5 reasons for Villanova to be confident entering Sweet 16

It's become a spring time tradition around here, along with the weather getting warmer and flowers starting to bloom. 

Villanova is making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats are back in the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last four tournaments and the eighth time under Jay Wright. They are four wins away from capturing their third national championship in the last six years.

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Villanova's postseason success is essentially taken for granted at this point. They have a staggering 32-5 postseason record dating back to 2016. That mark includes both the NCAA and Big East Tournaments. They simply know what it takes to win in March and early April.

This week the Wildcats find themselves in familiar territory. They'll play Michigan in San Antonio in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. That's the same opponent and location as the 2018 national championship game which Villanova won in convincing fashion.

Will the current Wildcats experience similar success? There are five big reasons to be confident.

Playing their best basketball

If you've covered Jay Wright's teams long enough, you've heard him say the goal every year is for Villanova to be playing its best basketball at the end of the season. Wright doesn't get caught up in how high the Wildcats are ranked, what their record is or where they are in the standings. He just wants his team to improve each game and be at their best in March.

Some years they accomplish that, some years they don't. We've seen some Villanova teams peak in January or February and sputter out in March.

But this year's group is peaking at the right time. They took their lumps in November and December, starting the season with a 7-4 record. But they are rolling right now with a 12-1 record in their last 13 games. The Wildcats were very impressive in NCAA Tournament wins over Delaware and Ohio State, playing their brand of 'Villanova basketball' to perfection. They're connected on both ends of the floor, sharing the ball on offense and grinding out stops defensively. 

After the Ohio State win, Wright noted that the Wildcats seem to have 'figured it out' at just the right time.

Leaders are leading

Fifth-year seniors Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels are the heartbeat of the Villanova program. When they both decided last spring to take the extra year of eligibility the NCAA offered due to the pandemic, it became clear that this Villanova team would go as far as Gillespie and Samuels would take them. 

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They were freshmen on Villanova's 2018 national championship team. Between them they have 303 games of college basketball experience. They've seen everything and they've accomplished everything at the collegiate level. 

Now Gillespie and Samuels are doing exactly what they're supposed to do - lead their team at the most critical point of the season. Gillespie had a team-high 20 points and four assists in Villanova's second round win over Ohio State, while Samuels added 17 points and eight rebounds.

Big man playing big

Villanova has taken on the identity of 'Guard U' under Wright. From Randy Foye to Scottie Reynolds to Ryan Arcidiacono to Jalen Brunson, there is a long list of star guards who have taken center stage for the Wildcats.

But Wright's best teams all have had one thing in common - a difference making big man. Whether it was Dante Cunningham in 2009, Daniel Ochefu in 2016 or Omari Spellman in 2018, Villanova is at their best when they have an interior presence on both ends of the floor. 

That's exactly what Eric Dixon has become for this year's group. The red-shirt sophomore is averaging 12.5 points and seven rebounds and shooting 67 percent from the field in the NCAA Tournament. His three-pointer late in the Ohio State game was the biggest shot of Villanova's season to date.

In addition to his low post scoring, Dixon has demonstrated the ability to knock down the perimeter jumper. That allows Villanova to space the floor, making them very difficult to defend with all five players able to shoot efficiently from long range.

The sixth starter

An outstanding sixth man has become another hallmark of the Villanova program. Over the years, we've seen Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo all excel in that role. 

Caleb Daniels has taken the torch and is running with it. Daniels has been nothing short of terrific in his role this season, averaging more than 10 points and shooting just under 40 percent from three-point territory. He had 13 points in Villanova's first round win over Delaware then scored 11 points against Ohio State in the second round. 

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Daniels' efforts against Ohio State were especially impressive. Villanova's second leading scorer Justin Moore picked up his second foul early in the game and was on the bench for the bulk of the first half. But the Wildcats didn't miss a beat thanks to Daniels, who scored nine of his 11 points with Moore sidelined.

The fact that Villanova could withstand Moore's absence in such a big game is a testament to how valuable Daniels is to this team.

Experience counts

Wright generally has veteran teams with plenty of experience. But this year's team is the most experienced group he has coached in 21 seasons at Villanova. The Wildcats' top 6 players consist of three fifth-year seniors (Gillespie, Samuels and Daniels) a senior (Brandon Slater), a junior (Moore) and a red-shirt sophomore (Dixon). 

This team has been in every situation and they don't get rattled. Villanova saw its 15-point lead trimmed to three in the final minutes against Ohio State. But there was no panic. The Wildcats simply kept their composure and finished the game on a 9-2 run.  

Villanova's poise and experience should serve them well against a young and relatively inexperienced Michigan team.