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1 Villanova (33-2) vs. 8 North Carolina State (21-13)
CONSOL Energy Center, 7:10 p.m., TBS
After easily disposing of 16-seed Lafayette Thursday night, 93-52, the Wildcats will look to move on to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009 when they face 8-seed North Carolina State, which escaped the round of 68 with a 66-65 win over 9-seed LSU.
Here are five things you need to know:
1. Balancing act
As it has done all season, Villanova won its matchup against Lafayette with its balanced scoring.
In their first game, the Wildcats registered 93 points, which is tied with Arizona, a 2-seed in the West, for most in the tournament thus far, and they did so with six double-digit scorers.
Dylan Ennis pitched in 16 points, Daniel Ochefu added 14, Ryan Arcidiacono had 13, JayVaughn Pinkston and Darrun Hilliard II each had 12, and Kris Jenkins netted 10 off the bench. Phil Booth contributed nine in 20 minutes, and Josh Hart scored seven in 26 minutes.
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This season, seven different players have led Villanova in scoring — five coming in its last eight games. Hilliard is the current leading scorer with 13.9 points per game. The Wildcats have five other players between 9.4 and 10.3, and two more between 5.5 and 6.5.
2. Scouting NC State
The Wolfpack needed the final shot to get past the Tigers, a BeeJay Anya leaner. Anya’s basket capped off a strong second half for NC State, which trailed by as many as 16 in the half.
Anthony Barber led the Wolfpack Thursday with 17 points. He’s their third leading scorer (12.2 ppg) behind Trevor Lacey (15.6 ppg) and Ralston Turner (13.1 ppg). Lacey had nine, while Turner put up 10 against the Tigers. Abdul-Malik Abu chipped in with 13 for the Wolfpack.
NC State comes into the contest scoring 70.4 points per game, shooting 43.7 from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range. It’s the 31st-best team in the nation in rebounding with 37.8 per game. Against LSU, the Wolfpack pulled down 39.
3. Long distance
Against Lafayette, Villanova hit 50 percent of its three-pointers (11 of 22). Shooting the three is a big part of the Wildcats’ offense this season.
In eight of their last 11 games, the Wildcats have drained at least 10 from beyond the arc. On the season, they’re shooting 39.2 percent from distance, 18th in the country. Their 9.1 three-point attempts per game finished the season tied with North Florida.
Hart is shooting 47.3 percent from long distance, while Booth is hitting 46.8 percent of his deep balls. Both are pieces off the bench. Jenkins, another bench piece, shoots 38.1 percent from three. Arcidiacono is shooting 37.9 percent, while Ennis is scoring 37.7 of his threes.
In the Lafayette win, Ennis made 3 for 6 from three and Arcidiacono was 3 for 4. Booth and Hart each were 3 for 4 from three-point range.
4. This and that
• Villanova seeks its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009, when it made the Final Four.
• Since its Elite Eight appearance in 1986, NC State has failed to get past the Sweet 16 in 12 tournament appearances. It won the 1983 National Championship.
• Villanova and NC State have met each other only once since 1973. In the 2008 Old Spice Classic at Disney World, the Wolfpack edged the Wildcats, 69-68.
• In the 1951 NCAA Tournament, NC State beat Villanova, 67-62, in the Sweet 16.
5. Recommended reading
• Still doubting? Villanova out to silence skeptics
• Freshman Phil Booth becoming Villanova’s secret weapon
• Jay Wright’s tailor says the stylish coach is ‘a little colorblind’