After recent years of NCAA Tournament disappointment, Villanova moved into the Elite Eight after dismantling Miami in the Sweet 16, never trailing from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Jay Wright’s group, winning the game by a final tally of 92-69, was led by the duo of Kris Jenkins and Ryan Arcidiacono, each scoring 21 points to pace the Wildcats. Sheldon McClellen scored 26 points for the Hurricanes, who were shooting for the program’s first ever Elite Eight appearance.
This is the first time since the 2008-2009 season that Villanova advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament despite multiple top seeds.
Awaiting the Wildcats in the Elite Eight will be the winner of No. 1 Kansas and No. 5 Maryland, a game that tips off later tonight. For Villanova to make another Final Four, like they did the last time they made it to this stage of the Big Dance, they’ll need more big time performances from Jenkins and Arcidiacono, but that isn’t all. Freshman Jalen Brunson and junior point guard Josh Hart, who battled foul trouble throughout the night against Miami, give Wright depth at the guard spots that no other coach in the tournament can boast.
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