@BShark
Alas Nova has proven they are a 1 trick pony by being beaten in trough games. Thus unlike a long stack, they can be upset at any moment, by a team that denies them just their treys, which will be easy to do by simply staying with them outside, and guarding the kick out passing lane on defense and shooting 5-10 more treys than they do on offense. Like all one trick innovators, their trick will quickly be turned against them. Self just needed that good beating to knock his blinders off. Bellein is wily coach that has the benefit of seeing the KU experience. He will likely eliminate their wing and corner treys by denying the kick out lanes. He will likely benefit from Nova moving slightly down into its trough phase with a 35-38% 3pt game and it will be up to the refs to finish the job that seeding started of making Villanova the champ. Don’t kid yourself. Big shoe, big gaming and big TV appear invested in making Wright the new hot brand of the Catholic crescent from Boston to Miami to New Orleans to LA to Sacramento. Villanova will likely be given every opp to beat UM and any one that understands marketing gets why. What do John Calipari, the once anointed SAVIOR of THE CRESCENT and now deselected fallen angel, have in common? I will give you a hint. It has to do with beads. I am not knocking Jesuit RCs for marketing to their base to enrich their own members and schools, and spread their religio-political influence through sport and marketing. Protestants and Jews try to do similar things. No doubt Muslims, Buddhists, Janist’s, Hindus and “god only knows” what other religions never pass on these sorts of branding and marketing opportunities in sport. The object of the sport game and religion game is similar—put butts in the seats on selected days and spread the word. Religion, still the biggest cash enterprise on earth, has long understood the utility of sport. We Christians got our start in sport and politics with lion fighting in the biggest arena of classical antiquity—The Roman Coliseum. We never really forget our roots. One of our home offices are still just across town from the Roman Coliseum. Capice?