SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Jermaine Samuels is usually a cool customer, with a friendly manner about him, letting his game do most of his talking. In the second half Thursday inside the AT&T Center, NCAA Sweet 16, the Villanova fifth-year forward played it entirely different. Samuels took a charge and emerged off the floor, on the run, pumping his first like a blitzing linebacker who had pulled off the game’s big sack.
In the end, it wasn’t emotion that carried the day for Villanova. It was Samuels, though, for very large portions of this one. Villanova advanced, 63-55, with Samuels leading all scorers with 22 points. The early minutes featured his ability to put up soft, driving contested layups that spin in from weird angles. The late minutes, a Samuels quick step past Michigan biggest man Hunter Dickinson gave Villanova its final separation, for a 56-50 lead with 2 minutes, 22 seconds left.
Collin Gillespie then provided the final dagger with a three-pointer on Villanova’s next possession, moving the No. 2 seeds into Saturday’s Elite Eight, facing the winner of the Arizona-Houston nightcap here.
These two teams didn’t just leave it all out on the floor. They left themselves on the floor. One collision going for a rebound, Michigan point guard DeVante Jones was ruled to have committed the foul, except he had fouled Villanova’s massive Eric Dixon. They both hit the floor. Jones stayed there. “Are you good to go or do we need the trainer?” a referee asked Jones. He got up, but came out.
Caleb Daniels, scoreless in the first half, was a massive factor in the second. Villanova’s sixth man, really its sixth starter and usual finisher, jump-started Villanova’s offense after halftime, getting fouled on one possession, driving through heavy traffic in the lane for a layup in the next. When Dixon, left open outside, hit a three on the next possession, Villanova had a 40-31 lead, 14:17 left.
At the defensive end, Daniels blocked an Eli Brooks jumper, just after committing a foul running straight through Brooks for a loose ball. There he was skying for a rebound.
Every time you thought Villanova had achieved a little separation, however, Michigan managed to close it before those final daggers. Brooks kept Michigan in range with a couple of big threes and finished with 14 points.
The first 10 minutes
Those particular minutes played out pretty much the way the season tendencies said they would. Villanova up five, making 3 of 5 threes while Michigan was making 1 of 2. Villanova shooting 54.4% overall to 40% for Michigan. Two Michigan turnovers to one for Villanova.
The actual difference was one two-possession spree. Villanova was up one, until 37 seconds later, up seven. Michigan went zone and Gillespie still used a Dixon screen to nail a three-pointer. Then Justin Moore dribbled right to find his own open space for a three, hit it. Villanova up 18-11, 10 ½ minutes to go in the half.
The next six minutes
Different story. Villanova went eight straight scoreless possessions, missing seven straight shots. Michigan turned a miss into a fast-break hoop and then hit a rhythm three to take a 22-20 lead, just under four minutes left in the half. Villanova didn’t wait for the media timeout, called time. Samuels came out of it and scored inside, drawing Dickinson’s second foul, converting it. Then Samuels put back a Gillespie three.
Noteworthy
Gillespie, Moore, and Samuels combined for 30 first-half points. The rest of Villanova combined for one.
The real first-half difference
Villanova made 4 of 5 free throws, Michigan made 1 of 6. Villanova up three points at the break.
Michigan’s advantage
As expected, in addition to the inside issues Michigan presents, the Wolverines scored all eight of the first-half fast-break points.
Martelli Watch
Maybe not that big a deal, in terms of the game itself. Jay Wright said this week that he doesn’t think Michigan once he first thinks of Phil, he thinks St. Joe’s. (Wright also said he doesn’t think 2018 NCAA final when he first thinks of the Wolverines. He thinks of how “we got RAN by them” to get the next season started.) Nobody was running anyone in this one.
Longino surgery
On Friday, Jordan Longino is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee. HIs season is over. Villanova’s, not yet.
