With just 1.5 seconds remaining and the game tied at 65, Darrun Hilliard had an open look on the left wing and nailed the three pointer, giving Villanova the win over Butler 68-65. Hilliard was easily the most important player on the court for either team, scoring 31 points and nailing 8 three pointers, both career highs. Hilliard's 31 points were the high for the game, while Alex Barlow and Kellen Dunham led the way for Butler with 19 points each.
Butler was a very formidable opponent, ranking 18th in the country. The Bulldogs rebound and play defense well. They were able to keep everyone on the Wildcats' roster, other than Hilliard, in check all game long. But that is what makes Villanova to great this year. They are so well rounded and have so many options on offense that even when most of the team struggles, they have someone who can step in and be "The Man" for the game. Hilliard was "The Man" today.
What allowed Butler to hang around all game was their rebounding prowess. They out-rebounded the Wildcats 34-25 on the game. Villanova has many strengths, but rebounding has not been one of them all season long, ranking 164th out of 351 Division 1 teams. They play defense well enough to mask this weakness against some of the less talented teams, but come tournament time, this flaw could be enough to send them home before the sweet sixteen for the second consecutive year.
However, it is refreshing to see that the Wildcat offense is loaded enough to handle a good defensive effort from a team as talented as the Bulldogs. Everybody except for Hilliard had an off game, and they were still able to get the win. When multiple guys get going on offense, who cares about rebounding. But if Villanova can work on being more aggressive in snaring defensive rebounds the rest of the way, we can put them in the same tier as Wisconsin, Duke, and Virginia.
By: Dan Goggin
Follow us on twitter @BroadStBeat
What allowed Butler to hang around all game was their rebounding prowess. They out-rebounded the Wildcats 34-25 on the game. Villanova has many strengths, but rebounding has not been one of them all season long, ranking 164th out of 351 Division 1 teams. They play defense well enough to mask this weakness against some of the less talented teams, but come tournament time, this flaw could be enough to send them home before the sweet sixteen for the second consecutive year.
However, it is refreshing to see that the Wildcat offense is loaded enough to handle a good defensive effort from a team as talented as the Bulldogs. Everybody except for Hilliard had an off game, and they were still able to get the win. When multiple guys get going on offense, who cares about rebounding. But if Villanova can work on being more aggressive in snaring defensive rebounds the rest of the way, we can put them in the same tier as Wisconsin, Duke, and Virginia.
By: Dan Goggin
Follow us on twitter @BroadStBeat
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