VILLANOVA
SAN ANTONIO – You’ve seen Jalen Brunson play, right?
The USA TODAY National College Player of the Year is unlike any other point guard left in the NCAA tournament: He has smarts, moxie and an old school game that involves an array of post-up moves and shot fakes. He also has the most talented teammate in redshirt junior guard-forward Mikal Bridges.
Brunson (19.2 points per game, 4.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds) and Bridges (17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 43.6% from three-point range) make up the best 1-2 punch in the Final Four and are the key to another Wildcats’ title.
But Villanova’s strength is found in more than its two veteran playmakers. Six players average double figures for the Wildcats (34-3), part of the formula for having one of the best, and most efficient, offenses in college basketball.
Brunson was on the bench when Kris Jenkins’ hit a buzzer beater to win the 2016 title vs. North Carolina and has been open about how he wasn’t happy about that. But he spent the next couple of years perfecting his craft so that when the next big moment comes, he’ll be ready for it. If either the semifinal or national title game comes down to the final minute, expect Brunson to call for the ball and come through in the clutch.
Phil Booth, on the other hand, already has been clutch in the big moment. The redshirt junior guard was named to the All-Final Four team two years ago after scoring a season-high 20 points against Carolina. Now he’s a veteran averaging 10.3 points and shooting 44.4% from the field.
And then there’s Omari Spellman. The redshirt freshman, who could become the first one-and-done player in the Jay Wright era, is a 6-10 forward capable of being a monster in the paint. Spellman (10.8 points, 7.8 rebounds) can stretch defenses with his range, shooting 44.6% from three-point range.
Finally, there’s Jay Wright. One of the best coaches in the game, he runs this talented, experienced roster with a cool confidence. He never looks panicked in late games, adopting an almost Zen-like attitude. Wright already knows how to lead his team to the mountain top. Don’t be surprised when he does it again.
VILLANOVA STATS
Scoring offense: 86.6 (1) Scoring defense: 70.2 (113) Scoring margin: 16.4 (2) Rebounding margin: 3.1 (76) Field goal %: 49.9 (6) Three-point %: 40.0 (19) Three-pointers made: 436 (1) Free throw %: 78.0 (8) Assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.56 (8)