The 12/5 upset most were expecting did not happen, while we get a party-crashing 13 seed in the Round of 32. No. 5 Villanova handled their business against No. 12 Winthrop while No. 13 North Texas ran off an 11-0 overtime run to put away No. 4 Purdue. Villanova and North Texas will meet Sunday afternoon with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Game date: Sunday, March 21
Game time: 8:45 p.m.
TV channel: TNT
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Odds: Villanova -6.5, Total 126.5
No. 5 Villanova 17-6 (11-4): At-Large
KenPom rating: 12 OVERALL, 9 OFFENSE, 65 DEFENSE
NET ranking: 17 (5-3 vs. QUAD 1)
Leading scorer: F Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (15.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG)
No. 12 Winthrop was a popular upset pick with Villanova missing senior point guard Collin Gillespie. The team lost two straight after he tore his MCL and was starting Chris Arcidiacono in his place. Considering Gillespie was the team’s leading scorer and playmaker, Arcidiacono was a clear step down with his 0.3 PPG, 1.0 RPG, and 0.7 APG numbers. He didn’t do much of anything, but Jeremiah Robinson-Earl led the way with 18 points and the Wildcats defense stifled the Eagles.
No. 13 North Texas: 18-9 (9-5): Automatic Bid
KenPom rating: 61 OVERALL, 101 OFFENSE, 38 DEFENSE
NET ranking: 59 (1-3 vs. QUAD 1)
Leading scorer: Javion Hamlet (15.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.5 APG)
The Mean Green knocked off No. 4 Purdue in overtime thanks to an 11-0 run to open the extra frame. North Texas led most of the game, taking a 4-3 lead at the 17:23 mark of the first half and taking an eight point lead into the locker room. They could not build on the lead in the second half and eventually Purdue tied it on a tip shot with 24 seconds left in the second half. However, North Texas rolled in overtime.
North Texas managed four different players scoring in double digits. Guard Javion Hamlet led the way with 24 points and also had 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Guard Jaden Ivey led Purdue with 26 points.