Samuels leads Villanova to Elite 8 as they oust mercurial Michigan
Jermaine Samuels scored 22 points and Villanova controlled Michigan in a 63-55 Sweet 16 victory Thursday night in the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio.
Samuels' 8-of-13 shooting effort, much of it coming on tough drives through Michigan defenders and around center Hunter Dickinson, carried a Wildcats offense that had long stretches of misfiring on 3-pointers.
Samuels battled Dickinson on both ends of the court, and challenged the big man every time he had the ball to divert shots or force outlet passes.
“I just wanted to stay mobile and move,” Samuels said. “He's a phenomenal player, so he's going to get great looks at the basket. But that I have teammates behind me gave me all the confidence I needed.”
The second-seeded Wildcats (287) advanced to the South Region final to play the winner of Thursday night's matchup between top seed Arizona and No.5 seed Houston. It's the deepest run in the tournament for Villanova since coach Jay Wright won the second of his two national titles in 2018.
The loss ends a turbulent season for the Wolverines (19-15) and coach Juwan Howard, whose team squeaked into the tournament field only to shine in the first two rounds. Howard was suspended for five games late in the season for hitting a Wisconsin assistant during a postgame handshake line.
“We learned a lot (about) who we are,” Howard said. “We always talk about Michigan being a family. We've been the most connected group this year because of the fact everyone has been supporting each other. When I walk away from this season, and I look back, there's no reason not to hold your head up high.”
Villanova twice led by nine in the second half, but the Wolverines matched their 3-point shooting in spurts and make it a contest. Guard Eli Brooks kept rescuing Michigan with 3-pointers, making 3 of 5. One of Brooks' treys, plus two free throws from Terrance Williams II, had the Wolverines within 54-50 with just over 3 minutes left.
But after Dickinson, who led the Wolverines with 15 points and 15 rebounds, missed near the basket, Samuels blew by him on the other end for a layup. Collin Gillespie followed it with a 3-pointer — his fourth of the game — to make it 59-50 with 1:52 to play.
Notes
PARIS HIRED TO COACH SOUTH
CAROLINA>>South Carolina hired Chattanooga's Lamont Paris as its coach. The university's board of trustees approved a five-year deal worth $12 million. Paris, 47, takes over for Frank Martin, who was fired earlier this month after 10 seasons and just one NCAA Tournament berth. Paris becomes the first Black coach in school history. In Paris' five seasons at Chattanooga, this past year was his best. The Mocs were 27-8 and won the Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles.
BIG-TIME HELP>> Providence got an assist when it comes to having some extra support on hand for the Sweet 16. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft let the Friars use the team plane to shuttle some staff, family and donors to Chicago. Cooley said he talked to Kraft on Wednesday night and thanked him for his generosity.
CREIGHTON GIVES COACH EXTENSION>> Creighton coach Greg McDermott signed a new multi-year contract after leading the Bluejays to the NCAA Tournament's round of 32. McDermott owns a 276-137 record with seven NCAA Tournament berths in 12 seasons at Creighton and has the secondhighest win total in program history. Creighton went 23-12 this season and posted a 72-69 OT win over San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament before losing 79-72 to Kansas, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region.
TENNESSEE'S BARNES GETS EXTENSION>> Tennessee rewarded coach Rick Barnes for winning the Volunteers' first Southeastern Conference Tournament championship in 43 years with a contract extension through the 2026-27 season.