Four Factors That May Have Torpedoed Villanova's Chances of Upsetting North Carolina in the Final Four

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Of course, I hope all of you had an enjoyable Easter weekend...

Looking at the outcome, back on the evening of Saturday, April 4, with more detachment-

I think that a combination of factors made the difference, between the loss and what could have been a major upset. These factors rose in importance, because looking at the dry numbers on the box score, two elements aren't consistent with a 14-point loss, in which you trailed badly, for nearly the entire game.

1. Villanova - despite being far smaller - actually won the rebounding battle, 50-46, including hauling down 19 on the offensive end, to North Carolina's 14.
2. The teams both had a dozen turnovers.

So in no particular order, the downsides:

1. The number of missed three-point shots that a) were open, and/or b) that rattled in and out. Villanova shot 5/27 from three-point range, a miserable 18.5%. And it wasn't just that the Wildcats' best perimeter shooters missed many shots. There seemed to be a disproportionate number of open looks that were not made, and also a good number that rattled in and out... If Villanova had made, say, 8 of 27 (which is still very poor - less than 33%), the entire tenor of the game would have been different, because the Wildcats would have remained within striking distance.
2. Inability to get to the foul line. One of Villanova's major strengths this year has been free throw shooting accuracy. When it got to the line, Villanova did very well at the line on Saturday, making 12/16 of the line, an impressive 75%. But the Wildcats were unable to do what they often do - drive the lane effectively and draw fouls. North Carolina took far more shots at the line (22/37), and while the shooting percentage was poor (just 59.5%), the Tar Heels netted out a ten-point advantage.
3. Enormous difficulty, in scoring underneath the basket. Granted, given the disadvantage that Villanova faced in terms of height, this might have been problematic, under any circumstances. North Carolina not only had Tyler Hansbrough, but Roy Williams could bring in two quality players off the bench. They had in reserve, Ed Davis, 6/10 and the team leader in blocks - and also a 7-footer, Tyler Zeller, off the bench, if they had needed him (he played just 2 minutes, as opposed to Davis's 22 minutes). But with Villanova's three-point shooters missing often, North Carolina could continue to stay packed in the lane- and force Villanova's drivers to take bad shots in traffic.
4. On a lighter note- Jay Wright's pigs let us down. The pigs in Wright's aptly named "pig pocket", in the interior of his suit, were a good luck charm suggested by his daughter several weeks ago. The pigs had been 9-2, entering the game against North Carolina. But, regrettably, the pigs did not deliver at crunch time.
   

Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Reynolds, Many Villanova Wildcats Featured on 2009 "One Shining Moment" on CBS After North Carolina Won National Title over Michigan State

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Thanks to their incredible Final Four run - the first for Villanova in 24 years and since the miraculous victory over Georgetown in 1985 - many Wildcats were featured, some multiple times, in CBS's montage of the tournament with the song One Shining Moment...

This is an article about the passing of the song's creator and the origins of the song One Shining Moment. It's very worthwhile reading, and I give it my highest recommendation. You can also just scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to see the 2008 One Shining Moment YouTube clip - the author starts out with the link to 1987, since he's an Indiana fan, and he has 2008 all the way at the bottom of the page.

There are already several versions of the 2009 One Shining Moment on YouTube. If you have a fast computer, I'd recommend the high-definition version.

On the high-definition version, you have to be patient with it, as the person who uploaded it carefully recorded Greg Gumbel's entire signoff, including an advertisement for The Masters, so you won't see the tribute right away. If you want to skip ahead, and reach the tribute to the late Doug Towey, the individual who first had the idea of using it for CBS's Final Four coverage, and the video, I'd jump to the 0:40 mark of the 4:41.

On the regular-definition version of the 2009 One Shining Moment on YouTube, the uploader started the recording, immediately with Gumbel's tribute to Towey, so it lasts only 3:39.

Villanova Wildcats Appearances (High-Definition Time Counter in front of the picture)

1. 2:01 - Scottie Reynolds jumper against Pitt during the Elite Eight
   
2. 2:14-2:21 - The Shot - Reynolds drives for the game-winning basket to break tie with Pitt and send Villanova to the Final Four, plus the Wildcats pouring on to the court in complete euphoria, like a navy-clad torrential flood...
3. 2:24-2:25 - Corey Fisher tussling with a Pitt Panther for a rebound, along with Shane Clark
4. 3:10 - Clark and another Wildcat falling onto Duke's Jon Scheyer in the Sweet 16
5. 3:16 - Duke's Elliot Williams being fouled by Dwayne Anderson, while driving to the basket, with Dante Cunningham and Corey Stokes following...
6. 3:20 - Fisher outrunning Pitt Panther Levance Fields for a loose ball in transition
7. 3:45 - Reggie Redding embracing Reynolds and high-fiving Anderson, during Sweet 16 against Duke (it appears to be Kyle Singler in the corner)
8. 3:56 -4:07 - Cunningham behind victorious North Carolina Tar Heels greeting Ty Lawson, then Anderson playing defense, as Tyler Hansbrough hits a jumper, shot of Roy Williams, then Anderson and Reynolds pursuing on defense as Lawson goes to the basket off a steal...

Also, I'd like to highly recommend...

This is an article about the passing of the song's creator and the origins of the song One Shining Moment. It's very worthwhile reading, and I give it my highest recommendation. You can also just scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to see the 2008 One Shining Moment YouTube clip - the author starts out with the link to 1987, since he's an Indiana fan, and he has 2008 all the way at the bottom of the page.

Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)