Kansas vs. Villanova Picks – NCAA Tournament Elite Eight


Kansas vs. Villanova picks for the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight matchup between the Jayhawks and Wildcats.


The Kansas Jayhawks just keep rolling along. Since his tenure began at Kansas in 2003, nobody has run a more consistent program than Bill Self. Not Tom Izzo at Michigan State, not Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, not John Calipari at Kentucky, not even the man whom Self replaced, Roy Williams, and Williams’ alma mater North Carolina. Self has led the Jayhawks to 12 consecutive Big 12 titles and has made it to at least the second round of the tournament every season since 2006-07.

This year’s team continues to show why it was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, now having defeated a talented, albeit mercurial, Maryland team. With Wayne Seldon Jr. and Perry Ellis steering the ship, all eyes are on cutting down the nets in Houston.

It seems like just yesterday we were watching Jay Wright awkwardly spend the tournament’s second weekend bantering from the Turner set alongside Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley. Now here he is prepping for the Elite Eight, 60 minutes of play away from the Final Four.

Villanova has looked strong throughout the tournament, befitting of its No. 2 seed. Regardless of how things shake out on Saturday, they’ve shaken the choke artist stigma that has plagued the program in recent years. In dropping the Hurricanes’ senior duo, the Wildcats have further proved that they’re a legitimate threat to claim the program’s first title since 1985.

Here are the Campus Insiders Kansas vs. Villanova picks.

Pete Fiutak

I’m going to keep picking against Kansas until I get this right. Perry Ellis – Phog Allen’s prize recruit – is turning into one of the tourney’s biggest stars, but the Villanova defense is playing at a whole other level. The Wildcats are basically making teams quit – Jay Wright goes to his second Final Four.

Jonathan Bass

This tournament is all about Kansas and that won’t stop in the Elite Eight. The Jayhawks will roll on to the Final Four down in Houston.

Robert Judin

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Kansas is the most complete team in the nation. The Jayhawks will hold Villanova under 70 points to advance to the Final Four.

Glenn McGraw

Maryland hung tough for a while, but Kansas made easy work of the Terps down the stretch. The Jayhawks will do the same to Villanova and advance to the Final Four.

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