Rush the Court will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of each of the NCAA Tournament from each of the 13 sites this year. Follow our NCAA Tourney specific Twitter accounts at @RTCEastregion, @RTCMWregion,@RTCSouthregion and @RTCWestregion.
Three Key Takeaways.
- Perry Ellis peaked too early in the week. Two days after delivering a memorable 27-point performance that had Bill Self philosophizing about his legacy, Ellis was frustrated all night by the defense of Villanova’s Kris Jenkins, Daniel Ochefu, and Mikal Bridges. He went into halftime scoreless with four turnovers, and remained quiet in the second half even after Jenkins went to the bench with four fouls around the 14-minute mark. After the game he conceded that Villanova did a good job trying to “swarm” him in the paint, but equally costly were a few missed boxouts on the defensive end that led to Villanova baskets. Ellis finished with as many turnovers as points – four – but it didn’t diminish from his accomplishments this season or his decorated career as a Jayhawk.
- The South Regional finally delivered a close game. Thursday night’s winners romped to victory by a combined 39 points after taking control in the second half. Tonight finally flipped the script with a neck-and-neck nailbiter that came down to free throws and late-game dramatics after Kansas and Villanova exchanges leads five times. It was a welcome reprieve from the Sweet Sixteen, and likely reassured many fans that their trip to Kentucky was money well spent.
- Shoot ‘em up, sleep in the streets (and don’t forget a blanket). It’s getting down to 45 degrees tonight in Louisville, and you might find a few guards from both of these squads seeking shelter under the Second Street Bridge after their teams shot a combined 10-of-40 (25 percent) from beyond the arc for the game. What made the difference was Villanova’s ability to score in different ways: The Wildcats hit 18-of-19 free throws and held a 13-to-6 advantage in points off turnovers. The three-point shooting prowess Kansas demonstrated all season had eluded them during the NCAA Tournament — a concern we noted on Thursday — and that finally came back to bite them when it mattered most.
Star of the Game. Villanova forward Kris Jenkins did a tremendous job shutting down Perry Ellis in the first half and leading the way offensively while Ryan Arcidiacono got it going. He finished with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, and although foul trouble limited his effectiveness in the second half, his early impact and perfect free throw shooting was enough to earn the Most Outstanding Player award for the South Regional.
Quotable. “It’s weird. It sucks that we aren’t playing tonight.” – Damion Lee, Louisville senior, on his experience watching two visitors look to punch a Final Four ticket on his home court.
Sights & Sounds:
- Louisville standouts Damion Lee and Donovan Mitchell drew a small crowd with their impromptu appearance behind press row at halftime. Grant Hill even shed his headset to jog over and snap a photo with them. It’s hard to imagine how tough it was to watch and wonder what might have been had their program not self-imposed a postseason ban, so kudos to them for showing up tonight.
- The vast and otherwise austere interior hallways of the Yum! Center got an influx of humanity when one Villanova cheerleader gave another a full-speed piggy back ride past the media work room at halftime. Here’s to you, kids, you keep us young.
What’s Next? Villanova advances to Houston to face off against fellow #2 seed Oklahoma, while Bill Self’s squad will spend the long trip back to Kansas formulating an explanation for losing a game it seemed destined to win.