Villanova are the 2016 NCAA Tournament champions, beating North Carolina at the buzzer in one of the greatest finishes we have ever seen. Kris Jenkins made that immortal shot, but the player who fed him the ball, Ryan Arcidiacono, was the one who took the Most Outstanding Player award.
Ryan Arcidiacono named Most Outstanding Player in 2016 NCAA Tournament
Arcidiacono was perhaps the most important player in Villanova’s run to the national championship.
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The senior guard had yet another efficient game for the Wildcats, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and making two of his three three-point attempts. He added two assists (including the game-winning one to Jenkins), a rebound and a steal in Villanova’s first title victory since 1985.
Arcidiacono has been perhaps the Wildcats’ best player during their run to the title, scoring double-digit points in every tournament game. Perhaps his best performance came in the Sweet 16, when he scored 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in a dominant 92-69 win over Miami.
The Wildcats ran roughshod in March, winning four of their six tournament games by 19 points or more. They took down No. 1 overall seed Kansas in the Elite Eight, 64-59, with Arcidiacono scoring 13 points in that game. Villanova then thoroughly trounced Oklahoma in the Final Four before Monday night’s instant classic. Arcidiacono scored 15 points against the Sooners in the national semifinal.
Next up for Arcidiacono is the professional level. While he's not rated highly in this year's NBA Draft (just 81st among seniors on Draft Express), his performance in this year's tournament could make scouts pay him extra attention.
Watch the outstanding finish to Villanova’s championship win
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