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The No.2-seeded Villanova Wildcats take on the No.3-seeded Miami (FL) Hurricanes in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament at KFC Yum! Center. Action begins at 7:10 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 24 and will air on CBS.
The Wildcats easily got past Iowa 87-68 in the Second Round. Kris Jenkins played well, recording 15 points, six assists, and two steals for the Wildcats. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are coming off a 65-57 win over Wichita State in the Second Round. Angel Rodriguez led the game in scoring with 28 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
Rodriguez has upped his play over the last five games for the Hurricanes, averaging 17.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.8 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers.
This matchup pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Villanova currently ranks 18th in the nation in offensive efficiency and Miami (FL) is 21st in defensive efficiency. Also, the Hurricanes’s 19th-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 115.0) will face off against the second-ranked defense of the Wildcats (defensive efficiency of 94.7).
The Wildcats have gone 31-5 Straight Up (SU) and 18-17 Against The Spread (ATS). Villanova has averaged 70.3 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 77.5. Villanova has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a stellar .775. The Wildcats, sporting the 14th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.48), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. As for the Villanova defense, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Wildcats. The 63.6 points that Villanova’s defense allows per game makes them the 14th-ranked defense in the country. Villanova’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 7.0 three-pointers per game.
On the other side, Miami (FL) has a SU record of 27-7 and an ATS record of 19-13-1. The Hurricanes are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .750 free throw percentage that ranks 23rd in Division I. Miami (FL)’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents shooting only .336 from the three.
Villanova and Miami (FL) will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Vill, ATS Winner – Vill
Notes
Miami (FL) scores an average of just 75.4 points per game (ranked 101st). Villanova ranks 14th in points allowed, giving up 63.6 points per game.
Villanova has allowed an average of 61.5 points per home game this season. Miami (FL) averages 74.1 points per away game, ranking 62nd in scoring.
The Villanova Wildcats rank 18th for their offensive rating of 115.0. The Miami (FL) Hurricanes have a defensive rating of 100.8 (ranked 21st).
On average, Villanova has 67.4 possessions per game and scores 1.150 points on each possession. Miami (FL) has both fewer possessions (65.6) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.150).
The Villanova Wildcats have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 17th in the country with an eFG% of 55.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher eFG%, the Miami (FL) Hurricanes have a poor 2-5 record.
The Villanova Wildcats average 24.0 three point attempts per game, and the Miami (FL) Hurricanes attempt 18.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Villanova is 22-5 and Miami (FL) is 13-3.
The 14th-ranked team in the category, Villanova has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.48 this season. Miami (FL) ranks outside the top 100 at 116th with an A/TO of 1.15.
On average, Villanova makes 6.8 steals per game. Miami (FL) has a fantastic 9-3 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
