Keys to the Game

[anon_ezos2e9wn1ob0]

If we can compete tonight it will be because of two factors.

1) Limit turnovers
We cannot waste possessions tonight. Nova is 22nd in the country for percent of possessions that end in the a turnover for the opposition (22.2%). Meanwhile The Hall is 254th in the nation as we turn it over on 19.9% of possessions. We must take care of the ball or it will be a long night.

2) If we can rebound our misses we can stay in the game. The Hall is 28th in the nation collecting 36.9% of missed shots on the offensive end. Meanwhile Nova struggles to keep teams off the glass, ranking 257 nationally by allowing teams to collect 32.5% of their misses.

These are the two factors where each team has a decided advantage over the other. The other KenPom statistics are surprisingly close.

 

[Piratz]

Villanova takes defense to another level. Can we handle it? We are a turnover prone team by nature and will really have to play an unusual game in that regard to stay in it. Especially down there on campus when things can get away from you quickly in that environment.

Hart and Ochefu are assassins. They are savvy tough players. Can we match?

 

[Fzacsattac]

You better believe that they're going to pressure us tonight. Getting them In foul trouble and limiting fouls made will be key along with our own turnovers.

 

[TheBluePirate]

Unlike my frustrated expectations of last night, tonight, I am just cool as a cucumber. Why. The chances up upside in our performance are greater than downside. I di nit say result, I said upside.

I am looking forward to us playing tough, better than expected. I think the chances we play better than expected are higher than we play worse than expected.

Just feel that way.

 

[andover joe]

What I'm looking for 2nite is a tuff, dogged effort by our guys, where we battle the opposition for every moment of the contest. Win-that, of course, would be giant-but a solid, even, enthusiastic battle to the final whistle would do for me. [oh, and may I remind all the loyalists, we HAVE beaten these guys in each of the last 3 yrs; but never at their nasty little house of horrors]
Which leads to this thought-Why can't we construct a similar dungeon to antagonize the opposing team?

 

[SOBO1]

To beat a team like nova at DuPont you have to be unconscious from three all night. They are a great team and very tough at home

 

[HallBall10]

Don't turn the ball over.
Play tough defense.
Finish the defensive possession with a rebound.

 

[HallLine69]

If we have more assists than TO's we should win. We often have won this year with more TO's than assists...but that is not likely to happen at Nova.

 

[donnie_baseball]

To beat a team like nova at DuPont you have to be unconscious from three all night. They are a great team and very tough at home

Argree with SOBO here. In the wins we've had over them in the last 2 years, we had Gibbs/Sina/Fu hit big threes, and I'm sure we had pretty good shooting nights. We don't have that kind of team now, but I think our frontcourt matches up MUCH better with Ochefu than our recent teams have fared versus Ochefu and Pinkston.

 

[IHM Pirate]

We are a very strong defensive team and I can't see RA going off on us the way he did to Xavier.

 

[pirated]

Keys to game...we don't have any.

Three point shooting...we don't have any

Ball Handling.....no solid point guards

Foul shooting sucks

Pourous defense

 

[SHUSource]

Unlike my frustrated expectations of last night, tonight, I am just cool as a cucumber. Why. The chances up upside in our performance are greater than downside. I di nit say result, I said upside.

I am looking forward to us playing tough, better than expected. I think the chances we play better than expected are higher than we play worse than expected.

Just feel that way.

So far, you're right on.