Villanova 82 Butler 42

[NCMUFan]

Villanova in high gear.
Looking forward to the game on Wednesday.
Need to disrupt Villanova's game.

[Galway Eagle]

Good they used up their energy running up the score!

[CountryRoads]

Will be a really tough game Wednesday. I expect MU to compete well and be in the game until the end.

Butler is trending towards Q4 or a buy level type game though. They're really terrible.

[BallBoy]

Hard to tell how good Nova is based on this game because Butler is that bad. Same as our 30pt win against Georgetown.

Butler has averaged around 20pt beat downs in all their losses without including this 40pt loss to Nova. Their best wins are probably Oklahoma and DePaul.

Nova scored more in the second half than Butler did in the whole game.

I think Nova is good but not as good as previous year's.

[Uncle Rico]

Hard to tell how good Nova is based on this game because Butler is that bad. Same as our 30pt win against Georgetown.

Butler has averaged around 20pt beat downs in all their losses without including this 40pt loss to Nova. Their best wins are probably Oklahoma and DePaul.

Nova scored more in the second half than Butler did in the whole game.

I think Nova is good but not as good as previous year's.

Nova is 3rd in KenPom, with the 6th best offense and 13th defense.  They do everything well except get to the FT line and when they do get there, they shoot 81%.  If you believe in fundamentally sound basketball teams, this is the walking definition of it

[tower912]

It will be a good challenge.    It will be fun to see how MU handles the pick and rolls and switches.   So often MU would end up with Theo on Gillespie out at the 3 pt line and Carton guarding their big. 

This year, MU usually switches 1-4.  On high screen and rolls, MU hedges and turns the PG while the weakside wing defender drops into the paint to guard the rolling big.  It helps a lot that it usually Lewis, OMP, or Morsell dropping into the lane instead of Rowsey or Markus.   Also, MU recovers so fast it looks seamless.   Maybe it is just Osa and Kur being quicker.

Nova is Nova.  Well coached and patient.   Nothing to do but lace them up.

[BallBoy]

Nova is 3rd in KenPom, with the 6th best offense and 13th defense.  They do everything well except get to the FT line and when they do get there, they shoot 81%.  If you believe in fundamentally sound basketball teams, this is the walking definition of it

Did anything I say contradict this?

[Daniel]

Villanova is always a tough game especially at their place.   But we have had success against them at times.   If we can hit our shots and play defense we have a chance.  If we can add rebounding a good chance .   But the key will be our inside game - can we get a dunk fest going?   That could be the ticket.

[avid1010]

Nova scored more in the second half than Butler did in the whole game.

Yeah...but they scored enough to cover the 1H total of 58...$$$$ 

[MU82]

Hard to tell how good Nova is

Good. They're always good, dammit.

[cheebs09]

Hard to tell how good Nova is based on this game because Butler is that bad. Same as our 30pt win against Georgetown.

Butler has averaged around 20pt beat downs in all their losses without including this 40pt loss to Nova. Their best wins are probably Oklahoma and DePaul.

Nova scored more in the second half than Butler did in the whole game.

I think Nova is good but not as good as previous year's.

How did a Porter Moser coached team lose to Butler?

[BallBoy]

Good. They're always good, dammit.

Notice the word how in front of good.  That indicates a level of.

Notice the second qualifier which says based on this game.

Nova is good but this isn't their best team of the last 5 years.

[MU82]

Nova is good but this isn't their best team of the last 5 years.

Yes, odds are they won't win the national title.

[Uncle Rico]

Yes, odds are they won't win the national title.

It wouldn't surprise me if they did win it.  They profile very much like a national champ and are getting better as the season moves along.  This is a much better team than the one in November and healthier. 

[MU82]

It wouldn't surprise me if they did win it.  They profile very much like a national champ and are getting better as the season moves along.  This is a much better team than the one in November and healthier.

Good point, Unk. Nova is very good again, and there doesn't seem to be a great team this season so far.

[BallBoy]

Good point, Unk. Nova is very good again, and there doesn't seem to be a great team this season so far.

I wasn't basing my comment on just a NC but the players and how they are playing. This isn't their best team in the last four years.

They got smoked by Baylor a month ago and then again at the beginning of Jan.

Nova is a good team but not a true NC contender.

[panda]

I wasn't basing my comment on just a NC but the players and how they are playing. This isn't their best team in the last four years.

They got smoked by Baylor a month ago and then again at the beginning of Jan.

Nova is a good team but not a true NC contender.

Yep - if their name isn't Villanova, we're not having this conversation. Good not great.

[mug644]

What I like is that MU has nothing to lose on Wed. No one will expect us to win, even with the nice run the team is on. Not with Villanova's momentum and beating of Butler today.

I like the idea of a Shaka-led team playing loosely, just going for it.

I won't predict a victory, and it could even be a smack down, yet I'm happy to go into without any pressure or expectations.

As with so many games thus far, it will be an indication of where/how the team is going forward. Ah, yes, the process. It will help with the process.

[MU82]

I wasn't basing my comment on just a NC but the players and how they are playing. This isn't their best team in the last four years.

They got smoked by Baylor a month ago and then again at the beginning of Jan.

Nova is a good team but not a true NC contender.

As I said, odds are against a national title. The same can be said about everybody. Nobody's unbeaten, nobody's unbeatable.

The beautiful thing is that we'll get to see!

[Viper]

Marquette was once what Villanova aspired to be. Villanova has now been what Marquette aspires to be.

[TheREALwrk]

Marquette was once what Villanova aspired to be. Villanova has now been what Marquette aspires to be.

They do everything better. Including the pre-Big East Tournament events for their fans. Marquette may not be able to be Nova on the court (right now). But we should be able to be Nova off the court.

[🏀]

They do everything better. Including the pre-Big East Tournament events for their fans. Marquette may not be able to be Nova on the court (right now). But we should be able to be Nova off the court.

What a complaint.

[We R Final Four]

I watched some of this game. Nova flops waaaaaaay more than Bucky.......and that's saying something.
I hate floppers.

[Galway Eagle]

They do everything better. Including the pre-Big East Tournament events for their fans. Marquette may not be able to be Nova on the court (right now). But we should be able to be Nova off the court.

Wow I for one am shocked that a school that has two recent championships, another fairly recent final four, and loads of recent conference championships is getting more support and enthusiasm than our program that had 2/3 of a season flash before returning to average for 7 years.

[Jockey]

Nova is Nova.  Well coached and patient.   Nothing to do but lace them up.

As long as it is for one game at a time.