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No. 2 seed Villanova (31-5, 16-2 Big East) vs. No. 3 seed Miami (27-7, 13-5 ACC)
KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky., 7:10 p.m., TV: CBS
Last time out
Villanova dominated 7-seed Iowa, 87-68, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats shot 61 percent from the field and hit 58 percent of their three-point attempts against Iowa. They held a 34-point lead at one point in the second half.
Josh Hart led Villanova with 19 points on 7 of 11 shooting. Kris Jenkins added 15 points, including 12 in the first half.
Villanova’s defense led to numerous transition opportunities against the Hawkeyes and resulted in 18 fast-break points.
Miami held off 11-seed Wichita State, 65-57, in the second round. The Hurricanes led by 21 in the first half, but the Shockers took the lead briefly in the second half. Miami finished the game on a 23-14 run to clinch the victory.
Series history
Villanova owns a 13-10 record against Miami from when both teams were members of the Big East.
Miami won the last matchup, 59-56, in 2004.
NCAA Tournament facts/figures
Villanova owns a 53-34 record in the NCAA Tournament. It’s the first time the Wildcats have made it out of the second round since 2009, when Scottie Reynolds' dramatic drive and runner lifted them past Pittsburgh and into the Final Four.
Villanova outscored UNC Asheville and Iowa by a combined 49 points in the first two rounds this year.
Miami is 8-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. This is the third time the Hurricanes have reached the Sweet 16 and the second time they have reached this point under head coach Jim Larranaga. Miami has never reached the Elite Eight.
Scouting Miami
Miami is led by its backcourt duo of Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez. McClellan has recorded at least 10 points in 22 consecutive games for the Hurricanes. He leads Miami with 16 points per game and is averaging 19 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.
Angel Rodriguez scored a career-high 28 against Wichita State and had 24 points in Miami’s first-round game against Buffalo. Against Wichita State, he also led Miami in assists (four), threes made (three), and steals (four). Rodriguez is averaging 12.6 points per game for the season.
Miami, much like Villanova, is a good free throw shooting team. The Hurricanes are hitting 75.1 percent from the line, 19th in the country. They also shoot well overall, ranking 26th in the nation with a 47.7 field goal percentage.
Miami has four players averaging more than 10 points per game. Davon Reed averages 11.2 points, and Philadelphia native Ja’Quan Newton averages 10.8 points a night.
What’s next?
The winner will face the winner of 1-seed Kansas vs. 5-seed Maryland in Louisville in the Elite Eight for the right to reach the Final Four.
ICYMI
• Juniors Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins form special bond at Villanova
• Defensive wiz Phil Booth rediscovering 3-point shot for Villanova
• How Wright, Villanova snagged Arcidiacono away from Florida
• Iowa's Fran McCaffery: Unselfish Villanova 'can go a long way'