If you ask any Villanova basketball player, from starter to walk-on, to name the core principles of the program, the first two words out of their mouth will be defending and rebounding.
Over the last five games, all wins, the 14th-ranked Wildcats have taken that mantra to heart.
Heading into Sunday’s showdown with Butler at the Wells Fargo Center (Noon, FS1), Villanova is holding the opposition to 56.8 points per game, 36.5 percent shooting overall and 18 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats also are plus-29 in the rebounding department, plus-13 on the offensive glass.
“It’s been big because we haven’t been shooting the ball great, but we’ve done a good job on the offensive glass and we’ve done a good job defensively,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “One of the big parts of defense is finishing the defensive possession with the rebound. You can do a lot of great things defensively but if you don’t finish the possession with a rebound it’s not a good possession. So, I think we’ve been doing a good job of it. I think it’s been really crucial in our team’s improvement.”
The Wildcats have posted those numbers while being a little banged up. Guard Justin Moore is battling a hamstring issue. Forward Brandon Slater has a gimpy ankle. Forward Jermaine Samuels has been slowed by a groin problem and guard Caleb Daniels just returned after a bout with COVID.
“Everyone’s got bumps and bruises but I think we’re pretty good,” Wright said.
The team’s guards have accounted for nearly 40 percent of the 178 rebounds the Wildcats (12-4 overall, 5-1 Big East) have grabbed over the last five games. Moore had nine rebounds in Wednesday’s 64-60 victory over Xavier, eight on the defensive glass. The 6-4 junior has 16 rebounds in the last two games, is averaging 5.6 boards over the last five games and 5.2 rebounds per game on the season.
“In the Big East you’re playing against big teams, physical teams down low,” Moore said. “And that’s something we work on in practice every day, being physical, being tough, not only the bigs rebounding, but the guards rebounding as well.”
Villanova will have to rely on its defense against a Butler team that is 2-0 in true road games and has given the Wildcats trouble over the last five seasons. The teams split two meetings last year, both winning at home, and the Wildcats are just 6-5 against the Bulldogs (9-6, 2-2) over the last five seasons.
“They have a unique way of playing extremely physical and extremely intelligent and that combination is extremely rare in college basketball and it has given us trouble,” Wright said. “Their toughness, their physicality, especially when you play at their place, their physicality is off the charts. And we have trouble with that at times and we have to be prepared for it.
“I think they’re playing really well right now. They went into Georgetown and did that. They played really physical and they played at a high level of intelligence and they blew them out (72-58) on their home court. I think they’ve got that going and we’ve got to be prepared for that.”
The ‘Cats also are ready for their first game at the Wells Fargo Center in nearly two years due to coronavirus. Villanova has not played at their home away from the Pavilion since a 58-54 loss to Providence on Feb. 29, 2020. The Wildcats are 31-5 at WFC since 2014-15.
“I haven’t checked the numbers, but it’s usually great,” Wright said of attendance for games there. “I’m a little concerned with the Eagles playing (in Tampa) and a little bad weather and COVID, so I don’t know what it’s going to be like. I don’t think we can count on that, but we love playing down there. I think it’s one of the great college basketball atmospheres in America when that place is rocking.”
