“We all the time had a solution,” Braun mentioned.
It was onerous to think about a worse begin for Villanova.
Kansas scored the primary 10 factors, Villanova turned the ball over on 4 consecutive possessions and Agbaji was on fireplace, making his first 4 pictures, all 3-pointers. When Agbaji sliced by means of the Villanova protection and dished to McCormack for a rim-rattling dunk, Kansas had thrust its result in 26-11 slightly greater than 10 minutes into the sport, prompting a timeout by Villanova.
“The rationale they have been efficient inside with their dimension was as a result of they acquired us unfold out early with Agbaji hitting 3s and we weren’t capable of get off and assist in the submit,” Coach Jay Wright mentioned, including that preserving Agbaji in test was a precedence. “That may turn into an issue for us.”
That Agbaji would play such a central position was onerous to see coming when he arrived in Lawrence 5 years in the past. He was one of many higher gamers in Kansas Metropolis and a very good pupil, however he didn’t even begin for his Novice Athletic Union workforce, MoKan Elite, and so he got here to Lawrence as someone whom the coaches hoped could be teammate and develop into a task participant.
As a substitute, he has morphed into one thing far more — an athletic wing with a lethal leap shot who was the participant of the yr within the Massive 12, essentially the most aggressive convention within the nation over the previous few seasons, and a first-team All-America.
“Clearly, my position has modified over time,” Agbaji mentioned. “I got here in simply being a contributor, a man off the bench, after which I ended up incomes my beginning position. Because the years glided by, my scoring was extra wanted on the groups after which this yr, clearly, simply to step up and be that man.”
Agbaji made simply 2 of his first 15 3 pointers within the match earlier than regaining his capturing contact within the Midwest regional ultimate in opposition to Miami. Even when he was struggling, his confidence didn’t waver and he discovered different methods to contribute.
Agbaji on Saturday evening was the fulcrum of a Kansas offense that whirled and reduce, the sound of sneakers persistently squeaking on the Superdome flooring because the ball zipped across the perimeter, relegating one of many nation’s most decided defenses to ball chasing.
