The table was set for the Villanova Wildcats to defend their 2016 national championship. The Wildcats had won the Big East regular season title again. They got a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament again. They played their early-round March Madness games close to home again, in Buffalo. They had Josh Hart – one of the best players in college basketball all season long – on their roster. They were facing a Wisconsin team which had sorely disappointed over the course of the regular season. They should have been in great position to move to the Sweet 16, where they would have been able to play in Madison Square Garden, site of the Big East Tournament and a very friendly venue. Yet, they lost to Wisconsin because their offense died in the second half, done in by a mixture of missed jump shots and turnovers. That was a missed opportunity to defend a title, but now this Villanova team will try to win back a championship. What kind of team does Jay Wright have?
Offseason Changes
Hart is gone – so is his perimeter leadership and defense. Hart got the 50-50 ball when everyone on the floor was scrambling for it. He got the big rebound, the big basket, the big defensive stop, the big everything for this team. He is a person who can’t be easily duplicated.
Another change is a good one, however. Omari Spellman was ruled academically ineligible last season. Now he is eligible. When Villanova won the 2016 title, a big reason was that it did not get overpowered in the paint – that is something which contributed to painful NCAA losses in 2014 and especially 2015. Spellman was supposed to be the player who kept everything on track last season, enabling the Wildcats to have just as profound a low-post presence as they had when they won the national title. When he was ruled ineligible, the Wildcats lost their missing piece, and it showed in the loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.
Now Spellman is on the roster, and he had a year to rest, work on his game, and study. This is very encouraging for the folks in Philadelphia.
Will Succeed If…
Eric Paschall plays well. All eyes will be on Spellman, but Paschall will often be the forward on the court while Spellman is the center. Paschall needs to help Spellman and make sure that his touted big man doesn’t get overwhelmed with responsibilities or feel he has to do more than what is reasonable. Paschall lends balance and depth to the roster. Villanova is so strong on the perimeter, but the interior is where this team has to be more vigilant and prepared. Paschall represents that added need for the Wildcats.
Won’t Succeed If…
They Wildcats don’t find two consistent perimeter shooters. It’s fine to have one shooter, and Villanova can probably find one among the group of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Phil Booth, but if only one shooter is in form, defenses can take him away. Getting two shooters will give Villanova the depth and diversity on offense which should be able to take this team to the final weekend of college basketball.
Roster
Jalen Brunson
Collin Gillespie
Eric Paschall
Phil Booth
Donte DiVincenzo
Omari Spellman
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree
Peyton Heck
Jermaine Samuels
Tom Leibig
Mikal Bridges
Tim Delaney
Matt Kennedy
Denny Grace
Dylan Painter
Schedule & Outlook
The Wildcats will have a couple of challenging non-conference games, but nothing that should make them sweat too much. The matchup to circle is the showdown with No. 18 Gonzaga, which is a neutral-site affair.
The Wildcats have been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three years and a No. 2 seed or better in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments. The Wildcats are also defending multiple Big East titles – they have owned that conference in recent years. There is no reason to think Villanova won’t continue to meet its goals this season and contend for the Final Four.
The 2018 March Madness futures are out. There has been plenty of news to keep up with in the offseason but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest college basketball betting lines right here.
