East REGION
FINAL PREVIEW
[1] Villanova (33-4) VS. [3] Texas Tech (27-9)
1:20 p.m. today • TD Garden in Boston • TV: Ch. 4
Red Raiders are in uncharted territory
Preview
This is a matchup of tournament veterans vs. a team that is in the Elite Eight for the first time in the program's 93-year history. Villanova and Texas Tech are two of the best defensive teams left in the field. The Red Raiders have held each of their first three tournament opponents to 66 points or fewer.
Villanova at glance
Villanova has made seven trips to the Sweet 16 under Jay Wright, going on to the Elite Eight four times while making two trips to the Final Four. They won it all in 2016. Only four players on the current team were on the roster when the Wildcats defeated North Carolina for the 2016 championship.
Texas Tech at a glance
The Red Raiders were ranked as high as No. 6 this seaon. They went 11-7 in the ultra-competitive Big 12, losing four straight games to close out February. But the last two were to ranked teams — Kansas and West Virginia; they lost again to the Mountaineers in the conference tournament.
By the numbers
Villanova has made 44 three-pointers in the tournament after making 13 on Friday in its 90-78 victory over West Virginia. For the season the Wildcats have 432, 11 short of the Division I record set by VMI in 2006-07. … Texas Tech was 0-5 in Sweet 16 games before Friday's 78-65 victory over Purdue. … The Red Raiders' reserves outscored Purdue's 33-6.
Quote
"It's not arrogance, but it's confidence. We have a process we believe in. … We get guys that fit our culture, and we coach them hard." — second-year Texas Tech coach Chris Beard, a former assistant under Bob Knight
