6:14 pm
April 2

Men’s NCAA Tournament: #2 Villanova v. #1 Kansas

Who will win this matchup?

#2 Villanova Wildcats (26-7)

#1 Kansas Jayhawks (28-6)

 

Current odds:

Villanova Wildcats: (+163)

Kansas Jayhawks: (-200)

 

• The line for this game is Kansas by 4.5 points.

• Kansas and Villanova each carry a nine-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four, but the Wildcats will be missing a key component when the squads battle on Saturday in New Orleans for a spot in the national championship game.

• Villanova standout Justin Moore tore his right Achilles in the final minute of the Wildcats’ 50-44 win over Houston in the Elite Eight on March 26. Moore underwent surgery, and the Wildcats are dissecting how to best fill his minutes and responsibilities.

• Top-seeded Kansas (32-6) would pose problems for the Wildcats under normal circumstances. And Villanova coach Jay Wright acknowledged the challenge will be tougher without Moore, who averaged 14.8 points per game, the second-best figure on the team.

• Villanova star Collin Gillespie (15.6 ppg), the Big East Player of the Year, and Jermaine Samuels (11.1) will be expected to lead the charge. Samuels was named Most Outstanding Player of the South Region. Gillespie has hoisted 264 3-point shots — making 108 (40.9 percent) — and Villanova has taken a whopping 957 as a team. The Wildcats are in the Final Four for the third time in the past six NCAA Tournaments. They won national championships in 2016 and 2018.

• Kansas’ last Final Four contest didn’t go well. It was against Villanova in 2018 and the Wildcats easily defeated the Jayhawks 95-79 two nights before they routed Michigan to win the national title. Sixth-year Kansas big man Mitch Lightfoot is hoping the result will be different this time.

• The Jayhawks revolve around Wooden Award finalist Ochai Agbaji, who averages 18.9 points per game and has knocked down 96 3-pointers. Agbaji was the Big 12 Player of the Year.

• Kansas has received stunningly good play in the NCAA Tournament from Remy Martin. Not once did Martin reach the 20-point mark in the regular season, but he has done so twice during March Madness and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Region after Kansas routed Miami 76-50 in the Elite Eight.

• Meanwhile, Self expressed concern over the health of center David McCormack (10.1 points, 6.8 rebounds per game). McCormack has been dealing with foot soreness most of the season.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
#1 Kansas Jayhawks
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