Villanova's 572-Mile Journey To the Final Four Ends, As Wildcats Fall to Ellington, North Carolina, 83-69, at Detroit's Ford Field

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Villanova's stunning NCAA tournament run ended on Saturday evening at cavernous Ford Field in Detroit, as the Wildcats fell to Wayne Ellington - of Episcopal Academy and Wynnewood, Pa. - and the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Final Four, 83-69.

It was the end to an amazing season, which culminated in Villanova advancing to the Final Four for just the fourth time in school history, and the first time since the miracle victory over Georgetown as a #8 seed in 1985, 24 years ago, on April Fool's Day...

It was the final game for seniors Dante Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark, and Frank Tchuisi, who participated in more wins, than any other class in Villanova's storied 89-year basketball history...

Congratulations to head coach Jay Wright and his staff, the Wildcats, and all of those in the athletic department for making this year one to remember...

A more comprehensive recap will be coming... please check back...

Update:

Villanova was vanquished by a superior North Carolina team this evening. Obviously, the fact that North Carolina is the better team- on paper, in talent, and in won/lost record-

does not mean that the Wildcats couldn't have won tonight. They could have. (Any team - no matter what its seed - in the tournament field can beat any other team, on a neutral court.)

It just means that the Wildcats needed a near-flawless performance. And regrettably, that wasn't the case.

Before going through the numbers, one overall, subjective impression:

Particularly in the second half, as the minutes of the night slipped by-

The game had a very listless, uninspiring feel to it. Had I not been told that it was the Final Four, I would have likely concluded that it was a game in a holiday tournament, where there are few, if any fans, and teams from disparate conferences are playing each other in intersectional games.

Certainly, the fact that the game wasn't close had something to do with that effect on the viewer. But part of it was the decision to have a crowd of 70,000 +, for a basketball game. With the home favorite Spartans having gloriously ended UConn's season earlier, the green-and-white clad Michigan State fans began increasingly to go home, rather than cheer for Villanova's waning hopes of upsetting North Carolina and providing the Spartans with a slightly smoother path to another national title for Tom Izzo.

So for essentially the last eight minutes, the energy had been vacuumed out of Ford Field, and as play also became choppy, there was a desolate ambience about the game. With such a huge venue, if there aren't fans near the court to cheer, there is no noise (which couldn't have made CBS happy).

Nor was this impression solely due to the fact that it was a decisive North Carolina victory. I think that even had the score been reversed, the banal atmosphere, with the MSU and UConn fans having gone home, would have been similar. In summary, it just didn't have the exhilarating atmosphere that a Final Four contest should have...

We - with a great deal of justification - think of Final Fours as legendary games. Games in which storied programs trade highly contested buckets, with each side knowing that - even if the game isn't close - they are on the grandest stage that college basketball has to offer, and that the games will live on in the NCAA chronicles and the CBS highlight reels. It really didn't live up to that lofty standard.

(And of course, another contributing element, was the fact that the Pitt game was a very hard act to follow...)

So looking at numbers-

The Wildcats made just five of their 27 three-point attempts (18.5%), as well as shooting 26/79 from the floor (32.9%). These anemic numbers prompted CBS's Jim Nantz to remark - wittily - that

"they're certainly not shooting the way they did in the second half against Georgetown in 1985." (It's always worth noting - as Nantz immediately did, during the broadcast - that the Wildcats shot 78.6% from the floor against Georgetown overall, and 90% - nine out of ten - in the second half.)

This was the first Final Four game for Villanova, since that magical Monday, two dozen Aprils ago. But unfortunately, the hot shooting touch of Harold Jensen, Ed Pinckney, Dwayne McClain, Harold Pressley, Gary McLain, and Dwight Wilbur - did not maintain its mystical existence for a near-quarter century. (Although perhaps it might have lingered just long enough, to allow the shot from Scottie Reynolds to roll in, one week ago, against Pitt in the Elite Eight...)

Dante Cunningham had a superb game, ending his Villanova career neatly with a symmetrical dozen/dozen in points/rebounds. He shot 5/13 from the floor and committed three turnovers, but the Wildcats could have prevailed with Cunningham's dozen/dozen. The problem was that outside of Reggie Redding and Shane Clark, nobody had a good night from the floor (hence, the anemic numbers described earlier).

Redding - whom Nantz noted for the national audience, had played for St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia for former La Salle coach Speedy Morris - was named as Villanova's Chevrolet Player of the Game, finishing with 15 points on 5/9 shooting and four rebounds, including what was perhaps a particularly worthwhile feat, blocking a shot from Tyler Hansbrough (not easy for an off-guard to do).

In a statistical parallel to fellow senior Cunningham, Clark had half a dozen points, and half a dozen rebounds, while playing about half the time (18 minutes to Cunningham's 35). Rarely do the numbers work out so smoothly... and it was a fitting end to the magnificent run of these seniors, who played in four NCAA tournaments, two Elite Eights, three Sweet 16s, and a Final Four...

Reynolds led the Wildcats with 17 points, along with five assists and just one turnover, but it took him 18 shots to get six field goals, and he was just 3/11 from long-range distance.

Dwayne Anderson seemed to be everywhere, fighting for rebounds with abandon (he finished with a dozen) and also had three steals. But he was 2/12 from the floor, and missed all six of his three-point attempts.

Off the bench, Corey Fisher filled up the stat sheet, with 13 points and seven rebounds. But like the rest of the Wildcats, he struggled with accuracy - 5/19 shooting, 0-4 from beyond the arc. It often seemed that Fisher would just take the first shot he could, indiscriminately. Granted, Villanova trailed badly for almost the entire game, and instant offensive punch is Fisher's role. That having been said, it's very unusual to have a bench player have 19 field goal attempts to lead his team... Had some more of them rattled in, the Wildcats would have had a shot.

It didn't help that the other Corey's bombs didn't fall, either. Stokes played 20 minutes and was held scoreless, missing all three of his three-point attempts and collecting three rebounds.

Ironically, one factor that kept Villanova in the game, was something that they couldn't even affect - North Carolina's subpar performance at the foul line. The Tar Heels - even without any need for Villanova to foul at the end - went to the line 37 times, but made just 22 of them, a conversion rate of just 59.5%. (Both Cunningham and Anderson ultimately fouled out, providing a good opportunity to permit each of them to be given an ovation by the crowd.)

For Carolina's part, it has to be said that Ellington, more than any other Tar Heel, destroyed Villanova's hopes tonight. The wing player whom Jay Wright and his staff hoped at one time would become a Wildcat, ironically, ended the incredible run for the Main Liners.

Ellington finished with 20 points, on 7-14 shooting, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. Aside from the lethal perimeter shooting, it was the timing of the shots that was devastating. Ellington's high-arcing triples kept crashing down on Villanova with a thud. They always seemed to come when the Wildcats had started to build some momentum, repeatedly thwarting hopes of a sustained rally.

Much more to come, in subsequent posts, on Sunday, and throughout the week... so please check back...

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.)

Blue Jerseys Bring Luck - Villanova's Record-Setting, 15 Lower-Seeded Victories in the NCAA Tournament

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

CBS helpfully ran a graphic during both the Pittsburgh and Duke games, that Villanova had won 13 (heading into Duke - the Sweet 16) and 14 (heading into Pittsburgh - the Elite Eight) NCAA tournament games as the lower seed, the most of any program. I've compiled the full list of the now-record 15 NCAA tournament games which Villanova has won, as the lower seed...

Needless to say, Villanova is the lowest seed remaining in this year's tournament... North Carolina and Connecticut are top seeds, and Michigan State, which battles the Huskies in the other game tonight, is a #2.

Interestingly, after defeating Princeton in an 8/9 game in 1991, it took 14 years to win another NCAA tournament game with the blue jerseys...

The games, in reverse chronological order (with Villanova's eventual finish in parentheses):

1. #1 Pittsburgh, Elite Eight, 2009, as #3 seed (hopefully, national champions)
   
2. #2 Duke, Sweet 16, 2009, as # 3 seed (likewise)
   
3. #5 Clemson, First Round, 2008, as #12 seed (Sweet 16)
   
4. #4 Florida, Second Round, 2005, as #5 seed (Sweet 16)
   
5. #8 Princeton, First Round, 1991, as #9 seed (Second Round)
   
6. #3 Illinois, Second Round, 1988, as #6 seed (Elite Eight)
7. #2 Kentucky, Sweet 16, 1988, as #6 seed (Elite Eight)
8. #7 Virginia Tech, First Round, 1986, as #10 seed (Second Round)
9. #1 Michigan, Second Round, 1985, as #8 seed (National Champions)
   
10. #5 Maryland, Sweet 16, 1985, as #8 seed (National Champions)
11. #2 North Carolina, Elite Eight, as #8 seed (National Champions)
12. #2 Memphis State, Final Four, as #8 seed (National Champions)
13. #1 Georgetown, National Championship, as #8 seed (National Champions)
14. #2 Memphis State, Elite Eight, as #3 seed (Elite Eight)
15. #8 Houston, First Round, as #9 seed (Second Round)
    

You might be wondering why there were only five in 1985. An intriguing footnote is that the first-round 8/9 game, as the higher seed, was also extremely difficult, as the Wildcats had to beat #9 Dayton on its home floor (teams are no longer allowed to play on their home floor, although quasi-home floors like the Wachovia Center are permitted).

Also, as we get ready for showtime, here are all the previous North Carolina/Final Four posts over the course of the week - enjoy:

I've already posted a great deal of content on Villanova/North Carolina, and so here's a concise collection of the links thus far (and there will be more...) Enjoy...

1. I look back at the 1985 Villanova/Georgetown national championship game, 24 years later...
2. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - how the Wildcats upset the Tar Heels in the 1985 Elite Eight, en route to that national championship...
3. Everyone wants to know about Jay Wright's "lucky pigs", which have been instrumental in getting the Wildcats to the Final Four - Wright himself has kidded that "Those Pigs Are Important to Our Team's Success"...
4. Looking back at the 2005 NCAA Sweet 16, which was the last time Villanova and North Carolina battled in the tournament - what has become known in Villanova lore as the "Allan Ray Travel Game"....
5. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - How Michael Jordan stopped Villanova in the 1982 tournament and the Wildcats' upset of the Tar Heels in the regular season, the following year...
6. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - The first three meetings, prior to the 1982 tournament...
7. My initial post that the Wildcats would face North Carolina in the national semifinal...
8. The first part of the preview - Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, Part 1 - UNC's Road to Detroit...
9. Part 2 of the preview - the UNC starters....
10. Part 3 of the preview - the UNC rotation/bench...

Villanova Would Be Just Third School to Beat Duke, North Carolina in Same NCAA Tournament

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

If the Wildcats were to make it past North Carolina in the Final Four, they would become just the third school to ever defeat both Duke and North Carolina, in the same tournament. The only others to have done so, were:

1. Denny Crum's Louisville Cardinals in 1986 (who defeated North Carolina in the Sweet 16 and Duke in the national title game);
2. Billy Donovan's Florida Gators in 2000 (who defeated Duke in the Sweet 16 and North Carolina in the Final Four - which is exactly like what the Wildcats would achieve.)
   

As you can imagine, it's a very difficult feat to accomplish. Most teams don't last in the tournament long enough to face them both, and the NCAA wisely swings teams from the same conference around the brackets so that they can't meet prior to the Elite Eight (and preferably, to the Final Four). So the odds of any team having both in their region is extremely low.

In addition, for much of the NCAA tournament's history, there was only one team from any given conference, so it was impossible to face more than one team in any particular tournament....

Go Wildcats! Beat North Carolina!

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.)

North Carolina's Storied History - 18 Final Fours, 100 NCAA Wins, etc.

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Villanova has a great basketball tradition, but North Carolina's is even better. Here are some enjoyable superlatives to ponder as Saturday night approaches:

North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament

• Is making its 18th appearance in the Final Four, the most of any school (this year broke the 17-17 tie with UCLA).
  
• Has won four national championships.
• Has made 41 NCAA appearances, won 100 NCAA tournament games, and played in 139 of them, all #2 all-time.
• Has received 13 #1 seeds, more than any other.
  
• Made 27 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament from 1973-2001, an NCAA record, that I think is probably the most impressive record of all the many in the media guide. (If it hadn't been for the fact that the basketball gods sent Matt Doherty back to UNC to become head coach earlier in this decade, it might very well have continued to this day.)
• Under Dean Smith, made 13 consecutive appearances in the Sweet 16, from 1981-1993.
  
• Ranks second only to Kentucky, in total wins (1,950 before this season, now approaching 2,000) and winning percentage (73.6%, entering the season).
• Has been ranked #1 in the AP poll 96 times, in the top 10, 573 times, and ranked, period, 742 times (the last one being a record).

Go Wildcats! Beat North Carolina!

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.)

North Carolina Traditions/History - "Why Are the Colors Light Blue and White?" The Answer May Surprise You...

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Before I get started on the traditions of the North Carolina Tar Heels, I've already posted a great deal of content on Villanova/North Carolina, and so here's a concise collection of the links thus far (and there will be more...) Enjoy...

1. I look back at the 1985 Villanova/Georgetown national championship game, 24 years later...
2. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - how the Wildcats upset the Tar Heels in the 1985 Elite Eight, en route to that national championship...
3. Everyone wants to know about Jay Wright's "lucky pigs", which have been instrumental in getting the Wildcats to the Final Four - Wright himself has kidded that "Those Pigs Are Important to Our Team's Success"...
4. Looking back at the 2005 NCAA Sweet 16, which was the last time Villanova and North Carolina battled in the tournament - what has become known in Villanova lore as the "Allan Ray Travel Game"....
5. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - How Michael Jordan stopped Villanova in the 1982 tournament and the Wildcats' upset of the Tar Heels in the regular season, the following year...
6. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - The first three meetings, prior to the 1982 tournament...
7. My initial post that the Wildcats would face North Carolina in the national semifinal...
8. The first part of the preview - Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, Part 1 - UNC's Road to Detroit...
9. Part 2 of the preview - the UNC starters....
10. Part 3 of the preview - the UNC rotation/bench...

So Why Are the North Carolina Colors Light Blue and White?

From the UNC Library site:

As symbols of unity among Carolina students, alumni, and fans, the school colors of light blue and white were first used around 1800 to distinguish between members of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Literary Societies. Throughout the nineteenth century, students were required to be members of either the Di or the Phi. The Di's color was light blue, and the Phi's was white.

At University commencements, balls, and other social events, the student officials, managers, and marshals wore the color of their society, blue or white. Because the Chief Marshal or Chief Ball Manager represented the whole student body, not just his society, he wore both colors.

When the University fielded its first intercollegiate athletic teams in 1888, the question of what colors to wear had already been answered. Light blue and white had come to symbolize membership in the University, not in a single society.

Light blue and white have been considered the University's colors for more than a century. With the tradition so firmly established, a popular bumper sticker states that God must be a Tar Heel because he made the sky Carolina Blue!

So Why Do The Tar Heels Have A Ram As the Mascot?

Here's the answer:

In 1924 Vic Huggins, UNC's head cheerleader, decided that Carolina needed a mascot like N.C. State's Wolf and Georgia's Bulldog. At the time, Jack Merrit, known to his fans as the "Battering Ram," was a popular member of UNC's football team. Making use of this nickname, Huggins hit upon the idea of a ram as the Carolina mascot.

The cheerleader went to Charles T. Woollen, the University's Business Manager, and asked him to find twenty-five dollars to buy a ram. They ordered UNC's first mascot from Texas.

The 1924 team had been in a slump and Carolina fans were looking for something to break the jinx. The Tar Heel sports staff joined the campus in hoping that the new mascot would bring the much-needed luck.

The mascot, who was named Rameses, arrived in time for the UNC–VMI game on 8 November 1924. The fans saw a defensive struggle. No one scored until late in the fourth quarter when a UNC player executed a perfect dropkick for a 3-0 victory. Carolina fans credited the first Rameses' presence for pulling Carolina past VMI, and giving birth to the long line of rams who have witnessed Tar Heel games."

Go Wildcats! Beat North Carolina!

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.)

Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, Part 3 - Comparing The Teams' Rotation/Depth

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Before I get started on the Tar Heels' key players, I've already posted a great deal of content on Villanova/North Carolina, and so here's a concise collection of the links thus far (and there will be more...) Enjoy...

1. I look back at the 1985 Villanova/Georgetown national championship game, 24 years later...
2. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - how the Wildcats upset the Tar Heels in the 1985 Elite Eight, en route to that national championship...
3. Everyone wants to know about Jay Wright's "lucky pigs", which have been instrumental in getting the Wildcats to the Final Four - Wright himself has kidded that "Those Pigs Are Important to Our Team's Success"...
4. Looking back at the 2005 NCAA Sweet 16, which was the last time Villanova and North Carolina battled in the tournament - what has become known in Villanova lore as the "Allan Ray Travel Game"....
5. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - How Michael Jordan stopped Villanova in the 1982 tournament and the Wildcats' upset of the Tar Heels in the regular season, the following year...
6. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - The first three meetings, prior to the 1982 tournament...
7. My initial post that the Wildcats would face North Carolina in the national semifinal...
8. The first part of the preview - Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, Part 1 - UNC's Road to Detroit...
9. Part 2 of the preview - the UNC starters....

Part 3 - Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview - North Carolina Tar Heels Reserves

The Wildcats have a fairly deep rotation, with eight players who regularly see action and can be considered battle-tested (this list is not in order of importance):

1. Scottie Reynolds
2. Corey Stokes
3. Corey Fisher
4. Dante Cunningham
5. Shane Clark
6. Dwayne Anderson
7. Reggie Redding
8. Antonio Pena

That's actually a very high number. Even the clear eighth man, Pena, has started earlier in his career and has demonstrated that he can even score if necessary. It's hard to tell if the Tar Heels have a clear advantage off the bench, since although Roy Williams uses more players, they have many lopsided wins in which more players see action.

In what is potentially an ominous sign for the Wildcats, the Tar Heels have crushed all four of their NCAA tournament opponents, making it difficult to determine which players would have seen action, if the games had been close. I looked at the ACC tournament games, which were closer, but due to the minutes being spread out so much, it was difficult to draw any clear conclusion. But that having been said-

Here's a look at the four most important Tar Heels off the bench, three of whom are McDonald's All-Americans:

Ed Davis - #32 - 6/10 - Freshman - Forward

Davis, a McDonald's All-American, who scores 8.4 points/game and pulls down 6.8 rebounds/game, leads the team in blocks and is the main frontcourt reserve.

Bobby Frasor - #4 - 6/3 - Senior - Point Guard

Frasor, who started at the point as a freshman and was named to the All-ACC rookie team, had logged 38 starts entering this season. However, he suffered a serious knee injury in late December last season. As a battle-tested point guard, he is a good option for Roy Williams should Ty Lawson suffer another injury or sink into foul trouble.

Larry Drew II - #11 - 6/1 - Freshman - Guard

Drew, also a McDonald's All-American, averages 9.8 minutes, 1.5 points, and 2.0 assists a contest. With two point guards having potential injury problems, the freshman is yet another option for Williams in the backcourt.

Tyler Zeller - #44 - 7/0 - Freshman - Forward

Zeller - yet another McDonald's All-American, has appeared in only nine games this season, but has seen action in the NCAA tournament and provides another big man off the bench for Williams - something unavailable to Jay Wright.

You can also take a look at the other Villanova blogs included in Various Viewpoints on the right sidebar, for their takes...

Go Wildcats! Beat North Carolina!

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.)

Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, Part 2 - UNC's Starters

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Here is Part 2 of the Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, in which I'll take a look at the Tar Heels' Starters...

(Note: I'm going to constantly add more content to this post throughout the day, so if you feel you haven't gotten enough detail on the Tar Heels starters, please check back for more details as they are added in...)

Before we begin -

Thanks to the Michigan State blog - Sparty and Friends - for unearthing the Sports Illustrated cover dated April 8, 1985, of Ed Pinckney scoring while surrounded by Georgetown Hoyas, with Patrick Ewing falling at his feet. If it looks familiar - it's mounted on the wall at the Pavilion. The publisher of Sparty and Friends has a great, blown-up image of it - so check it out... And not just the cover. Sparty has a great substantive analysis of the Wildcats from a Michigan State perspective, that's well worth reading...

Before I get started on the Tar Heels' key players, I've already posted a great deal of content on Villanova/North Carolina, and so here's a concise collection of the links thus far (and there will be more...) Enjoy...

1. I look back at the 1985 Villanova/Georgetown national championship game, 24 years later...
2. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - how the Wildcats upset the Tar Heels in the 1985 Elite Eight, en route to that national championship...
3. Everyone wants to know about Jay Wright's "lucky pigs", which have been instrumental in getting the Wildcats to the Final Four - Wright himself has kidded that "Those Pigs Are Important to Our Team's Success"...
4. Looking back at the 2005 NCAA Sweet 16, which was the last time Villanova and North Carolina battled in the tournament - what has become known in Villanova lore as the "Allan Ray Travel Game"....
5. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - How Michael Jordan stopped Villanova in the 1982 tournament and the Wildcats' upset of the Tar Heels in the regular season, the following year...
6. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - The first three meetings, prior to the 1982 tournament...
7. My initial post that the Wildcats would face North Carolina in the national semifinal...
8. The first part of the preview - Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, Part 1 - UNC's Road to Detroit...
   

Part 2 - Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview - North Carolina Tar Heels Starters

Here are the starters - my analysis, in turn..

Overall Analysis of the Starting Lineup

The major reason why North Carolina was viewed as a significant national championship contender this season, is the fact that they returned all five starters from last season's Final Four appearance. Last year, the Tar Heels reached the Final Four, after receiving a #1 seed (rendering last year the statistical oddity of being the first one in the then-24 64/65-team tournaments, where all of the top seeds reached the Final Four), before being thrashed by Kansas in the national semifinals.

Ironically, one of those five starters, senior swingman Marcus Ginyard, isn't starting this year. He played only three games and scored just one basket, due to injury, and he's redshirting as a result. Danny Green, another senior, has taken his place in the lineup.

Tyler Hansbrough - #50 - Forward - 6/9 - Senior

21.4 pts/game, 52.2% FG%, 85.6% FT%, 47.4% 3FG%, 8.2 rebounds/game, 28 steals, 12 blocks

Hansbrough is clearly North Carolina's best player - as he is arguably the best player in the nation. He also is the single biggest (both literally and figuratively) obstacle, in the way to the national championship game on Monday evening. Because of his abilities, he causes an enormous matchup problem for the Wildcats underneath. When the defense sags, upon his arrival at the post in order to help out Dante Cunningham, he opens up a great deal of opportunities for the Tar Heels on the perimeter. And North Carolina has three significant perimeter weapons, just in their starting lineup - Ellington, Lawson, and Green.

The back cover of the North Carolina media guide - which was published prior to the season, obviously - lists these superlatives, which are a concise summary to Hansbrough's abilities:

• 2007-08 National Player of the Year
• 2007-08 ACC Player of the Year
• 2007-08 ACC Male Athlete of the Year
• 2008 NCAA East Regional MVP
• 2008 ACC Tournament MVP
• Three-time first-team All-America
• Two-time consensus first-team All-America
• Three-time unanimous first-team All-ACC

You get the idea. And he has undoubtedly piled up many similar accolades for this season... The back cover shows Hansbrough surrounded by trophies (I assume that after he goes to the NBA, he might need an entire room in his mansion, just to display all of the hardware...)

Some personal facts on Hansbrough:

• "Talents I have outside of basketball" - "Ping Pong and golf".
• "Non-basketball skill (or activity) I wish I could do better": "Dancing."
• "My SportsCenter dream highlight would be": "Winning the NCAA tournament." (One that we hope won't be fulfilled... as with Deon Thompson, below.)

Wayne Ellington - #22 - Shooting Guard - 6/4 - Junior

15.2 pts/game, 46.8% FG%, 77.8% FT%, 39.5.% 3FG%, 4.8 rebounds/game, 34 steals, 4 blocks

A local product from Wynnewood, Pa. (just down the Main Line, of course, from Villanova), who attended Episcopal Academy, Ellington has been an impact player in all three years he's been at Chapel Hill. He's started nearly every Tar Heel game since he arrived. As a freshman, Ellington started all but one contest, averaged 23.9 minutes/game and 11.7 points. As a sophomore, he also started all but one contest, logged 31.1 minutes/game and boosted his scoring all the way to 16.6 points/game.

Jay Wright and his staff wanted Ellington very badly to play his college hoops on the Main Line (and were very disappointed when they couldn't land him), Ellington is a very significant three-point threat and a key cog in the North Carolina offensive engine. One enormous irony is the fact that Ellington is good friends with Gerald Henderson, who opted to go the other way on Tobacco Road to Duke. And Villanova had extensively courted them both while in high school.

This shows that the basketball gods have a sense of humor. Villanova does not land Henderson, then faces him in the Sweet 16, and shuts him down completely. Now Wright and the staff have the same opportunity with Ellington.

I speculate that due to their advanced and comprehensive knowledge of Henderson, Wright and the staff knew his weaknesses very well, and it was the major reason why they were able to effectively neutralize him. Time will tell, if it will also be the same outcome with Ellington, whom they know equally well.

Some personal facts on Ellington, from the North Carolina media guide:

• On "I chose my jersey number because", Ellington answered, "A friend of mine, who passed away, wore 22."
• On "The best player I ever guarded": "Gilbert Arenas."
• Unsurprisingly, "My best friend on another college team:" "Gerald Henderson (Duke)."
• "Non-basketball skill (or activity) I wish I could do better": "Play tennis."
• "Favorite food": "My grandmom's shrimp linguine."
  

Ty Lawson - #5 - Point Guard - 5/11 - Junior

15.9 pts/game, 53.8% FG%, 80.9% FT%, 46.7.% 3FG%, 2.8 rebounds/game, 59 steals, 4 blocks, 6.5 Asst/Game, 2.0 Turnovers/Game

Lawson against Scottie Reynolds will be one of the most important matchups. Lawson's lethality on the perimeter means that he must be constantly defended, as he is always a threat to score. Lawson ranks a distant third in three-point shots attempted (90) to Ellington (172) and Green (154), but he is far more accurate than either of them. One thing that does work in Villanova's favor is the fact that this is a rare situation, where Reynolds will actually be bigger than the guy he's assigned to guard.

Lawson has always played a great deal while at Chapel Hill. He started 31 out of 38 games as a freshman two years ago, averaging 25.7 minutes and 10.2 points a game. Last year, despite an injury in February, he started all but three games, averaging 25.3 minutes and 12.7 points. Heading into the season, he was already 16th on North Carolina's all-time assists list, with 378, and had an assist/turnover ration of 2.47/1, with just 153 miscues... Lawson has improved upon that assist/turnover ratio this year, dealing 196 assists to 59 turnovers, a ratio of 3.3/1.

Some personal facts on Lawson, from the North Carolina media guide, including two interesting Philadelphia connections, although Lawson is from Clinton, Maryland, and went to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia (which produced, among many others, former Villanova guard Jermaine Medley).

• "If I could play another sport at Carolina" - "Soccer".
• "The best player I ever guarded" - "LeBron James."
• In a related answer - "My favorite NBA player" - "LeBron James".
• "Talent I have outside of basketball" - "everything."
• Philadelphia connection, first - "I pretended to be (this player) as a kid" - "Allen Iverson".
• Philadelphia connection, second - "Person in history I'd most like to meet" - "Ben Franklin... Always wondered what he was thinking..."

Danny Green - #14 - Guard/Forward - 6/6 - Senior

13.3 pts/game, 47.6% FG%, 83.3% FT%, 41.6% 3FG%, 4.7 rebounds/game, 56 steals, 43 blocks

Despite being just 6/6, Green is second on the team in blocks, as only reserve Ed Davis has more (57). Green averages 1.3 blocks a contest. Green ranks second to Ellington in both triples made and attempted, although Green is slightly more accurate.

In terms of playing time, Green's minutes have vacillated, since he arrived in Chapel Hill four years ago. As a freshman, he came off the bench, averaging an impressive 7.5 points/game and 3.7 rebounds/game, in spite of the fact that he averaged only 15.3 minutes a contest.

However, as a sophomore, he regressed slightly, as he played fewer minutes (13.6), and had fewer points (5.2), and fewer rebounds (3.7). Nonetheless, he was still North Carolina's top scorer off the bench. It wasn't anticipated that Green would start this season, but he began doing so due to the injury to Hilyard. And the move has paid off, as Green is averaging over 13 points a contest and getting his share of rebounds for a swingman.

Some personal facts on Green:

• "Nobody can believe I watch": "The Discovery Channel".
• "The best part about being a Tar Heel basketball player is": "Being able to run out of the tunnel and playing in front of 22,000 people."
• "Talent(s) I have outside of basketball": "Dancing"
• "Non-basketball activity that I wish I could do better": "Sing."

Deon Thompson - #21 - Power Forward - 6/8 - Junior

11.2 pts/game, 50.3% FG%, 65.7% FT%, 6.1 rebounds/game, 32 steals, 36 blocks

Unlike most of the Tar Heels, Thompson is not a perimeter threat. However, he is a solid interior defender, rebounder, and shot blocker. Thompson has not been a starter for as long as the others. His first season, 2006-07, he started only one game and averaged 12.4 minutes off the bench, with 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds a contest.

Last year, he moved into the starting lineup and started all but one game, with his minutes moving up accordingly - up to 21.4, low for a starter, but nearly double those of his freshman year. His rebounding doubled, from 2.4 to 4.8 per contest, and his scoring increased also, to 8.4 points. Perhaps most importantly, though, he led the Tar Heels in blocked shots with 51, up from 17 blocks as a freshman. Interestingly, Thompson's blocks have dipped this year, and he ranks third on the squad, behind Green and 6/10 freshman Ed Davis.

Some personal facts on Thompson:

• "I chose my jersey number because": "It was Kevin Garnett's number."
• "My SportsCenter dream highlight would be": "Game-winning shot in the Final Four." (Hopefully, this is a dream highlight that won't be fulfilled on Saturday.)
• "Talent I have outside of basketball": "Playing the guitar."
• A probably related answer - "Non-basketball skill or activity I wish I could do better": "Play the guitar."
  

In Part 3, I'll take a look at the North Carolina reserves, as bench strength could make the difference on Saturday... so check back for that...

Of course, there will also be more content, both on Villanova's 1985 tournament run, and the Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History as well...

Over the course of the week, I'll be writing up previous games in the all-time Villanova/North Carolina series, culminating the complete Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History. And of course, there will be a comprehensive preview of Saturday's Final Four clash - so please check back for more...

In the meantime...

You can also take a look at the other Villanova blogs included in Various Viewpoints on the right sidebar, for their takes...

Go Wildcats! Beat North Carolina!

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.)

Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, Part 1 - UNC's Road to Detroit

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Here is Part 1 of the Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, in which I'll take a look at the Tar Heels' Road to Detroit...

Before I get started on the Tar Heels' impressive season, I've already posted a great deal of content on Villanova/North Carolina, and so here's a concise collection of the links thus far (and there will be more...) Enjoy...

1. I look back at the 1985 Villanova/Georgetown national championship game, 24 years later...
2. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - how the Wildcats upset the Tar Heels in the 1985 Elite Eight, en route to that national championship...
3. Everyone wants to know about Jay Wright's "lucky pigs", which have been instrumental in getting the Wildcats to the Final Four - Wright himself has kidded that "Those Pigs Are Important to Our Team's Success"...
4. Looking back at the 2005 NCAA Sweet 16, which was the last time Villanova and North Carolina battled in the tournament - what has become known in Villanova lore as the "Allan Ray Travel Game"....
5. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - How Michael Jordan stopped Villanova in the 1982 tournament and the Wildcats' upset of the Tar Heels in the regular season, the following year...
6. Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History - The first three meetings, prior to the 1982 tournament...
7. My initial post that the Wildcats would face North Carolina in the national semifinal...
   

Nonconference Schedule

The Tar Heels rocketed off to a glittering 13-0 start this season, in nonconference play. Here are their 13 wins to start the season:

1. Penn, by 15
2. Kentucky, by 19
3. @ UC-Santa Barbara, by 17
4. @ Chaminade, by 45
5. Oregon, by 29
6. @ Notre Dame, by 15
7. UNC-Asheville, by 68 (yes, 68 - 116-48)
8. @ Michigan State, by 35 (yes, 35 - 98-63)
9. Oral Roberts, by 16
10. Evansville, by 18
11. @ Valparaiso, by 22
12. Rutgers, by 22
13. @ Nevada, by 23
    

It's true that of the 13 opponents, only Michigan State received a NCAA bid - and ironically, they shook off the 35-point loss to North Carolina easily enough, and it would be a remarkable rematch if they faced each other on Monday evening... That being said, Notre Dame and Kentucky were both bubble teams, and Rutgers and Oregon, although both had dreadful seasons, are from power conferences...

ACC Schedule

North Carolina ended up with a weak nonconference schedule and many easy victories (the smallest margins of victory were a pair of 15-point wins), and so it was very surprising when the Tar Heels dropped their opening pair of ACC games. They fell - at home - to BC by seven in the ACC opener. After crushing the College of Charleston by 38 points, they headed over to Winston-Salem, but were edged by Wake Forest, 92-89, and they fell to 14-2 overall, 0-2 ACC.

At that point - perhaps because of the two ACC losses - the pulverizing power that characterized the non-ACC schedule reappeared in the Tar Heels' performances. North Carolina then ripped off ten consecutive victories over ACC foes, many by large margins. Their ten victories:

1. @ Virginia, by 22
2. Miami, by 17
3. Clemson, by 24
4. @ Florida State, by 3
5. @ NC State, by 17
6. Maryland, by 18
7. Virginia, by 15
8. @ archrival Duke, by 14 (a very impressive win for UNC at Cameron Indoor Stadium)
9. @ Miami, by 4
10. NC State, by 9

North Carolina then stumbled, falling @ Maryland, 88-85, on Feb. 21 (in a game that probably got the Terrapins into the NCAA tournament, despite finishing two games under .500 in the ACC). The Tar Heels recovered well, though, crushing Georgia Tech by 30, winning @ Virginia Tech by 8, before hosting Duke in the ACC regular-season finale.

The Tar Heels bested the Blue Devils once more, winning 79-71 and taking the season series, as well as the ACC regular-season crown at 13-3 (Duke came in second). After receiving a bye in the opening round of the ACC tournament in Atlanta, the Tar Heels really struggled in their two games, both with less formidable opponents. In the quarterfinals against Virginia Tech, the Tar Heels defeated the Hokies by just three points, 79-76. And in the semifinals against Florida State, the Seminoles edged the Tar Heels in turn, 73-70.

As a result, the Tar Heels sported a 28-4 overall record, 13-3 ACC regular-season record, and a split in the ACC tournament. The NCAA Selection Committee justifiably awarded them a #1 seed, given the body of work. North Carolina had just four losses, with three of them coming against NCAA tournament qualifiers (BC, @ Wake Forest, @ Maryland, and Florida State on the neutral court in Atlanta). And although margin of victory isn't measured by the RPI (and in theory, shouldn't be a subjective criterion, either), the many lopsided victories didn't hurt the Tar Heels' standing...

NCAA Tournament

In the NCAA tournament, the Tar Heels' juggernaut hasn't skipped a beat. They were rewarded for their outstanding regular season with de facto home games in nearby Greensboro for the first two rounds. They had no trouble crushing #16 Radford by 43 points, 101-58, and also cruised past #8 LSU, 84-70.

In the Sweet 16, North Carolina traveled to Memphis, and surprisingly demolished #4 Gonzaga by 21 points, 98-77. In the Elite Eight, facing #2 Oklahoma, the Tar Heels once again crushed their opponent, beating the Sooners by a dozen points, 72-60.

By the standards of the 2009 Tar Heels, a 12-point victory is a fairly close outcome, but having watched the entire game against Oklahoma, I have to say that it really wasn't competitive past the middle of the first half, as North Carolina was in control for the entire time.

About the only thing that the Tar Heels could be faulted for, was the fact that Oklahoma was able to put together an entire highlight-film reel full of dunks, especially from Blake Griffin. Had I not known the score and was just shown the highlights, I would have been astonished that Oklahoma not only hadn't won, but had lost badly - given both the frequency and the spectacular nature of the dunks.

Part 2 of the Final Four: Villanova/North Carolina Preview, will be coming up soon... in which I'll analyze the Tar Heels' rotation and key players...

Of course, there will also be more content, both on Villanova's 1985 tournament run, and the Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History as well...

Over the course of the week, I'll be writing up previous games in the all-time Villanova/North Carolina series, culminating the complete Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History. And of course, there will be a comprehensive preview of Saturday's Final Four clash - so please check back for more...

In the meantime...

You can also take a look at the other Villanova blogs included in Various Viewpoints on the right sidebar, for their takes...

Go Wildcats! Beat North Carolina!

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.)

24 Years Later, April Fool's Day - Reflections on HBO's "The Perfect Upset" - Villanova over Georgetown in 1985

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

To put myself in the proper perspective for April Fool's Day, 2009, I re-watched the outstanding HBO documentary, The Perfect Upset, to immerse myself in the atmosphere of the stunning Villanova victory over Georgetown, 24 years ago, today... It is but one of the greatest ironies that it took place on April Fool's Day....

Simply put, The Perfect Upset is outstanding. I highly recommend it, for anyone who wants to dive deeply not only into the game itself, but Villanova's entire NCAA tournament run, as well as the social atmosphere and upheavals that were convulsing American life and society in the 1980s.

I had previously seen it, but of course, it has particular resonance in light of the highly unexpected Final Four run by the 2009 Wildcats... here are some observations, on the game that took place two dozen years ago...

Villanova - as a #8 seed - winning the NCAA tournament in 1985, is probably the second-greatest upset in the history of North American sports.

(The only one that I believe is clearly greater, was the U.S. hockey team capturing the gold medal against the Soviet Union in 1980.) Nor does that primarily stem from my being a Villanova alumnus and fan. For sports enthusiasts of any partisan stripe, Villanova/Georgetown is a magnificent story, enormously entertaining, filled with unique, memorable, flamboyant characters, richly textured, with a thrilling plot and spectacular ending. It's so great that no fiction writer could ever have contrived it.

No other team seeded that low has ever come close to repeating the feat. Granted, Villanova is not the lowest seed to advance to the Final Four - George Mason in 2006, and LSU two decades earlier - both made it as #11 seeds. But neither won a game in the Final Four. And even if they had, they would not have to face an opponent as formidable as the 1985 Georgetown Hoyas.

Perhaps the most astonishing element of the story of the 1985 Villanova Wildcats, is the fact that the entire story is true and genuine. One interviewee in The Perfect Upset notes that "you can't script the stuff," and he's absolutely right. (His line parallels the slogan Fox Sports used once for its October baseball coverage - "You Can't Script October".)

All of the following classic dramatic elements were present:

• The metaphor of David vs. Goliath;
• Clear villains in John Thompson and the Hoyas;
• Clear heroes in Rollie Massimino and the Wildcats;
• Not one, but two ailing Villanova fixtures - the first being Jake Nevin (who features prominently in The Perfect Upset) and also Alexander Severance, the founding father of Villanova basketball, who died during the Final Four but before the championship game (surprisingly, his passing is not mentioned during The Perfect Upset)...
• A small, private, academically prominent school winning the national championship;
• The first time that school had ever won the national championship;
• An astoundingly high level of play in the game itself - shooting 78.6% from the floor (22/28 overall), including 9/10 in the second half;
• the end of an era - it was the last tournament without a shot clock;
• the beginning of an era - it was the first year of the 64-team field.

That's only a partial list... Had Hollywood come up with a script for a basketball film, that incorporated all of the above elements, it clearly would have been rejected, as too unrealistic and sentimental - the audience would be unable to suspend its disbelief for a story like Villanova's.

But truth is indeed stranger than fiction, and the story really did take place according to the legend. It's all true...

If you haven't seen the outstanding1986 film Hoosiers (or if you haven't seen it recently), you really should go see it. Although its story stems from the true tale of a high school team in 1950s Indiana, the parallels between its plot and the saga of the Villanova Wildcats of 1985 are unmistakable. (I speculate that the script had probably already been written before the 1985 tournament, but it's possible that elements of it might have slipped in.) When telling the story of the 1985 Wildcats to those who are not familiar with it, it's often illustrative to liken it to Hoosiers.

Another aspect to keep in mind, is the distortion of retrospection. We all know the happy ending, about the eventual Villanova victory. In order to truly appreciate the stunning nature, though, we have to put ourselves in the frame of mind of those players, coaches, reporters, broadcasters, fans, etc., who were watching the events as they unfolded. It has to be remembered how improbable it was that Villanova had even reached the Final Four, let alone winning the entire tournament. Moreover, it had been highly improbable, that the Wildcats even reached the Sweet 16, having to play #9 Dayton on its home floor, and then top seed Michigan in the second round.

And as great as this year's team has been - and even if it does capture Villanova's second national crown - it can never match 1985. This year's team is a #3 seed, that had the further advantage of playing two rounds at home. And while North Carolina and either UConn/Michigan State are fine teams, they are not the juggernauts that the 1985 Hoyas were.

Villanova's 1985 championship is too difficult of an act to follow.

In the 24 tournaments since then (including this one), no lower seed has won the championship, or reached the title game. In 2006, as I (along with virtually all of America) rooted for George Mason to further shock the world by winning the national championship, I recognized that there would be one downside to the miracle - it would partially eclipse Villanova's feat. George Mason was an even bigger underdog, from a far less prominent conference, with a lower seed.

But of course, I was pulling for them, because it would have been a great feat on behalf of all the little schools in America, those who don't have the good fortune to play in power conferences or in great facilities or frequently on television. It would have underscored Villanova's triumph, not replaced it.

Although the 1985 team's accomplishment was certainly fully recognized at the time, the legend has only grown in the last two dozen years. As the big public schools, concentrated in the power conferences, continue to gobble up national titles, Final Four appearances, (and most alarmingly) an even greater share of NCAA tournament invitations, the achievement of the 1985 Wildcats has only glimmered that much brighter. Every year that goes by, without the miraculous event being repeated, simply adds to its luster.

So those are my thoughts on this April Fool's Day...

Of course there will be more content, both on Villanova's 1985 tournament run in general and the Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History as well...

Over the course of the week, I'll be writing up previous games in the all-time Villanova/North Carolina series, culminating the complete Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History. And of course, there will be a comprehensive preview of Saturday's Final Four clash - so please check back for more...

In the meantime...

You can also take a look at the other Villanova blogs included in Various Viewpoints on the right sidebar, for their takes...

Go Wildcats! Beat North Carolina!

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.)