MORE ELITE EIGHT RECRUITING FLASHBACKS:
THE MATCHUP
The last time No. 2 Villanova and No. 1 Kansas met in the NCAA Tournament was in the Sweet 16 during the Jayhawks' 2008 national championship run. This time, they'll take the floor of the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville at 8:49 p.m. ET Saturday for the right to be named South Region champs and advance to the Final Four.
The Jayhawks were last in the Final Four in 2012 when they lost in the national championship game to Kentucky, while Villanova was last there in 2009.
THE KEYS
Villanova enters the Elite Eight on some kind of shooting bender. It made 62.7 percent of its shots in their Sweet 16 demolition of Miami after shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor in its first two tourney games. During the stretch, the Wildcats have also made 53.2 percent of their three-point attempts. If they keep shooting anything near that level, they will be awfully tough to beat. Also key for the Wildcats is that guards Ryan Arcidiacono, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart take good care of the ball and have only combined for seven turnovers in three NCAA tourney games. The Wildcats will definitely need their big man, Daniel Ochefu, to stay out of foul trouble.
For Kansas, the play on the offensive end for point guards Frank Mason and Devonte Graham has been sporadic but they've been terrific defensively. The Jayhawks don't force a bunch of turnovers but Graham and Mason spearhead a defense that has held opponents to just 38.2-percent shooting during the tournament. In addition to their terrific defense, the Jayhawks have been downright dominant on the glass, outrebounding their opponents 122-79. Forward Perry Ellis is playing the best basketball of his stellar career and guard Wayne Selden has elevated his play to a new level. An underrated key for the Jayhawks is junior center Landen Lucas. He's averaging a double-double in the tournament and Kansas has won 18 of 19 (including 17 in a row) since he was inserted into the starting lineup in January.
HOW THEY WERE BUILT
Eric Bossi on Villanova: Coach Jay Wright and the Wildcats are reaping the benefits of a terrific 2012 class where both Arcidiacono and Ochefu ranked in the top 60 nationally. What has really impressed me about Wright and his staff is the way they have been able to supplement their core of local talent by raiding the Washington D.C. DMV area. Maybe the most versatile player, Hart, is from the DMV as are starters Ochefu and Kris Jenkins. Jenkins was always a gifted shooter in high school but not in the best of shape and the job he's done with his fitness has allowed him to flourish. When Villanova landed an elite prospect in Brunson from the class of 2015, I thought the McDonald's All-American could help the Wildcats get into the second weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2009 and though he hasn't been a huge scorer his presence has been felt.
Bossi on Kansas: There is a really interesting dynamic at Kansas. Many expected that both of its leading scorers in junior guard Wayne Selden and Ellis to be gone for the NBA by now. On top of that, Mason and sophomore Devonte Graham were originally ticketed for Towson and Appalachian State before developing into four-star prospects at prep schools. Bill Self has managed to build a cohesive, veteran unit and hasn’t succumbed to any of the early calls from his fanbase and many analysts to play five-star freshmen bigs Carlton Bragg and Cheick Diallo more. The biggest surprise has been Lucas. I thought he was a huge reach for the Jayhawks when they took him as an unranked three-star prospect and he looked like that for most of his first two and a half years, but his development since January has been as impressive as it is surprising.
