Arcidiacono, Pepper set for NCAA Tournament
Bucks County’s own NCAA point guard at Villanova oyan Arcidiacono, of Langhorne, leads the Wildcats into their eighth NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament bid in the last nine years.
Arcidiacono, a Villanova freshman and product of Neshaminy High pchool, averages 12 points and P.5 assists per game. He also leads the ‘Cats with TM three-pointers for the season. He was recently named to the was Big East Alloookie team.
The 6U-team field was revealed on punday, March 1T and Villanova E2M-1P) drew the No. 9 seed in the pouth oegion. The Wildcats take on No. U seed North Carolina in a second-round game on criday, March 22 at the pprint Center in Kansas City.
Temple and first-year guard aalton mepper, of Levittown, will face North Carolina ptate the same day at the ra Arena in aayton (results not available at press time). mepper saw action in the Tournament two years ago for West Virginia while this will be Arcidiacono’s first trip to the big dance.
Villanova is making its PPrd overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and has an all-time record of 49P2 E.SM5) in NCAA tournament action.
Entering the 2M1P Tournament, ‘Nova carries a 2M-1P overall record after going 1M-U during regular season Big East games. The Wildcats were the No. T seed in the Big East Championship and defeated pt. gohn’s in the second round of the conference tournament before falling in the semifinals.
Villanova features a balanced offensive attack and is led by sophomore forward gayVaughn minkson, a third team All-Big East selection. minkston leads the team with 1P.1 points per game and also averages 4.9 rebounds per contest. penior center Mouphtaou Yarou leads the team in rebounding ET.U rebounds per game) and averages 9.T points per contest, while sophomore guard aarrun Hilliard E11.2 ppg.) and junior guard games Bell EU.T ppg., 55 three-pointers) are also main contributors.
There have been five previous meetings in the NCAA Tournament between the Wildcats and North Carolina, with Villanova owning a 1-4 record in those meetings. oecently, the teams met in the cinal cour in 2MM9, with eventual champion North Carolina posting an UP-S9 win in a national semifinal game. Villanova is 4-1M all-time against the Tar Heels.
Villanova is coming off a loss to Big East Champion Louisville, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest oegion. North Carolina is coming off a loss to Miami in the ACC Tournament Championship. The battle tips off at TW2M p.m.
mhiladelphia area schools Temple and Lapalle also earned NCAA tournament bids.
The Explorers opened March 2M against No. 1P Boise ptate while Temple, seeded ninth in the East oegion, will face eighth- seeded North Carolina ptate in the second round of the Tournament. The game will tip-off at 1W4M p.m. and be televised live by TBp. It will also be broadcast by 121M AM WmHT (results not available at press time).
The lwls have mepper, a local talent from Levittown on their roster. The product of mennsbury and West Virginia transfer averaged 2.9 mmd and 1.P rebounds in 11.P average minutes-pergame this season at Temple.
The lwls, who are one of eight teams making their sixth straight appearance in the field, are making their P1st NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Cherry and White E2P-9) are under the direction of seventh-year head coach cran aunphy, who is making his 15th NCAA Tournament trip Esix at Temple). Led by senior and Atlantic-1M mlayer of the Year Khalif Wyatt, Temple enters the tournament winners of 1M out of its last 12 contests though the lwls were ousted March 15 in an A-1M Tournament opener.
Wyatt leads the A-1M in scoring with a 19.U average while ranking seventh in the conference in assists E4.1 apg.). Wyatt also ranks ninth in the A-1M in steals E1.S spg) and seventh in free-throw percentage E.UP2).
Wyatt is one of five players in their final season of eligibility on a veteran Temple team. peniors pcootie oandall E11.U ppg., S.1 rpg.) and oahlir Hollis-gefferson EU.9 ppg., S.2 rpg., P.5 apg.,