March Madness odds: Clemson vs. Villanova

2008 ncca tournament bracket
2008 ncca tournament schedule
NCAA tournament bracket


Friday night’s Midwest Region game in Tampa between No. 5 seed Clemson (24-9) and No. 12 Villanova (20-12) should be an intriguing matchup between a guard-oriented Wildcats team and the Tigers’ full- ourt pressure defense.

Clemson is a 6-point betting favorite at WagerWeb.com.

”Clemson can put a lot of pressure on you and really speed up the game at both ends of the floor,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “They can pressure you full court and change the game that way. We really haven't played anyone like that, maybe Louisville.”

Clemson stands second nationally with 9.9 steals per game, and its 590 forced turnovers were second in the ACC. Villanova has turned it over 455 times this year (14.2 per game). The Wildcats top two guards are All-Big East second-teamer Scottie Reynolds and point guard Corey Fisher, a member of the all-conference freshman squad.

Villanova's roster has only four players listed at positions other than guard.

Oliver Purnell's guards don't get much ink, but if 6-3 senior Cliff Hammonds and 6-5 junior K.C. Rivers can hold their own against Villanova's deep cadre of guards, then the Tigers should move on to Round 2 because they have a decided advantage along the baseline where senior James Mays (6-9, 230) and 6-7 sophomore Trevor Booker (6-7, 240) are much stronger than anyone in Nova's frontcourt mix, except perhaps Dante Cunningham (6-8, 230).

The Tigers, who are ranked 19th at the RPI, have five players averaging in double figures, led by second-team All-ACC Rivers, who scores 14.7 points per game. Hammonds, a third-team All-ACC selection, is second in scoring with 11.5 per game. He also leads the team in assists with 131 and in steals with 64.

One thing to watch for: The Tigers were the worst free-throw shooting team in the ACC (62.3 percent).Meanwhile, if Villanova breaks the press, they will attack the basket at every opportunity, hoping to get Mays and Booker into foul trouble.

The Wildcats had a five-game losing streak between Jan. 23 to Feb. 4. But Wright's team won six of its last nine games after Feb. 16 to reach the NCAA Tournament. Over the last nine games they defeated NCAA Tournament team West Virginia by 22 points and stopped a 13th ranked UConn team 67-65.

Reynolds’ is the Wildcats leading scorer with a 15.6 average. He is shooting 78.3 percent from the foul line and 36 percent on three-point shots. Cunningham is the only other double figure scorer with 10.4 points per game. He is also the top rebounder with a 6.5 average and paces the team in field goal percentage at .544.

Villanova averages 72.8 points per game and allows 69.3 points per game. The Wildcats shoot 43 percent from the field, 34 percent on 3-point shots and 72.3 percent from the foul line.

But opposing teams shot 37 percent from the 3-point line, hitting more than seven treys per game.

This will be just the fourth meeting between Clemson and Villanova, and the Wildcats hold a 3-0 lead. This will be the first meeting since the 1989-90.

Clemson and Villanova have just one common opponent this year. NC State defeated Villanova on a neutral site in Orlando over Thanksgiving, 69-68. Clemson swept the Wolfpack this year, winning 70-54 at Clemson and 71-64 in Raleigh.