Duke and Villanova first qualified for the Final Four, Coach K makes the fun last

The Elite 8 has delivered its first verdict, Villanova and Duke are the first qualified for the Final Four. Who performed? What images should be remembered? Come on, let’s go for the recap.

Les scores

  • Villanova (#2) – Houston (#5) : 50 – 44
  • Duke (#2) – Arkansas (#4) : 78 – 69

Villanova, get out the barbed wire!

Limit the antagonist to 44 points, the kind of performance that Jay Wright, Villanova’s legendary coach, must have particularly appreciated. And yet, in their previous three games, the Houston Cougars had scored 82, 68 and 72 points, without ever having the slightest difficulty in taking advantage of the largesse of their opponents. The Wildcats thus won an Elite 8 game with a shooting percentage of… 29%. It’s awful, but thanks to the work on the other side of the floor, the awful has become tolerable. Constantly bothered by a hand, an arm, an assist, the Cougars shot 1/20 from 3-pointers, the kind of professional error that does not forgive. Merit for Villanova therefore, but a blame for the camp opposite.

The performance to remember

How strong is this little Paolo Banchero. The flow of a modern strong winger who exudes mobility. His score sheet? Some 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 interception and 1 block at 4/11 shooting. It is not for nothing that he is announced Top 5 of the Draft 2022 by nbadraftroom! The colleagues from wingspan opt for… a Top 2, just behind Chet Holmgren. Good and then anyway, there is not really a choice in terms of performance of the night: no player has exceeded 20 points. We might have mentioned Kyler Edwards for his 0/8 from 3-pointers once morest Villanova – who we hope will follow him for as short a time as possible – but our cowardice has its limits that reason ignores.

The nice moment

Yes yes Paolo Banchero, he is the GOAT. For his last dance at the head of a university team – and a team at all – Mike Krzyzewski has the right to a last cartridge. A Final Four offered on a platter. Isn’t this an exceptional opportunity to punctuate Coach K’s career? To punctuate the career of the best university coach in history? This Final Four will be his thirteenthit is up to him to punctuate it like four of the previous twelve (1991, 1992, 2001 and 2010).

The perfs of prospects

Paolo Banchero (Duke): 16 points (4/11 shooting, 1/2 from afar), 7 rebounds and 3 assists once morest Arkansas.

Adrian Griffin (Duke): 18 points (7/9 shooting, 2/3 from afar) and 3 rebounds once morest Arkansas.

Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 14 points (5/10 shooting) 2 rebounds and 2 assists once morest Arkansas.

Jaylin Williams: 19 points (8/17 shooting, 0/2 from afar), 10 rebounds and 3 assists once morest Duke.

Highlights

Sunday’s program

20h20 : North Carolina – Saint Peter’s
23h05 : Kansas – Miami

The Elite 8 has delivered its first verdict, we are attacking once more this Sunday with two new meetings. Who from North Carolina, Saint Peter’s, Kansas or Miami will complete this Final Four?

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