SAN DIEGO — In less than twenty four hours, the Villanova Men’s Basketball team will tip off in San Diego, CA, taking on Utah State in its first March Madness appearance in four years.
Today, media gathered at Viejas arena for both teams’ press conferences, followed by an open practice. Here are three takeaways following the day of practice before the Wildcats return to the Big Dance.
A Matchup Zone Matchup
Though two teams have virtually no exposure to another, with the exception of one 1960 match-up in which the Aggies defeated the Wildcats, 73-72, Utah State head Coach Jerrod Calhoun is no stranger to Villanova head coach Kevin Willard’s name.
Calhoun utilizes matchup zone defense, which he credits Willard’s father, Ralph Willard, as one of its original architects.
Though Willard’s bloodline gives him an automatic familiarity with the style of play, he believes that Calhoun has been able to transform it into a style of his own.
“What’s really cool about my dad’s defense and what Coach Calhoun has done with it is that he’s put his own spin on it,” Willard said. “It’s not like I’m going to call my dad up and be like, ‘All right, what gave you the hardest time?’ What gave him the hardest time might be totally different than what gives Coach Calhoun’s defense a totally different time.”
Going into the game, Willard and the rest of the Wildcats have a good sense of what they need to do to attack it, recognizing that in the past year the defense has turned into more of a one-on-one matchup, instead of a traditional two-on-three matchup.
Scouting Utah State
Utah’s momentum from a four-game winning streak and championship title at the Mountain West conference tournament fuels them ahead of gametime.
“Going into Vegas last week everybody was bought in. Coach made an emphasis on our keyword being momentum and we kind of carried that through the [Mountain West] tournament,” senior guard MJ Collins Jr. said. “Then, of course, it being a revenge tour—everybody we played they beat us. So we were just on edge. And we had to get our payback.”
Amid the excitement of winning a conference title and receiving an auto-bid to the NCAA tournament, graduate guard Drake Alllen has a recent addition to his life building upon the March frenzy.
In February of this year, Allen and his wife welcomed a newborn son, changing Allen’s title from college basketball player to a collegiate athlete and father.
“My why’s changed. I have a different purpose when I get on the floor now,” Allen said. “Being a dad, I want my wife to be proud. I want my son to be able to tell his friends when he’s older that my dad was a hooper. Just a different change of mind, change of purpose.”
Calhoun added to the experience of watching Allen undergo a significant life change.
“Obviously it’s a tremendous opportunity for him and his wife. She’s on the trip. Once again, she’s part of our family,” Calhoun said. “Drake’s done a great job managing that…he’s now playing for somebody else, his son, as well.”
Considering the Aggie’s momentum, some players were not satisfied by their No. 9 seed.
“I feel we got disrespected by our seed. Our resumé was very good. We won a lot of games this year,” junior forward Karson Templin said. “We expect ourselves to win games. We’re prepared very well for this team and will do the best we can to win it.
What It Means To The ‘Cats
For some on the Wildcat roster, it’s their first time at the NCAA Tournament.
Junior guard Tyler Perkins, one of just three returners to the team this season, described what the payoff of believing in this program after they failed to make the tournament last year.
“I’m just extremely grateful to be in this position. Last year wasn’t the position we wanted to be in,” Perkins said. “But when I had my talks with Coach Willard and he told me about what his plan was and what his vision was, I believed in it. And that’s one of the reasons why I came back.”
Freshman guard Acaden Lewis discussed his reliance on his teammate as he navigates the national stage in his first year at college.
“I think Tyler’s been great for me and just the whole team in general. I think he’s done a great job of keeping us mellow in a lot of games and he’s always just a voice, something that you hear,” Lewis said. “Same thing with Duke. He’s always here. Both of these guys are older, a little more experienced than me and some of the other people on the team.”
Where To Watch
Tipoff is set for 1:10 p.m. PT (4:10 p.m ET) and will be broadcast on TNT. The Villanovan will post additional updates as the tournament continues.
