Seton Hall knows formula for beating No. 1 Villanova
Kevin Willard sounded about as excited for his trip to Philadelphia on Super Bowl Sunday as he would be for a visit to the dentist.
Facing top-ranked Villanova isn’t very much fun, especially at Wells Fargo Center, where the Wildcats are 8-0 this year and have won their four Big East contests by an average of 18.5 points.
“I think if you ask every coach in the league, they’ll give you the same [response],” the Seton Hall coach said in a phone interview.
Few teams have had success against Villanova since the reconfiguration of the Big East five years ago, but the senior-laden Pirates are one of the ones that have.
Seton Hall has knocked off Jay Wright’s program three times in that span — only Butler has beaten them that often — and this group of seniors has defeated them twice. In last year’s Big East Tournament, the Wildcats edged the Pirates by two in a classic semifinal. Then again, Seton Hall hasn’t knocked off Villanova on the road since 1994, losing 15 straight contests, and was bludgeoned by 30 points last season.
“We know what it takes to be able to play with Villanova, be able to beat Villanova. We’ve been in those situations,” Willard said of the four-time defending league champion in the regular season. “We know if you don’t play well and battle it out, you’re going to get blown out. You better be in the right frame of mind and you better have the right mindset when you play Villanova.”
Seton Hall (17-5, 6-3), in third place in the Big East, is entering this showdown feeling good about itself, coming off dominant wins over DePaul and Providence.
Those victories came following an eight-day layoff that was proceeded by three losses in four games. The time off enabled Willard to get some things in order. Ball movement, defense and early energy has noticeably improved in the last two wins. Star forward Angel Delgado is getting more shots, 26 in the two victories, which is creating more openings on the perimeter.
“My biggest message [to the seniors] is take some of the pressure off they’re putting on themselves,” Willard said. “They have real life coming at them in a month and a half. They all have dreams and aspirations. Sometimes it’s hard not to forget what got them here. I think this group has done a good job of remembering what makes them good.”
Villanova (21-1, 8-1), however, has been better than good so far, losing only at surprising Butler, mostly because the Bulldogs hit 15 of 22 3-point attempts. Junior point guard Jalen Brunson, averaging 19.4 points, 4.9 assists and shooting 48 percent from 3-point range, is a National Player of the Year candidate. Another junior, wing Mikal Bridges, is one of the most improved players in the country. And freshman big man Omari Spellman gives the Wildcats the post presence it previously had lacked.
“This is obviously a big challenge,” Willard said, “but it’s also a big opportunity.”