Nova Report
The 8-9 Villanova Wildcats are in Indianapolis at legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on the 10-8 Butler Bulldogs. Nova is -1.5/131.5. Both teams are struggling and could certainly use a victory this evening. Tip is 7:00 pm.
Butler has a balanced scoring attack with most players capable of making 3’s. They have one tall player, Bates (6’11” and 12.6 ppg) who will give Nova fits. The rest of the scorers are: Harris (12.7 ppg), Taylor (12.8 ppg), Hunter (10.1 ppg) and Lukosius (10.2 ppg). Their claim to fame is being outstanding defenders of 3’s (Nova shoots 50% of their shots from beyond the arc) and not fouling (Nova is the best foul shooting team in the country). So…doesn’t sound good for Villanova. However, in their last game, Butler shot 28% and allowed St Johns to shoot 40% from 3.
Last out, the Cats played a team they matched up perfectly with. They turned the ball over 14 times and couldn’t defend the 3. So, they lost to DePaul. Tonight, Longino is likely out. As for Moore (their best player) it’s looking more and more like he will skip this season and either go to the NBA or play next year for Nova.
What Will Happen
Butler will certainly shoot better than 28%. They will feed Bates early and often. They will force Nova to score from the paint. The Cats have no choice but to have Whitmore and Armstrong attack the basket. They will likely draw some fouls but they are both turnover prone. Logically, the game should be slow paced with scoring coming at a premium.
Nova Pick: Under 131.5
Nova Pick Record: 7-10