The Kansas Jayhawks are in the Elite 8 for the first time since 2012 after beating Maryland, and now comes a tough matchup against Villanova with a Final Four berth on the line. Some have picked Villanova to advance because of their incredibly hot shooting in the tournament, but this KU team won't let themselves fall short of reaching the ultimite prize. Here are three reasons why Kansas will beat Villnova tonight:
3) Kansas' hot streak
We often hear in sports that the best team doesn't always win a championship, but the hottest team does. Well, luckily for Kansas, on top of being the most talented team, they are also hotter than anyone else. The Jayhawks come into the Elite 8 on a 17-game win streak and haven't lost since Jan. 25. That's the kind of run that builds the confidence needed to win the national championship, let alone a Final Four berth.
2) Villanova's struggles defending the perimeter
Villanova’s defense has bee solid during the tournament, but throughout the year they've shown they can be easily exploited by teams with athletic guards that can attack the paint. Villanova’s help defense has been inconsistent all season, and none of their guards are great defenders. Experience is enough to help them get by lesser teams - but Kansas is not a lesser team. Frank Mason, Wayne Selden, and Devonte' Graham should be able to attack the rim with ease.
1) The Perry Ellis factor
Simply put, Villanova does not have an answer for Ellis. He's too big to be adequately defended by the Wildcats' Kris Jenkins in the post, and he's also too fast to be guarded by Daniel Ochefu. Ellis has exploited similar mismatches against UConn (21 points, eight rebounds) and Maryland (27 points, five rebounds) in Kansas' last two games - look for him to have another huge performance tonight.