By PAUL GOTHAM
LOUISVILLE, KY. — In their NCAA Tournament second round victory No. 2-seed Villanova hit 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) from behind the arc and 32-of-54 (59.3 percent) from the floor. The Wildcats are 5-0 on the season when shooting 50 percent or better from the 3-point arc and 3-0 when connecting on 59 percent or better from the floor.
In Thursday’s South Region semi-final, Villanova’s priority will shift to slowing down the offense of No. 3-seed Miami and namely the Hurricanes stable of guards starting with Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez.
“McClellan and Rodriguez are outstanding,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said Thursday. “You’ve got two — one guard that can really score and create for the other and McClellan, one that is just an incredible scorer.”
The Miami duo combined for 44 points on 11-of-25 shooting in Miami’s opening round victory over Buffalo. Two days later, McClellan and Rodriguez scored 46 as Miami downed Wichita State, 65-57. Rodriguez handed out a total of nine assists for the two games.
“They have great drivers,” Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono said. “They have great scorers on the perimeter. I think one of the things that we’re going to have to do to stop them is not show them any space, show them our bodies and our triangles so that they don’t see the space to be able to drive into the paint. But we know they’re great shooters, too, so it’s going to be a tough matchup for us.”
Miami’s senior guard tandem led the Hurricanes scoring a combined 28.2 points a game this season.
In their second round victory, Villanova’s defense limited Iowa’s Peter Jok (6’6″) and Jarrod Uthoff (6-9) to 22 points. The Hawkeye pair came in averaging 35 a game, but Miami is a different monster. At 5-11, Rodriguez is a crafty playmaker who thrives in tight spaces.
“They’re experienced, they’re physical, they’re strong,” Villanova’s Josh Hart noted. “We just can’t let them see space. We’ve got to lower to them. We can’t just swipe at them. Hopefully, that will slow them down. We’ve got to have them see our bodies, not see driving spaces.”
Wright is quick to point out Miami’s attack doesn’t end with McClellan and Rodriguez. Ja’Quan Newton (10.8 ppg/2.5 apg) and Davon Reed (11.2 ppg/1.2 apg) give the Hurricanes ample firepower off the bench.
“You’ve got four of them together,” Wright added. “It’s not just the two. It’s the four of them that are outstanding. And then you take their forwards who play the role of screening for them, rebounding extremely well, but also if you spend too much attention on those guards, those guys can score.It’s a really unique team. It’s what makes them a great team.”
This is Villanova’s first trip to the Sweet Sixteen since 2009 when the Wildcats reached the Final Four. Wright has guided Villanova to the regional semi-finals five times.
Villanova is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in the past 12 years and fourth straight. Villanova has 36 NCAA Tournament appearances and is 53-34 all-time. Wright is 17-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament including 12 years at the helm of Villanova and two at Hofstra.
Villanova has averaged 81.8 points over their last nine games. The Wildcats are 17-1 this season when scoring 80 or more. Wright’s crew is 30-1 when leading at half and 26-1 when holding opponents under 70 points this season.
Kris Jenkins is scoring 19.1 points per game over the last 11 games, shooting 49.5 (108-218) including 43.4 percent (59-136) from long range over the past 20 games.
Hart leads Villanova with 15.4 ppg. The junior guard grabs 6.9 rebounds. Arcidiacono dishes out 4.4 assists while scoring 12 points a game. Daniel Ochefu leads the way with 7.8 rebounds. The senior forward scores 9.8 a game.
Villanova and Miami tip off at 7:10 p.m. Thursday night.
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