National Championship 2018: 3 keys to victory for Villanova
By Kareem Gantt
What does Villanova need to do to win its second National Championship in three seasons? Here are three keys to victory for the Wildcats.
The Villanova Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines are keeping everyone’s charcoaled bracket hanging by a thread.
If you were one of the lucky souls to pick the Wildcats and Wolverines to make it all the way to the National Championship Game, then, congrats, noble college hoops scholar. For everybody else? May your bracket soul rest in the bracket graveyard set up behind the Alamodome in San Antonio in peace.
While many are greatly surprised to see Michigan in the title game, Villanova was always thought to be a hot pick to make it back here, and now that the time has come to see if the boys from Philadelphia will become a modern-day college basketball dynasty, here are three things the Wildcats need to execute to be champions.
3. Create turnovers
We can’t stress this enough. One of the keys to Villanova’s success tonight will be to force Michigan to play a sloppy game and turn the ball over.
One of the main reasons the Wolverines are in the Championship Game tonight is because they are an impeccable ball-handling team. In their past 72 games, Michigan has committed 15 or fewer turnovers, which is pretty darn impressive considering the teams it had to beat to get here.
So, it’s that simple: Make Michigan turn the ball over like it’s plagued with Ebola.
2. Keep hitting those threes
No one has to remind us of Villanova’s historic three-point attack against the Kansas Jayhawks.
They were hitting threes like the three-point line would be extinct tomorrow, and it clearly overwhelmed a Kansas team that was already going to have its hands full with this offensive juggernaut.
Michigan is one of the better three-point defenders in college basketball, and it’s up to the Wildcat shooters to keep the three-point barrage going in tonight’s championship game.
1. Keep the game fast-paced
Many, including us, are coming to the realization that Villanova’s offense is one of, if not the best, in the history of college basketball.
They way they do it is by keeping the game fast, outrunning and outscoring their opponents until they wave the white flag. That’s what happened to Kansas on Saturday night, and that’s what should happen tonight against Michigan.
The Wolverines will be looking to slow the game to a pace so slow a snail would appreciate it, and that will not work in their favor.
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So, if Villanova looks to walk off the court at the Alamodome tonight with their second National Championship win in three seasons, then they have to make the Roadrunner proud and keep the game fast.