Villanova vs. Kansas 2022 March Madness Final Four Matchups

By Carlos Chacon • March 30, 2022

The Kansas Jayhawks are the only No. 1 seed left in the 2022 NCAA Tournament and their path to the national title game has to go through the second-seeded Villanova Wildcats. A couple of stacked powerhouse programs with plenty of Final Four experience collide this Saturday, and we’re here to break down the key players facing one another when the action tips off at the Big Easy./p>

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out some timely assists to our bettors all throughout the 2022 March Madness season. This time, let’s highlight the three best matchups to watch out for in Saturday’s highly-anticipated 2022 NCAA Final Four matchup between the Villanova Wildcats and the Kansas Jayhawks.

3 Key Matchups for the Villanova vs. Kansas 2022 Final Four Showdown

Jermaine Samuels vs. Ochai Agbaji

Villanova’s Jermaine Samuels has turned up the intensity at the Big Dance. After averaging a little over 11 points per game prior to the postseason, Samuels is averaging a whopping 17.8 points per contest in the national tournament on 51 percent shooting from the field.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats’ standout forward will likely be matched up with arguably the best player in the entire tournament in Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji. On the other hand, the consensus first-team All-American has taken a back seat of sorts with the Jayhawks having a more well-rounded offense in the tourney, averaging just 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Still, Agbaji’s eight steals and six blocks is still enough reason to fear him on the defensive end.

Collin Gillespie vs. Christian Braun

Collin Gillespie is the only other starter alongside Samuels to be a part of the Wildcats’ last title-winning run in 2018 and he’s been their most reliable scorer of the season, averaging 15.6 points per game. Gillespie even has a chip on his shoulder in his senior year after his third year in Nova was cut short by a season-ending knee injury.

Stepping up huge for the Jayhawks, meanwhile, is junior Christian Braun. The versatile 6-foot-6 guard has solid averages of 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the tournament. Braun and Gillespie virtually have the same roles on their respective teams, making this one of the more evenly-matched one-on-one showdowns this weekend.

Caleb Daniels vs. Remy Martin

The untimely loss of Justin Moore (ACL) means that Villanova will need more out of Caleb Daniels to round out the starting five’s backcourt. Thankfully, Daniels has been reliable all tournament long, averaging 11 points and 6.3 boards. Not to mention that he’ll be more motivated to perform in front of his hometown of New Orleans.

Kansas, on the other hand, has no issues with depth. In fact, former Arizona State standout Remy Martin has been a huge boost off the bench prior to the postseason. Martin actually leads all Jayhawks players with an average of 16.7 points at the Big Dance as his role has expanded to become his team’s most reliable scoring threat since Kansas’ win at the Big 12 championship game.

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