The No.1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks (33-4) play No.2-seeded Villanova Wildcats (32-5) at KFC Yum! Center for a chance to advance to the Final Four. The game starts at 8:49 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 26 and can be seen on CBS.
The Jayhawks were victorious over Maryland 79-63 in the Regional Semifinals. Perry Ellis led all scorers with 27 points on 10-for-17 shooting. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are coming off a 92-69 win against Miami (FL) in the Regional Semifinals. Kris Jenkins played well for Villanova, posting 21 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
Over the last five games, Jenkins has been hot for the Wildcats. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 3.4 three-pointers.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the high-powered offense of Kansas (ninth in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 117.0) takes on the top-notch defense of Villanova (third in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 95.3). Also, the Wildcats’s 16th-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 116.0) will face off against the fourth-ranked defense of the Jayhawks (defensive efficiency of 96.8).
The Jayhawks come into this game 33-4 Straight Up (SU) and 24-11 Against The Spread (ATS). Kansas’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation. The Jayhawks allow a .323 opponent three-point field goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the nation.
On the other side, the Wildcats have a record of 19-17 ATS and 32-5 SU. Villanova has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 7-3. The Wildcats are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .779 free throw percentage that ranks second in Division I. The Wildcats rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 12th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.49.
This game will be the first meeting for Kansas and Villanova in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kansas, ATS Winner – Kansas
Notes
The Villanova Wildcats average 77.9 points per game, ranking 50th in the nation. The Kansas Jayhawks rank 62nd in points allowed with 67.7.
Villanova averages 76.2 points per away game (ranked 29th). Kansas allows 67.2 points per home game (ranked 100th).
The Villanova Wildcats have a defensive rating of 95.3, third-best in the country. The Kansas Jayhawks have a top-tier offense with an offensive rating of 117.0 (ranked ninth).
The Kansas Jayhawks average 70.0 possessions and 1.170 points per possession in games this season. The Villanova Wildcats average fewer possessions with 67.1, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.160.
The Kansas Jayhawks have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking seventh in the country with an eFG% of 56.5%. The Villanova Wildcats have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents record a similar or higher eFG%.
Villanova ranks among the best in the nation in assists at 23rd (16.5 assists per game). Kansas is ranked 34th with 16.0 assists per game.
Kansas, the 80th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.2 per game. Villanova does worse, ranked 173rd with 3.4.
Villanova ranks 293rd in offensive rebounds, while Kansas ranks at 39th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Kansas forces a turnover rate of 18.7%, ranked 10th in the nation. When Villanova turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has an exceptional 12-1 record.
