Villanova Basketball: Wildcats advance to Sweet 16 after crushing Alabama

The Villanova Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2018 NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.

Entering Saturday’s game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Villanova Wildcats knew the last thing they could afford to do was take this game lightly, especially after losing in the second round a year ago to the Wisconsin Badgers. Turns out, Saturday’s game turned out to be a little easier than expected, and as a result, the Wildcats will be heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016 following their 81-58 win over the Crimson Tide.

Thanks to strong performances by Mikal Bridges (23 points on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range) and Donte DiVincenzo (18 points on 5-of-11 shooting from 3-point range) from beyond the arc, Villanova had little trouble getting by Alabama, as they continue to make a strong case about being one of the favorites to win the entire tournament. In fact, with the shocking loss by Virginia to UMBC on Friday, the argument can be made that the Wildcats deserve to be the top favorites moving forward, although that’s always easier said than done.

All season, Villanova has been a team that has looked impossible to contain when they’re on fire from 3-point range, and Saturday’s game against Alabama in which they connected on 17-of-41 shots from downtown. Continuing this trend seemed like it would be a challenge in the big dance, but if Jay Wright‘s team continues to shoot the way they have during the first two games from the tournament, it’s going to be difficult to stop the Wildcats moving forward.

Up next, Villanova will wait to see who they will face next, as the team will face the winner of the big game between West Virginia and Marshall. No matter who they end up playing, the Wildcats know either team will give them a run for their money in the Sweet 16, especially since there’s always the extra pressure of opponents trying to take down the No. 1 seed.

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Then again, it’s safe to say this Villanova team has looked completely from the squad that fell short of their goals to repeat as champions last March. But if the Wildcats continue to play at this high of a level in which they remain hot from beyond the arc, maybe Wright and company will be looking at their second title in three seasons.