Look at the last paragraph...wow!
Here are the highlights, ordered according to awesomeness:
No. 12 Villanova Wildcats at No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers, Noon ET, ESPN2
On Sunday, Villanova beat La Salle 76-47. This is not noteworthy in its own right. What is noteworthy is that one game after their 4-for-32 3-point whiff-fest in a blowout loss to No. 3 Oklahoma, the Wildcats once again happily hoisted more 3s (28) than 2s (23). This time they made 13. We bring this up because the Wildcats' struggles from the 3-point line this season are the only difference between their current No. 12 ranking and a likely spot in the AP top five -- and it is only a matter of time before a team this confident from long range (and this accurate elsewhere on the floor) starts burying some of those 3s. It's entirely plausible that Virginia could be the second victim of a gathering storm of statistical correction, and if you think Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett isn't worried about that very notion at this very second, you haven't been paying attention.
Then again, Virginia's own early shooting woes -- like all those open looks that wouldn't fall in the Hoos' lone loss Nov. 16 at George Washington -- are decidedly a thing of the past. The Cavaliers are averaging 38 percent from 3, led by Malcolm Brogdon's high-volume efficiency and a 14-of-26 season mark from London Perrantes. Combining that accuracy with the customary aversion to turnovers has made UVa one of the nation's best offenses since the GW defeat -- and, yes, it is still playing top-five defense, too.
The point is, both of these teams are better than the numbers next to their names. Virginia might be the best team in the country. Villanova isn't far behind. And this game isn't merely the best of the day: It's one of the best nonconference games of the season.
Here are the highlights, ordered according to awesomeness:
No. 12 Villanova Wildcats at No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers, Noon ET, ESPN2
On Sunday, Villanova beat La Salle 76-47. This is not noteworthy in its own right. What is noteworthy is that one game after their 4-for-32 3-point whiff-fest in a blowout loss to No. 3 Oklahoma, the Wildcats once again happily hoisted more 3s (28) than 2s (23). This time they made 13. We bring this up because the Wildcats' struggles from the 3-point line this season are the only difference between their current No. 12 ranking and a likely spot in the AP top five -- and it is only a matter of time before a team this confident from long range (and this accurate elsewhere on the floor) starts burying some of those 3s. It's entirely plausible that Virginia could be the second victim of a gathering storm of statistical correction, and if you think Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett isn't worried about that very notion at this very second, you haven't been paying attention.
Then again, Virginia's own early shooting woes -- like all those open looks that wouldn't fall in the Hoos' lone loss Nov. 16 at George Washington -- are decidedly a thing of the past. The Cavaliers are averaging 38 percent from 3, led by Malcolm Brogdon's high-volume efficiency and a 14-of-26 season mark from London Perrantes. Combining that accuracy with the customary aversion to turnovers has made UVa one of the nation's best offenses since the GW defeat -- and, yes, it is still playing top-five defense, too.
The point is, both of these teams are better than the numbers next to their names. Virginia might be the best team in the country. Villanova isn't far behind. And this game isn't merely the best of the day: It's one of the best nonconference games of the season.
