Bodog Beat

Brandon Rush and Kansas take on Villanova in Sweet 16 action. (AP Images)

Entering the Midwest region's Sweet 16 games at Ford Field, the No. 1 Jayhawks (-12) have emerged as a championship-caliber force that continues to build momentum on the road to the Final Four. Next up in their crosshairs are the Villanova Wildcats, who stunned No. 5 Clemson in the first round and then ripped No. 13 Siena on Sunday.

Led by hard-nosed guard Scottie Reynolds, the Wildcats (+12) are like a JuCo version of the Jayhawks. They rely on their backcourt for offense and to come up with opportunistic plays on defense. But in this matchup, the Jayhawks' guards are better than the Wildcats' guards. Ditto the frontcourt and bench.

As for intangibles, those favor Kansas too.

"We're happy to be at the Sweet 16, but we're supposed to be there," senior guard Jeremy Case told reporters. "We're happy, but we're not satisfied."

Last year, the depth of Florida wore down opponents as the Gators earned their second straight national title. But the Gators had more than a ton of talent on their side. What put them over the top was the will to win back-to-back championships. Kansas appears to have a similar sense of determination.

The Jayhawks possess a mix of upperclassmen who lived through disappointment in tournaments past, strong character players who survived personal tragedy and two rising sophomores in Sherron Collins and forward Darrell Arthur. They know they will return to Lawrence, Kan., with twine around their necks one way or the other. They'd prefer it be the Ford Field net rather than the noose of infamy that's been worn by previous Jayhawk players who failed to reach the Final Four despite an array of talent on the roster.

The question for Kansas prior to the tipoff of March Madness was whether they were good enough to go all the way. They've answered that with two decisive victories in the opening weekend. Now, we want to know who can stop them.

Some Betting Trends to Consider:

• Villanova is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
• Villanova is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Villanova's last 14 games
• Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
• Kansas is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas's last 6 games

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