By JOSH NEWMAN
NEW YORK – It has seemed clear for a long time now that any team thinking it can win a national championship better plan on going through unbeaten Kentucky.
That includes Villanova, which moved to the doorstep of a No. 1 seed on Saturday when it won the Big East Tournament, 69-52 over Xavier in front 13,471 at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats are 32-2, veteran-heavy, well-coached and appear set to take on all comers beginning next weekend. The question is, can they beat anyone, including possibly Kentucky down the road?
“We’re not Kentucky in terms of depth and talent, but we could beat them,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. “But we could lose to a 15 or 16, too, if we don’t play right. I just think that’s who we are.”
Wright’s notion that Villanova could lose to seemingly anybody comes from recent experience. Since the Wildcats advanced to the 2009 Final Four, they have not advanced past the round of 32. That includes round of 64 exits in 2011 and 2013 and a 13-19 season in 2012.
When Villanova hears its name called in the 6 o’clock hour Sunday evening on CBS, it will then go about carrying the weight of expectations. The Wildcats won the Big East Tournament Saturday night for the first time in 20 years, which means it is now on the same plateau as the beloved 1995 team. That squad featured program all-timers like Kerry Kittles and Alvin Williams, while being coached by Steve Lappas.
Moving beyond Saturday night, Villanova is being projected as a No. 1 seed in the East Region. That would mean staying in-state for its second and third-round games in Pittsburgh and then potentially the East Regional in a place it is very familiar with, the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
With the personnel and experience they possess, a potential 1-seed and the opportunity to play four games close to home ahead of the Final Four, these Wildcats will have few excuses if things go awry.
“Our focus is on tomorrow, we’re going to find out who our next opponent is and just prepare for that game,” Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player Josh Hart said. “We have to go through everybody in the NCAA Tournament. They’re tough teams. All those teams are experienced. All those teams are talented.”
The other three projected No. 1 seeds going into Sunday are Kentucky (Midwest), Wisconsin (West) and Duke (South). The Blue Devils in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on Friday, but the Wildcats and Badgers will go for titles in the SEC and Big Ten, respectively, on Sunday afternoon.
Dave Gavitt Trophy Most Outstanding Player: Josh Hart, Villanova
2015 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team: Darrun Hilliard, Villanova; Dylan Ennis, Villanova; Jalen Reynolds, Xavier; D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown; Kris Dunn, Providence
Photo: USA Today Sports
