A team, the Cougars with lower seeds, had ambitions for a run towards their first national championship in the history of the program and had the best roster they had for years. The other, Villanova, was trying to position himself as one of the scariest programs in Division I after a few sad tournament seasons. In the end, coach Jay Wright’s Villanova’s team was very aggressive, very prepared and very focused on Houston, which seemed poorly prepared to face an opponent with whom they had so much in common. And although the Cougars went a long way in the second half to narrow down what seemed to be an adventure, the Wildcats never gave up the lead and won, 50-44, to advance to the Final Four for the fourth time under Wright. and for the first time since 2018. “It was like playing against ourselves,” said Caleb Daniels, Villanova’s senior red-shirt guard, after the game. “It simply came to our notice then. It was a small road race, every occupation that was trying to get a rebound “. With just one minute left in the game, Jiline Samuels, Villanova’s top scorer, gave a lay-up to give the Wildcats a 6-point lead, which had softened Houston’s efforts to return from 11 points in the middle of the half. Houston’s defense, which was suffocating during the second half, overturned but could not take advantage, and by the time Villanova guard Colin Gillespie withdrew two late free throws, the Cougars’ chances were lost. . “It was right there,” said Kelvin Sampson, Houston’s head coach. “We needed a big shot. “In many indoor games this year, someone came up.” He added: “But we did not.” Wright’s team, after an inconsistent regular season that saw them fall from the top-10 after being ranked No. 4, seemed to be playing their best basketball when they should. The Wildcats have now won nine consecutive games, including three Big East wins for this conference title. They entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the South and passed Delaware, Ohio and Michigan to reach Round of 8.
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Villanova won national championships in 2016 and 2018, with rosters full of future NBA talent and fine guard play, which was the driving force behind Wright’s tenure. Villanova’s 2016 team included Miko Bridges of the Phoenix Suns, Josh Hart of the Portland Trailblazers and Jalen Brunson of the Mavericks. In 2018, it was Donte DiVincenzo, who now plays for the Sacramento Kings, who lifted the Wildcats over Michigan for their third national title in program history. Gillespie, a five-year-old senior player of the year in the Middle East, is the latest in a long line of changing guards who want to take his team to another national league. He led the Wildcats to points (15.9) and assists (3.3) this season, while fighting with ankle injuries. On Saturday, Houston mainly eliminated Gillespie out of the game, allowing him to make just one shot in the first half. “He did not have to prove he could do the big shots,” Wright said. “He could get shots for his teammates and that comes with humility. “If you are arrogant and feel that you have to show what you can do, then you may not be making good decisions.” Houston’s defense and ability to launch offensive rebounds was an impenetrable combination in the tournament until Saturday night. The Cougars overtook and surpassed the University of Alabama at Birmingham, as well as Illinois and Arizona, without ever encountering an opponent fully prepared for their collection of strength, size and athleticism. Until he runs to Villanova. The Wildcats controlled the matchup the way they often do: using long shots to create a nice look and dictate the rhythm. Villanova’s ability to neutralize Houston’s forces helped the team outperform the Cougars, even as Houston scored 2 points as they tried to return. Houston feeds on the mistakes of its opponents, but Villanova is a disciplined team that limits them. The Cougars, known for their ability to box and create extra possessions in attack, could only shoot two offensive rebounds in the first half and could not depend on their ability to create offensive strikes on ball screens. In the attack, the Cougars were inconsistent, they seemed to have the worst of all the tournaments. “We had many opportunities. “They did not come in,” said Sampson. “It’s happening. I’m disappointed we lost. I felt this was a game we could have won. He should not have won, but he could have won. We had to win.” But Villanova also performed poorly in attack. One of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, the Wildcats shot less than 30 percent over the crossbar in the first 20 minutes, going to halftime without a single point from Gillespie. Samuels, who led Vilanova to Michigan in the round of 16, finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Ever since it ended Michigan in 2018, Vilanova had been eliminated from the tournament by Perdie in 2019 and lost to Baylor, the 2021 champion, in the round of 16 last year. The Houston program was dormant for years before Samson arrived in 2014. However, for Villanova, this identity he had built as tough and super-athletic, similar to the way the Cougars played decades ago, was not enough. Some missed shots and some missed rebounds kept Sampson’s team away from the Final Four they wanted. “Credit Villanova,” he said. “In a year where I do not think there are great teams in college basketball, Villanova has as good a chance as anyone else.”
