Villanova Looks To Continue Its Underdog Role

One team is supposed to be there.

North Carolina has yet to be challenged for a full 40 minutes in the NCAA Tournament, and is a popular pick to win the national title. 

Villanova flew under the radar, picking off one victim after another, and now has it's sights set on the Tar Heels. The Wildcats will get their chance on Saturday to knock off another higher-ranked team, and make it to the championship game for the first time since 1985, when they won it all.

 

Star players to watch

UNC

The biggest story coming into the tournament was the big toe of Ty Lawson. The injury kept the point guard out of the two games the Heels played in the ACC Tournament, as well as the first game of the NCAA Tournament against Radford.

Since his return, Lawson scored 23 points in the second round against LSU, 19 in the Sweet 16 against Gonzaga and 19 against Oklahoma in the Elite 8. Most importantly, Lawson is the floor leader of this team, and they run much more smoothly with him in the lineup.

 

Villanova

Scottie Reynolds has made a lot of shots in his career at Villanova, but none bigger than the game-winner last week against Pittsburgh.

The second leading scorer on the team is coming on strong after struggling in the final Big East Tournament game against Louisville, where he scored two points, and in the opening round against American, where he scored eight points.

Since then, Reynolds has scored in double digits in each of his last three games, including 16 against Duke and 15 against Pittsburgh. Reynolds has the potential to put up big numbers, scoring 40 points against Seton Hall in January, and 31 against Providence.

 

Game changer

UNC

No one on this team is more excited about having Lawson back than Danny Green. In the two ACC Tournament games Lawson missed, Green scored just nine combined points, five points against Virginia Tech and four against Florida State; Green averaged 13 points per game on the season.

Green scored 18 points against Oklahoma, and he shoots 41.5 percent from three-point range. When he gets hot from the field, he can build up point totals in a hurry.

 

Villanova

The main post player for the Wildcats will have his hands full with Tyler Hansbrough on defense, while still needing to contribute offensively.

Dante Cunningham is the leading scorer and rebounder for Villanova, averaging 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. Cunningham has recorded two double-doubles already in the NCAA Tournament, putting up 18 points and 10 rebounds against UCLA and scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds against Duke.

Also, look for Dwayne Anderson to be a factor, should the Wildcats pull off the upset. Anderson only averaged nine points per game this season, but scored 25 in the game against American and 17 against Pittsburgh.

 

Here's another interesting side note that will not directly effect the outcome of the game, unless you believe that history repeats itself.

The last time North Carolina won the national championship, in 2005, the Tar Heels beat Villanova in the Sweet 16.

Similarly, the only time Villanova won the national title, in 1985, it was the Wildcats who beat the Tar Heels in the Elite 8.

So, the winner of this matchup could end up cutting down the nets on April 6.

However, there are two other teams that will take the court in the first game on Saturday that would love to end this trend.