2018 NBA Mock Draft: March is finally here

I checked in on Bridges against Creighton on Saturday, a game the Wildcats lost.

He was his usual self, scoring 18 points, including 4-of-9 shooting from distance. Bridges continues to take on more responsibility within Villanova’s offense, leading the team on that end despite the talent around him. The Wildcat ball-handlers look for him on the perimeter, and he rewards them by nailing shots at an elite rate.

On Saturday, Bridges quieted a Creighton run with a massive 4-point play in the middle of the first half. He caught a pass, gathered and launched, swishing the shot off the back of the rim and falling onto a defender who had crowded him too closely. Bridges knocked down the free-throw, which he has done at a 84 percent clip this season.

Bridges holds his own on defense, but one thing I am watching in March is how effective Villanova can be as a team on that end. They have the best offense in the country but the No. 92 defense. As evidenced by their loss to Creighton, the Wildcats cannot win every night just by scoring 80 points.

Bridges can be a bigger part of the solution on that end, but regardless he has established himself as the premier 3-and-D prospect in the draft.