NEW ORLEANS — Everything about this Villanova team here in the Big Easy is precisely opposite the nickname this city so proudly wears. These frisky Wildcats, in the Final Four for the third time in the last six tournaments after winning it all in 2016 and 2018, have far and away the toughest road ahead to winning the chip, thanks to a confluence of bad injury luck and one helluva break in the bracket that matches them up with the only remaining No. 1 seed in the field.
But who’s feeling sorry for Nova?
No one. Not even Nova is feeling sorry for Nova. This team has faced adversity all season. Played the hand it has been dealt. All it did was earn a 2 seed in the tourney and march its way to the final weekend … again. Count them out at your own peril.
… Which many are doing, I can assure you! Ask anyone here in New Orleans what the title fight will look like come Monday, and it’s some iteration of Kansas-Duke or Kansas-North Carolina. Most believe the Wildcats have been declawed after the loss of defensive stalwart and second-leading scorer Justin Moore to an Achilles tear in the Elite Eight, leaving an already-thin rotation even more slim.
Most of those folks might just be right, too. Kansas is a 4.5-point favorite leading into the game, the biggest underdog of Saturday’s two-game slate, and 67% of bets at Caesars Sportsbook are on KU advancing into the championship round. The frenetically-paced style of Kansas is a stark contrast to slow-and-steady Villanova that rates as one of the slowest in the sport. Chances of Wildcats’ whiplash on Saturday remains dangerously high.
“It’s very tough that we lost Justin. And it does hurt a little bit. But these guys are ready,” said Villanova star Jermaine Samuels on Thursday just days after taking home MOP honors in the South Region. “The same guys put in the same work as Justin all year. A lot of people don’t see the hours they put in after the games, before the games, and they’re ready to go and they’re ready to contribute.”
Only six players on the roster this season are averaging 25 minutes or more per game. One of those was Moore, who is out for the season. So to say Villanova is shorthanded is short-selling just how shorthanded it really is headed to the penultimate game of college basketball’s 2021-22 season. The next men up have played fewer than 10 minutes per game on the season. Therein lies the crux of how tricky a spot it is in, and leaves you wondering about the possibilities of what this game could have looked like had it gotten a few fortunate breaks along the way.
Depth that could have been
Villanova’s title-winning teams of 2016 and 2018 were defined by relentless depth and star power. Yet, in a cruel twist of irony, this team’s rotation is virtually nonexistent. Not for lack of trying, though. Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, an expected contributor at forward, missed all but six games with an injury. Freshman Nnanna Njoku, dealing with everything ranging from a death in the family to a concussion to an illness, has not had a chance to break into any sort of rhythm. Then there’s former five-star talent Bryan Antoine, an x-factor entering Saturday expected to see the court. Antoine’s career has been marred by injuries and misfortunes. In a vacuum, those three are safety nets to protect against potential losses. In practice, they’re perhaps a reminder of just how dangerous this team might have been. Imagine a Final Four team with that trio humming at full strength.
To make it to the Final Four with all three effectively being non-contributors speaks to Villanova’s resolve and its very real chance of advancing. Villanova’s used to adapting and advancing. It does this. And despite being counted out, despite a short rotation, it still has a Hall of Fame coach, a star-studded senior duo in Jermaine Samuels and Collin Gillespie and a defense that’s limited opponents to under 50 points per game the last two outings. Maybe, just maybe, Nova can be up to the task against the odds.
This is ‘Villanova basketball’
Three of the seven players who spoke with the media on Thursday dropped “Villanova basketball” in passing. It is, best I can tell, an ethos that has shaped this program. New Orleans native Caleb Daniels defined it by recollecting a physical practice session against ex-player Saddiq Bey that made him realize its importance. Chris Arcidiacono did not define it, instead vowing to play “Villanova basketball” whenever he’s in, inferring it is the pinnacle of what team basketball looks like. And Jermaine Samuels defined it this way:
“Villanova basketball is playing hard, smart and together with pride for 40 minutes for your teammates and coaches. That simple. It’s all about being a part of something that’s bigger than yourself, giving it up for your teammates.”
Coach Jay Wright tipped the curtain back a bit Thursday even further by shining a light on what Villanova’s program — and its trajectory is – in contrast to the other three bluebloods left standing. Villanova basketball, in his words, is simply … different.
“We never aspire to be one of those programs,” he said. “As a matter of fact, we fight the urge to try to be like them because we’re just so different. We just try to be the best Villanova we can be. But when people on the outside connect us to them or count us as part of their legacy and tradition, we love it because we have so much respect for them.”
Daniels returns to hometown
Villanova senior guard Caleb Daniels is expected to make his third start of the season (and first in nearly a month) on Saturday in place of the injured Justin Moore. The circumstances are difficult and the stakes high, no doubt, but it’s a fabulous story for Daniels, a New Orleans native, who spent his first two college seasons down the road at Tulane and now steps into a huge role for Villanova with a championship one game away.
“He’s just one of my favorite people as a player because of everything that he’s been through,” said Jay Wright. “And he’s also a 3.8, 3.9 student. He’s incredible. He’s the most amazing kid. For him to come back here is really special. For us to be with him, really cool.”
Daniels, like Villanova, has faced some trying times in the last year. Got COVID once. Then got it again. Had myocarditis, a risk associated with the disease. He effectively missed April through September. As Wright said, during that time, “He couldn’t do anything.”
“What’s been so impressive is I think it’s his faith and his mental toughness,” Wright added. “It never — you never saw him down. You never saw it, even when he was coming back from injuries and stuff, you didn’t see him frustrated. It’s incredible. And it’s why he’s in the position he is in now. And as I said he’s playing the best basketball of his career.”
Daniels is prepping for the biggest game of his career and aware of the opportunity that lies ahead for him, for Villanova. He’s keenly in tune with just how full-circle a moment this is.
“It’s definitely, honestly, a true blessing and honor to be part of this, to have the Final Four here,” Daniels said. “Honestly I started my college career here so it’s definitely an honor and blessing. But nevertheless we’re locked into what we do here at Villanova. We’re just locked into each other and focused on each other.”
