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VILLANOVA, Pa. – A title game rematch never duplicates the original.
Too many players are gone, the timing is hardly equal to an early April title game to a non-conference Gavitt Game in November, and the results are hardly the same.
Villanova roasted Michigan by 17 last year in San Antonio.
Michigan toasted Villanova by 27 Wednesday.
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But here's what we know after the game: Both teams are still legitimately contenders to win their respective conferences.
And here's why:
Michigan has the goods to be one of the top defensive teams in the Big Ten, holding Villanova to 3-of-15 3-point overall shooting and just 17 first-half points before giving up only 46.
Early morning MOOD!#GoBlue 〽️? pic.twitter.com/5QfM6RacDC
– Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) November 15, 2018
The Wolverines are, as Michigan coach John Beilein said, "pretty tough. We played tough the whole game. We did not back down. ''
The Big Ten is clearly much deeper than the Big East this season. Michigan State is still the team to beat the Spartans show they can not handle the expectation.
But Wednesday night, dominated Indiana Marquette, and Romeo Langford proved he is every bit as hungry. Nebraska, who has every piece of back, seton Hall rather, dusted off. Wisconsin won at Xavier Tuesday. Minnesota beat down Utah Monday. Purdue, Ohio State and Penn State have shown that they are more than capable of competing in the top five. Iowa gets lucky on the national stage Thursday against Oregon in New York.
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The Big Ten is DEEP. And Michigan has every bit of the ability to win the league.
"We learned we can fight," said Zavier Simpson, who was aggressively pushing his team to the Wildcats down when the Wolverines got up big. "We can fight. We can get defensive stops. You're not ready for the big stage. ''
Zavier Simpson (3) dribbling past Jordan Poole (2) and Villanova guard Collin Gillespie (2) and forward Eric Paschall (4) during the second half of the game against the Wildcats. (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
"He's a winner," Beilein said of Simpson. "He's all in every minute of every game and every practice. It's huge to have a guy like that. "
Charles Matthews is the steady chill wing who never gets rattled.
And the Wolverines have a rising star in freshman Ignas Brazdeikis, who added 18 to Matthews' 19. Iggy, as he is affectionately called, is non-stop energy and action.
"I was confident the entire game," said Brazdekis. "Every time I'm on the court, I feel I'm the best player. That's my mentality. ''
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The Wolverines shot poorly in the first two games against Norfolk State and Holy Cross. This is not about making excuses, but both teams did junk up the defense and they said they never got good looks. Villanova played Michigan straight and paid for the Wolverines shot 50 percent. This team will be able to score easily. Now it defends, too. That equals Big Ten title contender.
Quick Wednesday Gavitt Games recap:@umichbball beat No. 8 Villanova by 27 ✅@IndianaMBB beat No. 24 Marquette by 23 ✅@HuskerHoops Beat Seton Hall by 23 ✅@ B1GMBBall is back, folks. pic.twitter.com/mCxIiOiGiL
– Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 15, 2018
Villanova got run, but let's put that in perspective to the Big East.
Marquette got drilled at Indiana.
Providence has already lost to a rebuilding Wichita State.
Seton Hall lost at Creighton.
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Georgetown did win at Illinois, and Butler is still waiting for a tough challenge. St. John's has not played its first major game.
Villanova can still beat them all atop the standings.
The Wildcats have two anchors in Phil Booth and Eric Paschall.
Jahvon Quinerly, Cole Swider, Saddiq Bey and Brandon Slater start to make a major impact. This is Booth's team, but Collin Gillespie has the vocal ability to motivate from the lead guard spot. Both of these players, along with Paschall, played roles on the title team last April.
Post-Game Press Conference https://t.co/UphWSt59aG
– Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) November 15, 2018
It's going to be better than Joe Cremo, who will figure out what's new. If returning forwards Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Jermaine Samuels can add more than a combined eight boards and eight points like they did against the Wolverines then good things will happen.
Booth's four turnovers and Gillespie's five to contribute to Nova's 21 overall can not happen for the Wildcats if they want to win the Big East.
This team has too much talent for that to be a trend, though. Villanova coach Jay Wright said he needed his freshmen to be good, not great, but still contributors. Quinerly is figuring out where he fits in. Once he does, then the Wildcats will benefit.
The rout Wednesday will help transform Michigan into a Big Ten title contender. But the loss will not change one thing for Villanova's chances in the Big East, relating to this season's competition. There is no other No. 1 like Xavier was last season. What the Michigan game did for Villanova was making the Wildcats even more focused on how to obtain the goal of conference fields.
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