North Carolina has developed into one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation, which could help them when facing Villanova in Friday's second round matchup. Carolina has hit 255 3-point shots this season, almost eight a game. Top shooters Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston lead the charge in that area. Bullock is 84 for 192 in 3-pointers while Hairston is 81 for 208 from behind the arc. Villanova has struggled in perimeter defense all season which could kill their chances against the Tar Heels. The Wildcats have given up 30 more 3-pointers than they have scored.
Villanova was good enough to beat both Louisville and Syracuse in the regular season, but has lost to both Columbia and Alabama by double-digits. The Wildcats have proved careless with basketball, averaging 16 turnovers per game.
If the Tar Heels pull out the victory, it will be the 700th career victory for head coach Roy Williams. 418 of those wins came while Williams spent 15 years at Kansas. If both Kansas and North Carolina win on Friday, they will meet in the third round of the tournament. This will the third meeting between the two teams while Williams is coaching.
North Carolina is 8-3 since inserting Hairston in the lineup ahead of Desmund Hubert. He is averaging 14.3 points this season and 19.6 in his last five games. Ryan Arcidiacono will lead the way for Villanova. The freshman point guard is averaging 12 points and 3.5 assists per game. North Carolina does only have wins over two tournament teams this season. They beat both UNLV and NC State at home.