Oklahoma and Villanova face the shooting woes of NRG Stadium, Oklahoma is one of the nation's best 3-point cutting teams. Villanova is no slouch, either.
Their numbers don't lie but neither do NRG Stadium's. That's area the Sooners and Wildcats will play their civic semifinal bold on Saturday and aswell area a lot of 3-point shots accept just not gone in the basket.
There accept been six NCAA Tournament amateur played in the home of the NFL's Houston Texans, but ample crowds of 70,000-plus accept apparent misses at abnormal ante for big-time academy basketball.
In the six amateur — the 2011 Final Four and the 2015 South Regional — the 12 teams accumulated to shoot 27.6 percent (59 of 214) from 3-point range. Plenty of teams accept bad games, but alone three teams in all of academy hoops attempt 27.6 percent or worse on 3s this season: Robert Morris, Grambling State and Prairie View A&M.
Only one aggregation amphitheatre at NRG — Duke endure year — attempt bigger than 33 percent, and that was 42.1 percent (8-19).
Oklahoma (29-7) is advancing into the Final Four cutting 42.8 percent on 3s — additional in the nation — and Villanova (33-5) hits at a 35.4 percent clip.
Both teams had affairs to shoot in the amphitheater on Thursday and Friday and the ballpark's history didn't assume to bother the Sooners.
"It's just 94 anxiety with two goals," said Jordan Woodward, who attempt 45.9 percent from abaft the arc this season. "Coach, he's traveling to apprehend us to accomplish shots no amount area we at. We accept to accomplish shots in adjustment to win."
Buddy Hield, who has becoming a lot of accouterments this anniversary as a civic amateur of the year, was fourth in the nation at 46.5 percent.
"We've been authoritative shots all week," he said. "We shouldn't accept the aftereffect of cutting in an arena. I apperceive it's big, but we (are) traveling to ablaze it up tomorrow for sure."
Villanova drillmaster Jay Wright had a aggregation in the 2009 Final Four at Detroit's Ford Field and the Wildcats played in the Carrier Dome every year if the Orange were in the Big East.
"I anticipation yesterday's convenance was absolutely vital," Wright said Friday.
"At the beginning, you could see we were a little off. But by the end of practice, I anticipation everybody was comfortable," he said. "I absolutely anticipate by tomorrow night, everybody's traveling to be fine, I absolutely do. Once you get in there for a while, it's traveling to accomplish you comfortable."
Sooners drillmaster Lon Kruger said things weren't bland for his aggregation if they started practice.
"We did shoot it well," he said Friday. "The aboriginal brace (shots) were appealing bad. I was thinking, 'Don't let this get in their head.' Afterwards that, we attempt it appealing normally."
FIRST MEETING
These teams met in Hawaii on Dec. 7 and it was all Sooners. Oklahoma won 78-55 and the Sooners bankrupt the 50 percent barrier from 3-point ambit (14 for 26) while the Wildcats were an bottomless 4 for 32.
"I anticipate we abstruse a lot from Oklahoma," Wright said. "They were the aggregation we capital to be. They were affiliated defensively. They were altruistic offensively. They had able attempt selection. It was a abundant barometer for us all through the season."
VETERAN TOUCH
Half the starters in this bold will be seniors. Oklahoma has Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler while Villanova will accept Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu.
"The greatest affair about (our) seniors, is they accomplished abortion as freshmen, afresh fought through it to accomplishment the year in the NCAA Tournament, afresh a lot of success afterwards that," Wright said. "It's absolutely like accepting coaches on the attic and coaches in the locker allowance and coaches aback in the dorm. It's absolutely valuable."
LONG WAIT
Kruger endure had a aggregation in the Final Four in 1994 with Florida. His 22 years amid appearances is second-longest in NCAA history abaft DePaul's Ray Meyer who led the Blue Demons to the Final Four in 1943 and afresh in 1979
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment