Villanova’s path doesn’t get any easier on Saturday when it hosts No. 17 UConn as it looks to rebound from Wednesday’s loss to Marquette. Interestingly, the Huskies present some of the same challenges that proved so problematic against the Golden Eagles.
“Great team coming in here that is really talented, really long and plays really hard,” Jay Wright said. “Similar to the Marquette team we just played. We know we got a tough game coming up with an experienced team that’s playing good basketball.”
UConn enters with a 15-5 record overall and a 6-3 mark in the Big East. The Huskies own an elite win in the form of a 115-109 double overtime victory over Auburn, the only loss of the season for the Tigers. UConn’s best Big East win was a 78-70 win over Marquette. Its other conference wins have come over St. John’s, Georgetown, DePaul and Butler (twice). The Huskies have fallen to Seton Hall, Providence and Creighton, with the loss to the Bluejays coming last Tuesday in their last time out.
Hearing that the Huskies present a similar challenge to Marquette is not something Villanova fans want to hear seeing as the Golden Eagles have beaten the ‘Cats twice this season. However, the ‘Cats are confident they have identified the issues and are prepared to correct them.
“I think we gotta be a little more aggressive against the press,” Wright said. “I think defensively we gotta just be a little more solid and be matched up at the end of possessions, rebound better.”
“We didn’t get the ball up as fast as we wanted to, and we didn’t get into the rhythm that we wanted to,” Jermaine Samuels said. “We looked at it on film and we talked about it, we know what to do going forward.”
“We got off to a slow start,” Collin Gillespie added. “We know we gotta play harder and play Villanova basketball for 40 minutes. We learned from it.”
Specifically, UConn’s length is of particular concern. That length has allowed the Huskies to build an elite defensive unit, especially inside the arc. They have been incredibly stingy both at the rim and in the mid-range. In addition, they do a great job of funneling opposing offenses into the strengths of that defense, forcing attempts near the rim and from the mid-range while limiting shots from 3.
“They have a lot of length,” Samuels added. “They have Sanogo down there, they got Akok, Whaley and then obviously they have R.J. Cole who is a ballhawk, so they have a lot of guys on defense that can be disruptive and we’re just gonna stick to our concepts and try to make as many Villanova basketball plays as possible.”
Another big concern on Saturday will be rebounding, particularly defensive rebounding. Marquette’s work on the offensive glass in the first half Wednesday played a big role in its ability to build a 14-point lead. ‘Nova did a much better job on the defensive glass in the second half, and that’s something that will have to continue Saturday, as UConn has been dominant on the offensive glass. The Huskies are pulling down 38.6% of their offensive rebound opportunities, the second-best mark in the country. Villanova will need to find a way to limit them to one shot as much as possible.
“We just talked about finishing our possessions, everybody matched up,” Wright said. “We were kinda over-helping and getting out of position, that was hurting our rebounding. And that’s something Connecticut does a great job of, they run some really good cuts offensively that can get you out of position and then they go attack the offensive glass, so we really gotta be smart about that.”
The 3-point line could be a major factor in this game. The ‘Cats have been streaky from deep this season, but beyond the arc has been the one weakness of the UConn defense. The Huskies rank 205th in opponent’s 3-point percentage while ranking third in opponent’s 2-point percentage. If the ‘Cats can exploit that weakness and get it going from deep it could go a long way towards deciding the outcome.
While rebounding and the 3-point line will be specific stats we’ll be tracking, we’ll also just be watching the general flow and crispness of the ‘Nova offense. Are the ‘Cats getting into their sets efficiently? Is the ball movement flowing? Is the decision making quick and correct? Marquette, in both games against ‘Nova, did a great job of disrupting the Villanova offense and UConn certainly appears to be a team that can replicate those efforts. Of course, if the answers to those question are affirmative, it should go a long way towards helping the ‘Cats get the kind of looks they can knock down from deep.
It's going to be another tough test for the ‘Cats as they enter a stretch over the final eight regular season games that will be full of tough tests. It will be interesting to see how they respond to Wednesday’s loss while playing against a similar team and if they can find some of the answers that eluded them Wednesday night.
The game is set for a noon tip on FOX.
