2016 NCAA Tournament: Championship Game Preview
(2)Villanova vs. (1)North Carolina:
The Wildcats handed Oklahoma the worst loss in Final Four history with a 44 point thumping on Saturday. This was a team that had beaten Villanova by 23 earlier in the season. That’s right, it was a 67 point turnaround! I think it’s safe to say that Villanova is playing their best basketball of the season.
You can say the same for the Tarheels. They won the ACC Tournament, and have ridden the wave to the National Championship game. True to form in the tournament, the Tarheels have played close in the first half, started pulling away by halftime, then turning on the afterburners in the second half.
Villanova, first and foremost, needs to shoot well again. They need to get out to a lead like they did against Oklahoma and try to get the Tarheels off of their game. The best way to do that is to build a big lead. Carolina is a better defensive team than Oklahoma is, and they are a little bigger. Villanova can’t just key on a player like they did against Buddy Hield. They will have to play solid defense over the entire court.
Granted, Oklahoma took themselves out of the game as much as Villanova did. The Sooners played too much as individuals, taking bad shots and turning the ball over trying to do too much. North Carolina wont do that. Unless they get knocked off their game like Oklahoma did, then you never know.
That likely wont happen. North Carolina is a huge team compared to Oklahoma, and they are much better defenders. They are big in the interior. Daniel Ochefu is going to have his hands full tonight He was able to neutralize Ryan Spangler. Can he do the same to both Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks?
The key to the game will be how well North Carolina can defend the perimeter, and how successful Villanova can be at disrupting the Tarheel offense. The Wildcats were able to frustrate Kansas enough. They caused Oklahoma to completely implode. Those are two very good, veteran teams. Can the Tarheels hold up to the pressure?
I don’t see the Tarheels pulling away with this game. It will stay close, and that definitely favors Villanova. As far as betting on the game? No, thanks. North Carolina at -2 is a sucker bet. It could come down to a last possession shot. If that’s a three, you lose.
Pick: Villanova
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