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Happy Monday Nova Nation! If you’re a diehard college basketball fan, all you’ve heard about in the national media is Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke Duke. After the Blue Devils dismantled Kentucky, they’ve deservedly grabbed the nations attention to see what they’ll do next.
But the sports news cycle never stops. So while Duke is playing Army and Eastern Michigan, it’ll be Villanova stepping into the national spotlight as they prepare for a National Championship rematch this Wednesday in the new Finneran Pavilion.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying that Villanova is on the same level as Duke yet. Heck, I’m not even sure some of these younger players are ready for the national attention they’re about to receive. But what they are ready for is Michigan.
While the Wolverines will likely be Nova’s first ranked opponent of the season (rankings come out later today), they have not been as advertised. Michigan can’t buy a basket, and only has one player shooting higher than 30% from deep through two games. Their defense has been well above average, but that’s been against teams ranked outside KenPom’s Top 200. For as much as Villanova lost last year, they’re still bringing more to the table than Michigan will. Get ready Nova Nation, because I think Wednesday is going to be A LOT of fun!
In other “news”, Eric Paschall is a great pro prospect, Ryan Arcidiacono is a great pro, and the NCAA Basketball Imperialism Map remains my favorite nonsense thing ever. Enjoy!
College basketball rankings: Villanova off to 2-0 start, but Michigan up next for last season's national champions | CBSSports.com
The Wildcats, No. 8 in Sunday's Top 25 And 1, meet the Wolverines Wednesday in a NCAA title game rematch.
Villanova beats Quinnipiac, cruises to another win ahead of test vs. Michigan | NBC Sports Philadelphia
Villanova blew out Quinnipiac on Saturday night, 86-53, as Phil Booth scored a career-high 23 points.
Michigan Basketball: Are the Wolverines ready for Villanova? | GBM Wolverine
If Michigan basketball is struggling to beat teams like Holy Cross, how will the Wolverines do against a team like Villanova?
Stat watch: Defense still thriving for Michigan hoops early in season | Maize n Brew
On the other hand, the shooting woes persist.
Villanova beats Quinnipiac behind Phil Booth’s hot hand | The Inquirer
Phil Booth had a career scoring high to lead Villanova.
6 things we learned after the first week of the college basketball season | NCAA.com
Here are six things we learned in the college basketball season.
Prospect Report: Eric Paschall Of Villanova | RealGM Articles
Prospect Report: Eric Paschall Of Villanova
‘Archie is not scared of anything’: Ryan Arcidiacono earns praise from Bulls teammates for hard play | Chicago Tribune
Ryan Arcidiacono admitted to being a more confident player as his unlikely success story continues with the Bulls.
Duke basketball: After Kentucky win, Vegas boosts Duke's title odds | SI.com
Duke is the clear Vegas odds-on favorite to win the NCAA tournament. Surprisingly after getting crushed by the Blue Devils, Kentucky is still second at +550.
NCAA Basketball imperialism map: WCC and Big Sky make some gains in latest update | Busting Brackets
The imperialism map series examines on a daily basis what would happen if NCAA Basketball games were battle for ownership of land.