The Holy Land of Hoops

Nationally it's who can beat Kentucky? But as we move toward the BE tournament in a few weeks, the question has to be whether anyone can beat Villanova. They've played very few close games in the conference this year.

Looking back at their 2 losses this year and their 2 at the end of last season, the one thing I can point to in their losses is low FG%' including for 3-point shots in most of the games. They rely onthe 3 as much as anyone in the league, so is it a matter of "live by the 3, die by the 3"?

Or is it the defenses that have been thrown at them. The 2 best FG% defenses in the league are Georgetown and St. John's, but Villanova has had no trouble with either of them. So, what is it that Seton Hall knows that other teams should be copying? Do they throw zones at them? What's their secret since they inflicted 2 of Nova's last 4 losses onthem?

Your thoughts?

I'm not sure anyone has the ability to beat Nova, really.
Last year we beat them by shooting the lights out from behind the arc as Nova packed the paint on defense leaving shooters open. Having the NPOY helped a bit, too.
I'd say only two teams have a fair chance of beating them: Xavier and Georgetown and only if they shoot really well from behind the arc. Of course, in a single game sample size, anything can happen.

Bill Marsh wrote:Nationally it's who can beat Kentucky? But as we move toward the BE tournament in a few weeks, the question has to be whether anyone can beat Villanova. They've played very few close games in the conference this year.

Looking back at their 2 losses this year and their 2 at the end of last season, the one thing I can point to in their losses is low FG%' including for 3-point shots in most of the games. They rely onthe 3 as much as anyone in the league, so is it a matter of "live by the 3, die by the 3"?

Or is it the defenses that have been thrown at them. The 2 best FG% defenses in the league are Georgetown and St. John's, but Villanova has had no trouble with either of them. So, what is it that Seton Hall knows that other teams should be copying? Do they throw zones at them? What's their secret since they inflicted 2 of Nova's last 4 losses onthem?

Your thoughts?

Easy Georgetown. They have already beat them this year and after Copeland (ala Otto's Freshman season 11'-12') has been inserted into the lineup 2 games ago, they have been running on all cylinders. Offensively and especially Defensively they are just another team. Also, historically Georgetown just has Nova's number

To a lesser extent Butler & Providence has a punchers chance.

BigmanU wrote:

Bill Marsh wrote:Nationally it's who can beat Kentucky? But as we move toward the BE tournament in a few weeks, the question has to be whether anyone can beat Villanova. They've played very few close games in the conference this year.

Looking back at their 2 losses this year and their 2 at the end of last season, the one thing I can point to in their losses is low FG%' including for 3-point shots in most of the games. They rely onthe 3 as much as anyone in the league, so is it a matter of "live by the 3, die by the 3"?

Or is it the defenses that have been thrown at them. The 2 best FG% defenses in the league are Georgetown and St. John's, but Villanova has had no trouble with either of them. So, what is it that Seton Hall knows that other teams should be copying? Do they throw zones at them? What's their secret since they inflicted 2 of Nova's last 4 losses onthem?

Your thoughts?

Easy Georgetown. They have already beat them this year and after Copeland (ala Otto's Freshman season 11'-12') has been inserted into the lineup 2 games ago, they have been running on all cylinders. Offensively and defensively they are just another team. Also, historically Georgetown just has Nova's number

Yeah, and they could be the teams in the tournament finals. Each team routed the other on their home court. It will be interesting to see how they match up on a neutral court with a lot on the line.

Weird thing about those 2 games is that Georgetown forced a lot of nova turnovers even in the game that Villanova won - a total of 37 TOs in the 2 games. So, maybe The Hoyas have something going for them that gives the
CT's trouble.

Well the answer for what Seton Hall did is the same thing they do to everyone- overcommit to defending the three. They're currently 3rd in the nation in 3pt% defense, but that comes at the huge expense of regularly getting torched in the paint. In the first game, Seton Hall used that exact formula, shutting down the three (5-24, 21%) but allowing Ochefu to go off inside for 19 and 24. In the end the tradeoff worked out for them. They also benefited from some lights out free throw % defense.

By the rematch, Seton Hall (in addition to just being a hot mess) was attempting to fill the massive leak inside the arc and they did hold Ochefu to a much more pedestrian 11 and 12, but they gave Nova's shooters the space to do their normal damage from beyond the arc (12-27, 44%).

For reference, in Seton Hall also held Villanova to 21% shooting from beyond the arc (4-19) in the BET win over Villanova last year.

6 or 7 of the 10 teams can/could beat Villanova.

Georgetown can
Butler has more than a punchers chance, as seen at hinkle last weekend
Xavier, PC, and St John's are all teams that would obviously have to play well but they could win if everything was going their way

St John's and Nova were neck and neck until both of SJU's big men fouled out at the same time, and nova started dumping it down to ochefu every possession with a helpless Dangelo Harrison trying to guard him. I blinked and it was an 18 pt game. If St. John's can get healthy, and also with the emergence of our freshmen big men Amar, we could win at Wells Fargo and maybe in the BET. St. John's has played nova very tough the last 6 times we've played so I could see SJU getting over the hump

Edrick wrote:6 or 7 of the 10 teams can/could beat Villanova.

Yes, but ultimately the question is, what does it take to beat them? Can 6 or 7 beat Nova just by playing their normal game and hope the Cats have an off night? Do they beat them by getting hot themselves and outplaying them? Because except for Georgetown and Seron Hall in OT, and Butler in a 3 point loss, no one has really gotten close.

Or does it take a special strategy.

I think looking at the schedule remaining for Nova the game that they have the most chance to lose is @ Xavier. Xavier could be a desperate basketball team when they see each other next Saturday, if Xavier has lost to Butler and St John's. It's senior day for Davis and Stainbrook. The other 4 games they have in the regular season- the lowest % chance they have is 85%.

In the tourney, they could see Seton Hall in the QF which would be really interesting. SF looking like either PC, X, or St John's. Title game would be most likely Butler or Georgetown.

Bill Marsh wrote:Nationally it's who can beat Kentucky? But as we move toward the BE tournament in a few weeks, the question has to be whether anyone can beat Villanova. They've played very few close games in the conference this year.

Looking back at their 2 losses this year and their 2 at the end of last season, the one thing I can point to in their losses is low FG%' including for 3-point shots in most of the games. They rely onthe 3 as much as anyone in the league, so is it a matter of "live by the 3, die by the 3"?

Or is it the defenses that have been thrown at them. The 2 best FG% defenses in the league are Georgetown and St. John's, but Villanova has had no trouble with either of them. So, what is it that Seton Hall knows that other teams should be copying? Do they throw zones at them? What's their secret since they inflicted 2 of Nova's last 4 losses onthem?

Your thoughts?

Um They sure had a problem on January 19th.

Who can beat Villanova clearly Georgetown and Seton Hall can.

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