Villanova Basketball: 5 Biggest Questions as March Madness Looms

The Villanova Wildcats enter the postseason as a team that has already overachieved based on their preseason expectations.

Now that a position in the NCAA men's basketball tournament is basically locked up, the Wildcats will begin their preparation for the Big Dance at the Big East tournament. 

While they are a team worthy of their potential spot in the field of 68, the Wildcats still have plenty of flaws.

Those flaws are reasons for concern and they make fans of the Wildcats ask plenty of questions about this year's Villanova team.

Here are the five biggest questions surrounding the Wildcats as they enter the postseason. 

5. Can the Wildcats Continue to Make Their Free-Throws?

In any postseason game, making free throws is key and the Villanova Wildcats have had a great season from the charity stripe. 

As a team, the Wildcats are shooting 71. 7 percent but four of the five starters for Jay Wright's team average a higher percentage than that from the free-throw line. 

Ryan Arcidiacono is shooting 82.1 percent from the free-throw line, a number which leads the team while Mouphtaou Yarou, James Bell and Darrun Hilliard all average over 74 percent from the line. 

The only starter whose free-throw percentage does not best the team average is JayVaughn Pinkston, who is shooting just over 70 percent from the free-throw line this season.

If the Wildcats are able to continue their mastery of free throws, they will be able to contend in and possibly win any close game they come across in March.

4. What Happens If Mouphtaou Yarou Gets into Foul Trouble?

One of the few experienced players on the Villanova roster is senior center Mouphtaou Yarou. 

Yarou is a strong presence in the paint, and he is a player that the Wildcats cannot afford to lose to foul trouble. 

Luckily for the Wildcats, Yarou has only fouled out twice this season, with both of those disqualifications occurring in overtime games. 

If that trend is broken and Yarou fouls out of a postseason game, the Wildcats do not have too many options to replace him with. 

Freshman Daniel Ochefu will be counted on to replace Yarou, and if the inexperienced big man cannot handle the pressures of the postseason, Villanova could be in trouble. 

3. Will a Loss to St. John's Result in a First Four Appearance?

Villanova opens the Big East tournament on Wednesday against St. John's, and if it loses to the Red Storm, it could head to the First Four games in Dayton next week. 

While their spot in the field of 68 is almost a guarantee, the Wildcats are still unsure of where they will actually end up to start the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

With plenty of uncertainty amongst the teams on the bubble, Villanova could very well find itself playing in Dayton in the First Four next Tuesday or Wednesday. 

All of the Wildcats' First Four concerns can be cured with a victory over St. John's. 

2. Which Ryan Arcidiacono Will Show Up?

Freshman point guard Ryan Arcidiacono has had his fair share of troubles when the season began, but he has matured into a decent Big East player. 

In his last six games, Arcidiacono has scored in double digits with his 25-point game against UConn sparking the streak. 

Before that streak began, Arcidiacono was one of the most inconsistent players in the nation. There is a slight fear in the minds of Villanova fans that he will revert back to his old ways, especially if the Wildcats are behind. 

When he begins to feel the pressure, Arcidiacono takes a good amount of early shots from beyond the arc, and he also has a tendency to commit turnovers. 

If Arcidiacono is able to play like he has in the last six games, Villanova will be a force to be reckoned with. 

If not, watching Villanova play could be an unpleasant sight.  

1. Are the Young Wildcats Ready for the Postseason?

Most of the players on the Villanova roster have not played in the NCAA men's basketball tournament in their careers, which could either be a good or bad thing for coach Jay Wright.

The Wildcats could continue to have no fear against the top teams in the nation and win a game or two in the NCAA tournament or feel the pressure and fall easily. 

Based on their performance in big games this season, the Wildcats should be up to the challenge.

The Wildcats defeated four ranked opponents in Big East play, and they should be able to bank off of that experience against the high-profile teams that they will see in the Big Dance. 

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