Villanova’s keys to victory: Getting good shots in Collin Gillespie’s absence and matching Winthrop’s depth

The Villanova defense spent much of the season straining to rise to the level where Jay Wright wanted it, a slow process attributable to the two COVID-19-related pauses that resulted in lost practice time and a 27-day gap between games.

The Wildcats appear to have figured out how to play effectively at that end of the floor, but the offense has had some hiccups over the last few weeks, and now tries to cope without the cool, experienced hand of Collin Gillespie to lead the attack.

Of course, the Cats don’t want to have any cracks in their game when they take the court Friday night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum for their first-round NCAA Tournament game against upset-minded Winthrop in a highly anticipated 5 vs. 12 matchup. But the offense is an area of concern.

» READ MORE: Join the Madness! Fill out your 2021 NCAA Tournament bracket.

“We lost our leading scorer and our most dynamic player, the guy that creates shots for everybody else, so we’ve been adjusting offensively to try to find other ways to create high-percentage shots,” Wright said Wednesday in Indianapolis during ‘Nova’s final pregame media availability.

“I thought we did a better job in the Georgetown game than we did against Providence playing without Collin, but obviously not good enough. But that’s the area we’ve been working on and where we’ve got to improve going into this Winthrop game.”

» READ MORE: ‘Basketball will overcome anything’: How Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova handled a tough year

Gillespie suffered a season-ending torn left medial collateral ligament on March 3 against Creighton. Sophomore Justin Moore moved from his shooting guard spot to the point three days later against Providence, but left the game late in the first half with a sprained ankle and did not return. He yielded the spot to sophomore Chris Arcidiacono, who had played 17 minutes all season but logged 24 minutes in that game.

Surprisingly, Moore returned for Georgetown in the Big East Tournament opener and played 27 minutes. Wright said he’s “good to go” for Friday but does not think he’s quite at 100%. Arcidiacono, who played 34 minutes at the point against the Hoyas without a turnover, will likely start.

“Collin was so adept at creating shots when we needed for himself and making everybody else better in the process — getting Justin set up, taking pressure off Justin, getting Caleb [Daniels] open shots,” Wright said. “Justin’s got to do all of that now, as Chris does. Both of them are going to have to play much bigger roles against Winthrop.”

The Wildcats (16-6) must get quality shots and make them. They have lost their last three games away from home, shooting 37.8% from the field and 20% (15 of 75) behind the three-point line. They’re 62.2% from the free-throw line in their last two games, well below their season mark of 76.5%.

How Villanova matches up against the Eagles’ depth is another area to watch. The Rock Hill, S.C., school plays 11 men, with only three averaging more than 20 minutes per game. Redshirt senior point guard Chandler Vaudrin, the iron man at 31.5 minutes per game, leads his team in scoring, rebounds, and assists, along with three triple-doubles.

One sportswriter said Winthrop (23-1) doesn’t make individual substitutions as much as it makes line changes.

» READ MORE: Winthrop’s Chandler Vaudrin relishes being his team’s playmaker and looks forward to playing Villanova

Pat Kelsey, in his ninth season at Winthrop, was lavish in his praise of Wright, whom he called “a surefire 1,000% Hall of Fame coach,” and felt the Wildcats will have an answer in Gillespie’s absence.

“He’s a phenomenal player, the Gillespie kid, and just seems to be such an unbelievable young man, a great leader, full of charisma,” he said. “But their program’s not at the level they’re at for no reason. Coach Wright’s really good and his staff’s elite.

“We’re preparing for a high-level team with NBA-caliber athletes, decorated players, and recruits that will be ready when their name’s called. Their program’s like ours, we say next man up. We don’t blink an eye if somebody goes down.”

The biggest matchup is at the point. At 6-foot-7, Vaudrin is unlike any point guard Villanova has seen all season, and he likes to post up his defender. Moore, at 6-4, and 6-6 Brandon Slater could get the call guarding him.

Another area to watch is under the boards. The Eagles average 13 offensive rebounds, with two games of 20 or more. Their big man inside is 6-9, 275-pound redshirt sophomore D.J. Burns Jr., who was the No. 3 high school recruit out of South Carolina in his senior year behind two guys named Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.

It’s sure to be a nerve-racking game for ‘Nova Nation, which can’t feel too comfortable when Wright says the Eagles are a mix of Creighton (a fast-paced team that can shoot the three) and Butler (disciplined on defense). He says he’s psyched about the matchup.

“We know how good of a team we’re playing and we have great respect for them,” he said, “and we’re ready to go.”