Duke-Villanova: Sweet 16 Matchup Breakdown

If the Duke Blue Devils advance past the first two rounds of the 2009 NCAA Tournament by beating the Binghamton Bearcats (as expected), and either Texas or Minnesota, they will likely play the Villanova Wildcats. Below is a position-by-position preview of that possible game:

Point Guard: Jon Scheyer (Duke) vs. Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)

Scheyer has excellent height for a point guard (6'5"), and his lack of bulk allows him to be quick when he has to pass up a shot in favor of a drive because the defense is playing aggressively. He may be Duke's best offensive player—he can shoot from anywhere, and he takes care of the ball. (Scheyer only commits 1.6 turnovers per game.)

In addition, Scheyer plays with discipline, and he averages the most minutes of any Blue Devil (33).

Scottie Reynolds has average height for a point guard (6'2"), but his 195 pounds are heavier than most point guards, so he can still drive to the basket. But he can also use his additional strength to finish the play while still getting hacked.

Reynolds is also a solid shooter from all over the court; his team-leading 15.5 points per game show that. In addition, he distributes the ball better than any other Wildcat. He leads Villanova with 3.6 assists per game.

Lastly, Reynolds is Villanova's best on-ball perimeter defender. He averages 1.6 steals.

The only downside to Reynolds is that he turns the ball over 2.7 times per game.

With a decent height advantage, Scheyer should be able to consistently get his shot off. Reynolds may have a tough time with finding his shot against a guy three inches taller but lighter—and therefore quicker. He will have to score off the dribble. 

Edge: Scheyer/Duke 

Shooting Guard: Elliot Williams (Duke) vs. Reggie Redding (Villanova)

Williams is mainly an athletic defensive presence who generally guards the opponent's best offensive perimeter player. He also rebounds. On the offensive end, he can slash to the basket, but he often doesn't because his decision making is developing. Other teams often back off of him and let him shoot from distance, and he falls into their trap too much. 

But Duke is built on defense, and Williams excels at defense. That's why he starts.

Redding is a team-first player who will sacrifice a good shot of his own for a better one by a teammate. He ranks second on Villanova in assists per game (three) and fourth in rebounds per game (4.8). He also almost never turns the ball over, averaging only 1.8 turnovers per game. 

Additionally, the 6'5", 205-pound junior is a defensive force, notching an average of 1.1 steals per game.

Williams is great at defense, but offers little on the offensive end right now. Redding is also an excellent defender, but he contributes to the Wildcats' offense. The advantage is clear.

Edge: Redding/Villanova

Small Forward: Gerald Henderson (Duke) vs. Dwayne Anderson (Villanova)

Henderson does it all for Duke. He averages 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He also takes care of the bals, turning it over just 2.2 times per game. 

Plus, he's a strong shooter from the field, three-point range, and the free-throw line.

Not only that, he's also lightning quick, and he gets fans on their feet.

Dwayne Anderson does some of everything. He scores when called upon (8.2 points per game), crashes the boards (5.7 rebounds), defends (1.5 steals), and handles the ball well (1.4 turnovers per game). He also has great size for a small forward.

Henderson is an excellent, all-around player. Anderson is very good, and he helps Villanova function as a team. His two-inch height advantage should be enough to get some good shots off. But Henderson is just too good overall.

Edge: Henderson/Duke

Power Forward: Kyle Singler (Duke) vs. Shane Clark (Villanova)

Singler is even more crucial to Duke's success than Henderson. He scores and rebounds more than any other Blue Devil (16.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game), distributes the ball well (2.5 assists per contest), and plays excellent defense (he averages 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game). In addition, Singler is a sound shooter, and he's smart enough to mostly avoid turnovers.

Singler's only downside is that he can be inconsistent from the free-throw line.

Clark is a bit undersized for a power forward at 6'7" and 205 pounds. Presumably because he's guarded by bigger players most of the time, he hasn't scored much this year (5.4 points per), and he also doesn't rebound especially well (3.8 boards). But he can surprise you by knocking down a few three-pointers (he shoots 35.3 percent from behind the arc).

Clark doesn't offer much defensively.

Singler is a tremendous all-around player. Clark is a role player. Singler should dominate Clark.

Edge: Singler/Duke

Center: Lance Thomas (Duke) vs. Dante Cunningham (Villanova)

At 6'8" and 220 pounds, Thomas is a little short to be a center, and this shows in his scoring (5.1 points per game) and rebounding (3.4 boards per). But he does take care of the ball (.8 turnovers per contest). 

Thomas' main contributions come on the defensive end in the form of a decently physical inside presence and an on-ball defender. Thomas averages 2.5 personal fouls, and he often forces his man to give up the ball because of his sound defensive positioning on the floor and excellent, fundamental defensive stance.

Cunningham is a dominant post player. He averages 16 points, 7.2 boards, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks. His quick hands and long arms allow him to go for steals and to rise up for blocks and easy baskets when posting up defenders low in the post.

Thomas is a good defender, but he's no match for Cunningham's skillset on both ends of the floor. 

Edge: Cunningham/Villanova

Off the Bench

Duke

Greg Paulus' highly-energized attitude and desire to play rubs off on his teammates. He comes in if Duke is in need of a spark.

David McClure does everything that doesn't show up on the stat sheet—boxing out, rebounding, hustling, ball handling, defending, and providing an outlet for the ball to a pressured teammate.

Brian Zoubek is a general force in the post. He swats shots (0.8 block per game) and crashes the offensive boards well, creating plenty of opportunities for second-chance points.

Nolan Smith provides more of a defensive tone for Duke when he gives Scheyer a brief rest. He can also shoot the rock.

Villanova 

Corey Fisher provides scoring (10.8 points per game) and ball distribution (2.8 assists) in addition to shooting, perimeter defense (1.3 steals), and the ability to put in a lot of quality minutes when someone needs a rest or gets into foul trouble.

Corey Stokes contributes scoring (9.8 points), shooting, and rebounding (3.5 boards).

Edge: Duke. They're deeper.

Duke won three positions and the battle of the benches. The Blue Devils are also deeper, and they played a tougher schedule. Duke should win if this game takes place.