One statistic in particular stood out to me following Kansas’ 64-59 loss in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: After carving up zone defenses all season, KU scored six points in 15 possessions against Villanova’s 2-3 matchup set.
Over time, KU coach Bill Self’s offenses have had common characteristics, as they typically play unselfishly, make each other better and are great passing teams inside.
After watching all 15 possessions with a college basketball coach, it became immediately apparent that Villanova’s prepared players had accomplished an unlikely feat with their 2-3 matchup zone, disrupting the Jayhawks’ rhythm while forcing selfish decisions in the season’s most important game.