This article is part of our Final Four Preview series.
vs. 
Villanova and Oklahoma were each ranked No. 1 in the polls at points this season, and while both squads entered the NCAA Tournament as No. 2 seeds in their respective regions, the Wildcats and Sooners found ways to reach the Final Four in Houston. The Wildcats used a combination of three-point shooting and stifling team defense, ultimately defeating No. 1 overall seed Kansas in a defensive battle in the Elite Eight. Meanwhile, Oklahoma rode its star player, senior Buddy Hield, to the school's first Final Four since 2002.
These two teams played earlier this season on Pearl Harbor Day in Hawaii, with Oklahoma crushing Villanova by 23 despite Hield shooting just 6 of 17 from the field. The Wildcats shot 4 of 32 from three, while the Sooners hit 14 of their 26 attempts. That being said, the game was more than three months ago and Saturday's game figures to be much closer.
Villanova Wildcats, South Region No. 2 Seed
Backcourt: Coach Jay Wright employs three-guard sets, stretching the floor with shooters while also using dribble penetration to get open looks from three-point range. The Wildcats have an extremely talented group of guards led by senior captain Ryan Arcidiacono. "Arch" is the heart and soul of the team, but the leading scorer is junior Josh Hart, a 6-foot-5 swingman who averaged 6.7 rebounds per game this season, seventh-best in the Big East. Freshman Jalen Brunson, son of former NBA point guard Rick Brunson, rounds out the starting trio. All
vs. Villanova and Oklahoma were each ranked No. 1 in the polls at points this season, and while both squads entered the NCAA Tournament as No. 2 seeds in their respective regions, the Wildcats and Sooners found ways to reach the Final Four in Houston. The Wildcats used a combination of three-point shooting and stifling team defense, ultimately defeating No. 1 overall seed Kansas in a defensive battle in the Elite Eight. Meanwhile, Oklahoma rode its star player, senior Buddy Hield, to the school's first Final Four since 2002.
These two teams played earlier this season on Pearl Harbor Day in Hawaii, with Oklahoma crushing Villanova by 23 despite Hield shooting just 6 of 17 from the field. The Wildcats shot 4 of 32 from three, while the Sooners hit 14 of their 26 attempts. That being said, the game was more than three months ago and Saturday's game figures to be much closer.
Villanova Wildcats, South Region No. 2 Seed
Backcourt: Coach Jay Wright employs three-guard sets, stretching the floor with shooters while also using dribble penetration to get open looks from three-point range. The Wildcats have an extremely talented group of guards led by senior captain Ryan Arcidiacono. "Arch" is the heart and soul of the team, but the leading scorer is junior Josh Hart, a 6-foot-5 swingman who averaged 6.7 rebounds per game this season, seventh-best in the Big East. Freshman Jalen Brunson, son of former NBA point guard Rick Brunson, rounds out the starting trio. All three guards have the toughness, grit and determination that defines this team.
Frontcourt: Daniel Ochefu has been terrific down low for the Wildcats during the tournament, despite not being a prototypical center. Ochefu outmuscled taller opponents in Miami's Tony Jekiri and Kansas's Landen Lucas in Nova's last two wins. He is also an extremely capable passer out of the post and his ability to find open three-point shooters is underrated. Kris Jenkins plays at the other forward position, though he is virtually like a fourth guard, and averages a staggering 6.5 three-point attempts per game, hitting 37.9 percent from downtown.
X-Factor: three-point shooting. Villanova's success boils down to two key items; tough defense and knocking down three-pointers. Defense on three-point shooters could prove vital against the Sooners, who are sixth in the nation in three-pointers made per game (10.4). Oklahoma knocked down 14 treys in the first meeting between the two squads and they are tied for second in the country in three-point shooting percentage, hitting 42.6 percent of their shots from long distance. What team is Oklahoma tied with? Kansas, who just lost to Villanova thanks to their tough defense on the perimeter. The Jayhawks shot just 6-for-22 (27.3 percent) from long range in the loss to Nova, and a similar defensive effort is going to be needed against Buddy Hield.
On the flip side, Villanova hit 10 three-pointers against Miami, 10 against Iowa and 13 against UNC-Asheville. All those games were routs. The Wildcats did not shoot well against Kansas (4-for-18) but were still able to tough out the victory, proving that they can indeed win without playing their best on offense. However, against a high-scoring Oklahoma squad, the treys are going to need to fall as they did in the first three games of the tourney.
Who They Beat to Get Here:
UNC-Asheville, 86-56
Iowa, 87-68
Miami, 92-69
Kansas, 64-59
They'll Win If: they can contain Buddy Hield. Oklahoma's star is averaging 29.3 points per game in the tournament, shooting an impressive 56.7 percent from the floor, including 47.5 percent from downtown. The Wildcats breezed through their first three games of the tournament, largely due to incredibly hot shooting. However, Villanova struggled offensively against Kansas and still managed to gut out the victory due to stifling defense. The Wildcats held Perry Ellis, Kansas' top scorer this season, to just four points on five shots. Though the odds of the streaking Hield scoring just four points in a game are slim to none, a similarly Herculean defensive stand will likely be necessary if the Wildcats are to advance to the national championship game.
-- Jesse Siegel
Oklahoma Sooners, West Region No. 2 Seed
Backcourt: The Sooners have one of the best and most experienced backcourts in the nation. Buddy Hield is the star, but it is the three years with Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard that set Oklahoma apart. Hield is averaging 29.3 points per game in the tournament, including 37 points in the Elite Eight against Oregon when he connected on eight three-pointers. Cousins has hit 42 percent of his three-pointers, but he has been relatively quiet in the tournament and was just 5-for-21 in the last two games. Woodard is a defensive pest and must be honored by the opposing defense, as he is shooting 45.9 percent from deep this season, including 7-of-9 in his last two games.
Frontcourt: With junior center Akolda Manyang away from the team, the Sooners are shallow in the frontcourt. Ryan Spangler is a stretch four who is quite good at tapping offensive rebounds to the backcourt, though he has not hit a three-pointer in the tournament. Khadeem Lattin will likely be tasked with slowing down Daniel Ochefu in the low post, despite giving up nearly 40 pounds to the Wildcats center. Freshmen Dante Buford and Christian James will see minutes, particularly if Lattin continues to get in foul trouble.
X-Factor: As great as Hield has been, he has only had back-to-back 30-point games twice this season and both scoring outbursts happened before February. The senior has not hit more than three three-pointers in consecutive games since the end of the regular season, so the Sooners may have to win without Buddy going bananas. That being said, a fast start by Hield might help Oklahoma to Monday's championship game.
Who They Beat to Get Here:
Cal State Bakersfield, 82-68
VCU, 85-81
Texas A&M, 77-63
Oregon, 80-68
They'll Win If: even if both teams regress in terms of three-point shooting compared to their earlier meeting, the Sooners can be assured of the knowledge that they won easily in Hawaii. Villanova has developed some interior scoring and had a very impressive defensive game against Kansas. However, Oklahoma is a different kettle of fish and also plays excellent team defense. As long as the Sooners' guards play 30 minutes apiece, they can handle anything the Wildcats throw at them.
-- Perry Missner
PREDICTIONS:
Siegel: Buddy Hield certainly appears to be on a mission, and there may not be anyone who can stop him. The Wildcats will use team defense, and not just one player, in an attempt to suffocate Hield, run him off the three-point line and make every shot difficult. The Wildcats will have to stop Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard from outside, too; both players shoot over 40-percent from three-point territory. Lost in Buddy-Mania has been the efforts of the Oklahoma defense during the NCAA Tournament. Both Texas A&M and Oregon shot under 40 percent from the field against the Sooners. In the end, the star power gets the edge, and the Sooners should take care of business against the gutty Wildcats in a three-point shooting bonanza.
Missner: In the Elite Eight, Villanova did something that Oklahoma couldn't do this season: they beat Kansas. The Wildcats took Perry Ellis out of the game and were a defensive nightmare for the Jayhawks. However, Oklahoma has the best scorer in college basketball and a number of offensive threats. The Sooners spread the opposing defense out and are patient enough to find open three-pointers. Villanova will make this a closer game than they did in December, but Oklahoma will reach the championship game for the first time since they had Stacey King and Harvey Grant in 1988.
