This article is part of our Final Four Preview series.
vs. 
Villanova Wildcats, East Region No. 1 Seed
Backcourt: Guards lead the way for the Wildcats, who rank first in offensive efficiency and second in effective field goal percentage per KenPom, and 15th in 3-point shooting at 40.0 percent. Jalen Brunson (19.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.6 apg) is the team's leading scorer, while Mikal Bridges (17.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 apg) is the team's 1b option. Donte DiVincenzo (12.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.5 apg) and Phil Booth (10.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.9 apg) round out a four-man rotation. DiVincenzo is the "worst" free throw shooter of the quartet, connecting at a 71 percent clip, making it difficult for teams to come from behind in late game situations as the 'Cats don't miss many freebies. Their ability to rebound is less talked about, but arguably as important as their perimeter shooting abilities, as glass work is a true team effort.
Frontcourt: Not strong in numbers, Villanova's front court is essentially a two-man rotation of Omari Spellman (10.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg) and Eric Paschall (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 apg). Both stand at 6-foot-9 and hover around 250 pounds, giving the 'Cats some bulk down low. Depth is an obvious concern, even with Villanova often running four-guard sets. While cold shooting helped explain some of Texas Tech's second half success in the Elite 8, a large portion of their surge after halftime came with Spellman on the bench due to foul trouble. To Villanova's favor is that Kansas also plays a four-guard
vs. Villanova Wildcats, East Region No. 1 Seed
Backcourt: Guards lead the way for the Wildcats, who rank first in offensive efficiency and second in effective field goal percentage per KenPom, and 15th in 3-point shooting at 40.0 percent. Jalen Brunson (19.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.6 apg) is the team's leading scorer, while Mikal Bridges (17.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 apg) is the team's 1b option. Donte DiVincenzo (12.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.5 apg) and Phil Booth (10.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.9 apg) round out a four-man rotation. DiVincenzo is the "worst" free throw shooter of the quartet, connecting at a 71 percent clip, making it difficult for teams to come from behind in late game situations as the 'Cats don't miss many freebies. Their ability to rebound is less talked about, but arguably as important as their perimeter shooting abilities, as glass work is a true team effort.
Frontcourt: Not strong in numbers, Villanova's front court is essentially a two-man rotation of Omari Spellman (10.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg) and Eric Paschall (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 apg). Both stand at 6-foot-9 and hover around 250 pounds, giving the 'Cats some bulk down low. Depth is an obvious concern, even with Villanova often running four-guard sets. While cold shooting helped explain some of Texas Tech's second half success in the Elite 8, a large portion of their surge after halftime came with Spellman on the bench due to foul trouble. To Villanova's favor is that Kansas also plays a four-guard lineup. Spellman and Paschall finish in close, with Villanova having the second-best 2-point field goal percentage in the nation at 58.8 percent. There's very little negative to say about this attack, inside or out.
X-Factor: Guard Phil Booth. In winning four games by an average of 18.3, Villanova did so with minimal help from Booth. He's their fifth-leading scorer and one of six who average in double-figures, but after beating Radford, Booth averaged 5.0 points while shooting 4-of-17 from the floor and 1-of-7 from 3-point range. He wasn't the most efficient during the year, shooting 44.7 percent and 39.1 percent from the floor and long range, and while the nation's top-scoring offense has plugged along in spite of Booth for the last three games, the Wildcats need more production from a guard who has seen 29.0 minutes over the last four contests in a game I expect to be high scoring.
Who They Beat to Get Here:
Radford: 87-61
Alabama: 81-58
West Virginia: 90-78
Texas Tech: 71-59
They'll Win If: They connect from the outside. We noted in the Sweet 16 preview that the Wildcats shot 27.6 percent from 3-point range in their four losses, yet connect at a 40.5 percent clip overall. The perimeter is a large part of their offense; Villanova ranks third nationally in 3-point attempts per game. 'Nova was able to overcome poor shooting in the second half against Texas Tech due to the Red Raiders' offensive limitations. That won't be the case with Kansas, as they're a capable offensive unit. Point blank, Kansas will score regardless of the Wildcats' shooting rate. If the shots aren't falling, Villanova won't be playing Monday night.
--Chris Bennett
Kansas Jayhawks, Midwest Region No. 1 Seed
Backcourt: This is the area Kansas is best known for with point guard Devonte' Graham running the show along with Malik Newman, who scored 32 points against Duke. Graham hasn't had the best tournament since scoring 29 points in the first round, but he also has 25 assists in four games. He sets everything up for the Jayhawks and is the player Villanova's defense has to focus on. Newman is playing his best basketball of the season and needs to be kept in check, yet he's not the same kind of creator as Graham. Newman has made at least four threes in six of the last seven games and can't be left open. At the three spot, Lagerald Vick isn't the same type of scorer as the others, but since tournament play began, he has scored double digits in every game.
Frontcourt: Even though Kansas plays small ball, Svi Mykhailiuk deserves to be in this category after grabbing 10 rebounds against Duke and marking up Marvin Bagley most of the contest. It was an extremely impressive outing for the Ukranian and now he'll get matched up with another big body in Eric Paschall or the lengthy Mikal Bridges. His ability to defend any kind of player has been huge for KU all season. As for big man Udoka Azubuike, he's turned into a key piece since the season began and will be needed against Omari Spellman. Offensively, Azubuike has to draw fouls on Spellman because defending Villanova's big man on the perimeter may be difficult. But considering Azubuike always seems to get in foul trouble himself, Silvio De Sousa should play key minutes as well and he did just fine against Duke.
X-Factor: This has to be Vick, who is considered the worst offensive player of the starters. He started the season being a huge part of the offense, often scoring 20 points, but also adding rebounds and assists, yet that fell off once conference play got underway. But since the tournaments began, he's back to making threes, having made at least two in each of the last five games. While the assists aren't there, his most important role will likely be to mark Mikal Bridges, Villanova's possible NBA lottery pick. Vick is giving up length and size and will have a big test on both ends.
Who They Beat To Get Here:
Penn 76-60
Seton Hall 83-79
Clemson 80-76
Duke 85-81 (OT)
They'll win if: The shots continue to fall. The Jayhawks beat Duke with the help of 13 made threes including one late in regulation. Of course, it's the same situation with Villanova, which means the Kansas defense will be just as important. Graham and Newman can't get bodied up by Jalen Brunson and the same goes for Vick against Bridges. There's also the question of Azubuike guarding Spellman on the perimeter, as the big man is Villanova's best three-point shooter (by percentage). These teams match up well and the Jayhawks need to go to the post early with Azubuike in hopes of getting Spellman in foul trouble. If they can do that, they'll be in a good position.
--Adam Zdroik
PREDICTIONS:
Chris: The Wildcats will take on their third-straight Big 12 opponent in the tournament, and having already overcome the league's attacking press defense in WVU and a physical, long defense in Texas Tech, it should be all downhill. Kansas has overcome some demons to reach the Final Four, and they have the fire power to keep this tight throughout. I expect a game of runs, but Villanova's experience and poise get them back to the championship game for the second time in three seasons with a solid final four minutes. Wildcats win 85-79.
Adam: These teams are extremely even with both playing a different brand of small ball. Villanova relies a lot on its shooting, yet when the shots aren't falling, it's great at drawing fouls and getting to the line. The difference for the Wildcats is that they have six pure offensive threats, while Kansas only has four-and-a-half with Vick being the half. After watching Villanova's defense confuse Texas Tech last game, I have to go with the favorite in this matchup, Wildcats 80-75.
