Cats Pummel Demons: 86-59
#1 Villanova, taking the court for the first time ever as the top ranked team in the polls, came out with conviction and purpose to grab a quick lead over DePaul and, for the most part, never look back on the way to a dominating 86-59 road win. Coupled with a Xavier loss at Creighton, the Cats now stake claim to a two game lead in the Big East standings with an 11-1 record in Big East play.
Early in the game, Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono set the tone. As the game continued, the whole roster took part in the activity as five Wildcats finished in double figures, one with nine and one with eight. The offense was efficient and not overly reliant on the three-ball - though the three ball was a valuable weapon early in the second half as the Cats quickly put the game away after intermission with 9 quick points off made threes.
The 'Nova defense smothered DePaul, forcing 19 turnovers and holding the Demons 40.6% shooting from the floor.
Goods:
- Came out hard in the opening minutes of each half - to establish dominance
- +10 turnover margin
- Shooting - 54.3% FG, 39.1% 3PFG, and 84.0% FT
- Outscored DePaul in the lane, from deep and from the FT line
- The return of Ochefu to the line-up allowed Jay Wright to go back to an 8 man rotation with 8 players logging between 20 and 27 minutes. Great opportunity to give some players a break during the late grind of the Big East season
Others:
- None
Milestones:
- The Class of 2016 became the winningest class in Villanova history overall (103-25, .805) and in Big East play (57-15, .792) surpassing the 2009 class and 1997 class respectively
- Josh Hart became the 61st member of the 1,000 point scorer's club
- Ryan Arcidiacono surpassed the 1,400 point scoring plateau - joining Alvin Williams, Chris Ford, Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds in the 1,400 point, 450 assist club
Player by Player:
Ryan Arcidiacono: Did most of his damage at the FT line on his way to 8 points in 27 minutes of action. Arcidiacono contributed on the defensive glass and was content to facilitate his teammates and get everyone involved. Good game from Arch.
Daniel Ochefu: Ochefu was back in the starting lineup and the beneficiary of a lot of touches in the paint - especially in the opening minutes. This was a very solid effort returning from an injury. He scored the ball efficiently, passed it well and was a difference-maker on the defensive end of the floor.
Josh Hart: The MVP in this game for 'Nova is also one of the leading candidates for BE POY. Hart drained two early three-pointers, had a soaring dunk and was his normal, maniacal self in terms of energy level and contributing in every facet of the game. 3 dimes with no turnovers.
Kris Jenkins: His scoring numbers and rebounding were positives but this was a bit of a poorer floor game from Jenkins. He had one assist and three turnovers to counteract his 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. His shooting started out a little cold but he hit some key threes as the game progressed.
Jalen Brunson: Back in Chicago, where he played his high school ball, Brunson had a local following in the arena to cheer him on and he didn't let them down. Brunson put up efficient offensive numbers, with the exception of his 1-4 3PFG shooting, and put in plenty of hard work on the defensive end. 4 assists with only 1 turnover and 11 points.
Phil Booth: Booth had a bounce-back game for him after a series of tougher outings. He had 9 points in 23 minutes of action, took better care of the ball and was grinding on both ends of the floor.
Mikal Bridges: His lone bucket was a big one. He showed great awareness to put-back a blocked, Josh Hart, field goal attempt in the final second of the first half which helped give the Cats a positive boost going into intermission after DePaul had hung around and cut the 'Nova lead. Bridges also contributed some rebounding and active defense to the cause. All that said, this was a down game in comparison to the high level of efficiency he has consistently provided of late. His O-Rtg was only 77.
Darryl Reynolds: How do you follow up 19 points on 9-10 shooting at Providence ... if you are Reynoolds you go out and add 14 points and 6 rebounds to the cause in only 20 minutes of play by shooting 5-6 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. That is impressive stuff. The confidence level that Reynolds is showing is off the charts as he continues to flourish with increased minutes.
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