Villanova preps for ‘Press Virginia’ in Sweet 16

RADNOR » Eric Paschall had to think for a moment when asked ifVillanova has faced a teamwith a press like West Virginia.

His answer was short and to the point.

“We haven’t faced anyone who presses like they do,” the 6-9 junior forward said.

Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Phil Booth, Donte DiVincenzo and head coach Jay Wright had similar answers when asked the same question.

No on presses like the fifthseededMountaineers (26-10), Villanova’s opponent in the East Region semifinal Friday night at TD Garden in Boston (7:27 p.m., TBS).

It’s a modern day version of the “40 Minutes of Hell” Arkansas employed under Nolan Richardson from 1985-2002. The Mountaineers press after made baskets. They press after missed shots. They hound you at every turn. The concept is to be as disruptive as possible. “They’re relentless,” Booth said. Yes they are, which is why the Mountaineers have come to be called “Press Virginia.” And the numbers back it up. West Virginia is third nationally in total forced turnovers (595), 10th in turnovers forced per game (16.53) and 14th in steals per game (8.1). Point guard Jevon Carter leads the nation in total steals (108) and is third in steals per game (3.0). The 6-3 senior is the point man in the press.

TheNCAA does not keep points off turnovers as an official statistic, but the odds are the Mountaineers are among the national leaders in that category, too.

“The great challenge is that you just never see that during the year,” Wright said. “You play 35 games andyoudon’tplay anybody that plays that way and it’s hard to simulate. If you’re at Kansas, and you’re a junior, you’ve played against it eight or nine times so you get a feel for it. I think we’re just going to have to get in there and take a hit, like being in a boxing match, take a couple of punches, hope it doesn’t affect

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