite at home vs. UVA. For those of you who want to play in Philly, get your Quan Newton pomp-pomps out and root on the Canes. Maryland has been vanquished from the top line in Philly. Down to UVA, X and potentially UNC. Need Miami to take of business tonight and the Cats to put the hammer down Wednesday. Both those things happen and our path to the #1 in the East becomes much cleaner.

Jon Rothstein has Jay on his College Hoops Today podcast, link below.

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Am bringing my kiddos on Wedneday. To the hotel send-off. Do these events usually allow for a quick autograph or pic with the kids or do they just walk by and you aren't really supposed to ask them?

Anyone else get this email from Villanova.com on the new #1 ranking t-shirt? The shirt itself is moderately embarrassing, but the subject line is comical...

Let's settle this once and for all.

But why was the Butler game treated as Senior Day? There is still one more game at Pavilion (vs DePaul) and at WFC (vs Georgetown). If anything, I would have thought Senior day would have been the DePaul game.

I think I'm planning on making another villanova hype video this season. if anyone wants certain plays from the season in the video feel free to comment them below. Also the hardest part of making these videos may be choosing the music so if anyone has any recommendations for music to use leave some ideas in the comments as well.

Sorry if this comes across as a leg-humper post but I think sometimes these guys get overlooked:

I wanted to give a shout out to Jay's stable of stud Asst. Coaches.
They have been grinding it out, one game at a time just like the players have this season.
I assume Coach Bake had the scouting responsibilities for yesterday's game (for one thing, he did the post-game radio spot with Ryan/Whitey - and that usually is the tipper).
There were a couple of Butler baseline out of bounds plays in front of the Villanova bench where as soon as the Butler players got close to being positioned for the play, Baker was yelling the play out to the 'Nova guys. In each case, Butler had some difficulty inbounding it and then had to reset their offense. My guess is that Dunleavy had broken down the game film, realized the set was designed as a scoring play and the players were keyed into the scouting report of what the first and second options off that inbound play would be. They snuffed it out.
It is this behind the scenes, tireless work that allows the bench to make winning plays without ever draining a jumper or blocking a shot.
Then you throw on top of that all the recruiting travel these guys do between games and you get an appreciation for just what these guys bring to the table and how hard they work.
Thanks Bake, Ash and Kyle for all you do!

Start all 3 walk-ons today. Play them till the first TV timeout.

Apologies if it is embedded in some other thread...but is there really not discussion on this?

Is BW dead?

Where art ball?

Surely a 200+ post bare-knuckle event could ensue from this topic?

My neighbor up here in Boston is a junior chem engineering major at Villanova and is having a hard time locking down an internship. Normally when VU students reach out to me, I am able to use my network to make introductions, but I don't know anything about chem engineering

Anyone on the board in this field and would be willing to chat with a current VU student?

Thanks

22 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists vs Knicks

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400828722

Word around town is he is ticketed for Oak Hill next year. Have not verified this with anyone in the know. BTW, Reading plays tomorrow night at Hershey against Wilson for the 4th time.

I understand there may be a few people that were unable to get a 'Nova Nation shirt through Eric at the luncheon. If so, email me at catinbrielle@gmail. I'll need your size and mailing address. I'll try to get it into the production queue by week-ending 3/4. Those who already emailed me are all set.

*****Bones and Sean: email me your info again, please!!*****

PS: We took a large order from Maui Jim on Light Grey so I may need to print these on White Denali's.

Bi-polar disorder? Didn't know that. He's fallen a long way. Sad story.

let me just preface this by saying this season has turned into another fantastic season and we do so many things well. But of all the great nova teams (let's say 5 seed and above), I don't recall a team struggling with their shots as much as this one. I am sure someone will post a stat that the 97 team of someone else shot worse but I am just talking eye test.

What do you guys think is the reason. In the broadcast, it was shown that Jay cut out a pic of Brunson shooting versus Temple so he could show his players about proper shooting form. That Leadsme to beleive Jay thinks its mechanics. I sometimes think it's BC we are so intensely focused on defense, it is impacting some offensive rhythm. certainly doesn't seem like bad shot selection to me. Curious what people think here