Kansas vs. Villanova in Elite Eight a battle of basketball heavyweights

The day before his basketball team’s biggest game of the season, Villanova coach Jay Wright spoke passionately about boxing.

Given the choice between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali – or any famous, old fighter, really – he would pick Frazier without hesitation.

“In Philly, Smokin’ Joe is the man,” Wright said. “The underdog, the fighter, the Rocky. We love Smokin’ Joe.”

A fitting comment, considering Saturday’s Elite Eight matchup between No. 1-seed Kansas and No. 2-seed Villanova may turn out to be the basketball equivalent of a heavyweight brawl.

Few games can offer the perfect storm of talent, coaching, tradition and sizzling-hot play that the Jayhawks and Wildcats will provide. This is a Final Four-quality battle, featuring two teams with unmistakable national championship hopes.

Kansas, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, has steamrolled its way through the first three rounds, beating Austin Peay 105-79, Connecticut 73-61 and Maryland 79-63.

Villanova, the hottest-shooting team in the NCAA Tournament, has been equally dominant, crushing N.C.-Asheville 86-56, Iowa 87-68 and Miami 92-69.

Basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy ranks Kansas and Villanova as the nation’s top two teams. They rank first and fourth in the RPI. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index ranks Villanova (third) slightly ahead of Kansas (fifth).

Both teams were ranked No. 1 at times in the national polls.

It’s a regional final that feels impossible to overhype.

“It is a heavyweight battle of two teams playing really well,” Wright said. “I think both teams are really balanced. They are very, very talented at every spot. They’re very disciplined, very well-coached. I hope we are. It’s 1 seed, 2 seed and teams that I think feel very good about how they’re playing.”

Kansas coach Bill Self knows Villanova is playing as well as his Jayhawks.

“They’re probably playing as well as anybody that we’ve gone against in recent memory,” Self said. “At least that I can recall. They’re on fire right now. It’s one thing to shoot a high percentage, but to shoot that high a percentage with the volume of threes they’ve been shooting makes it even more impressive. Everybody’s making them. It’s not like you can just key on one guy. I mean, everybody’s been shooting them well. So they’re a red-hot team.

“But, honestly, we’ve been playing pretty well ourselves.”

Kansas is a slim favorite, according to oddsmakers, but the game feels like a pick’em.

When Villanova was announced as the No. 2 seed in the South bracket, some called it unfair to Kansas. The Wildcats, some said, were the best team below the No. 1 line in the bracket.

Both teams have lived up to their billings throughout March. Now, they meet with a spot in the Final Four at stake.

It may take a fighter’s mentality to win.

“We have got to understand it is going to be a great game,” Kansas forward Landen Lucas said. “But we also know we have to go through the best in order to be the best. They are one of the best teams in the country. We know it is going to be a hard game to get past, but that’s what it takes to win it all.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Kansas vs. Villanova in Elite Eight a battle of basketball heavyweights."