< Previous1985 NCAA CHAMPIONS 2021-22 VILLANOVA BASKETBALL 2 0 2 1 - 2 2 80 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM I t was April 1, 1985 when David met and beat Goli- ath. It was a game remem- bered by many as one of the most perfectly-played NCAA championship games ever. It was a game few felt the undermanned Villanova Wildcats had much of a chance winning. What the capacity crowd in Rupp Arena, and one of the largest national television audiences ever witnessed on April 1, 1985 was as stunning of an upset as there has ever been in an NCAA champi- onship game. Head coach Rollie Massimino’s Wildcats claimed Villanova’s first national basketball title by shocking one of college basketball greatest teams ever, Georgetown, 66-64. It was a trio that coined themselves “The Expansion Crew,” Ed Pinckney, Dwayne McClain and Gary McLain. And of course it was a typical Villanova team effort with Harold Pressley, Harold Jensen and Dwight Wilbur being most noticeable. And Villanova’s victory was no fluke. On April 1, 1985, Villanova was simply the best team. The Wildcats, as expected, played stellar defense and controlled the tempo just as many thought they would have to in order to keep it a game. Massimino, in a press conference the day before the championship clash, stated that he believed in order for his Wildcats to upend the Georgetown Hoyas it would probably take a perfect game. His Wildcats weren’t perfect, but they were close. The ‘Cats sank an amazing 22 of 28 field goal tries for a sizzling and unheard of 78.6 percent field goal percentage. Even more startling, the ‘Cats in the second half, when things really began cooking, connected on nine of 10 field goals. 90 percent field goal shooting! From the foul line the ‘Cats went 22 of 27, including 11 of 14 pressure packed ones in the last two minutes. What made Villanova’s shooting perfor- mance even more startling was who it was accomplished against. Patrick Ewing and company were the number one defense in the country and had limited opponents to just 39 percent shooting from the field for the entire season. Having lost twice to Georgetown in the regular season, the two squads were famil- iar foes. Georgetown jumped on the ‘Cats quickly and enjoyed 10-6, 18-12 and 20-14 leads in the game’s early going. But for every Georgetown offensive, Villanova regrouped and rallied and when Harold Pressley fol- lowed up his own missed shot with just four seconds left before half, Villanova went to the locker room leading 29-28 while a nation- wide audience stared in disbelief. Villanova’s halftime lead lasted until 10:41 was left when the Hoyas moved into the lead 42-41. The lead would exchange hands five times until Villanova had silently slipped out to a 53-48 advan- tage. But George- town roared back, and with 4:50 to go had a 54-53 lead. In possession of a one- point lead and the ball, Georgetown tried to spread the floor and run the clock. However, the ‘Cats Dwayne McClain, a player remembered for the many big shots he made in his career, came up with a crucial steal and as Villanova patiently worked for a good shot, freshman Har- old Jensen nailed a 16 footer to push Villanova to a 55-54 lead with 2:36 to go. Pinckney, at the other end, blocked David Wing- ate’s driving baseline layup and was fouled retrieving the ball, and after making both free throws, the Wildcats had a 57-54 lead. Villanova’s ability to sink free throws was crucial in the closing minutes and with 18 seconds left, Villanova led 65-60. A Villanova free throw and two Georgetown layups made it 66-64 with two seconds left. Dwayne McClain, who had tripped and fallen to the floor, caught the inbound pass on the floor and when the final two seconds ticked off the clock, the victory was Villanova’s. “Needless to say, this is probably the greatest moment in Villanova basketball his- tory. I am extremely elated, proud and grate- ful for everything that happened this year. These kids were just great. I think we beat one of the greatest teams in history. Georgetown played extremely well and we played great.” For the Villanova Wildcats, it was a fairy tale finish. THE 1984-85 VILLANOVA WILDCATS (L TO R): Dwight Wilbur, Veltra Dawson, R.C. Massimino, Gary McLain, Brian Harrington, Harold Jensen, Steve Pinone. STANDING: Wyatt Maker, Ed Pinckney, Mark Plansky, Harold Pressley, Head Coach Rollie Massimino, Dwayne McClain, Connally Brown, Chuck Everson. VILLANOVA MIN FGM FGA FTM FTA REB A PF PTS Pressley 40 4 6 3 4 4 1 1 11 McClain 40 5 7 7 8 1 3 3 17 Pinckney 37 5 7 6 7 6 5 3 16 Wilbur 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 McLain 40 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 8 Jensen 34 5 5 4 5 1 2 2 14 Plansky 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 Everson 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 200 22 28 22 27 17 14 12 66 Turnovers: 17 (Jensen 6; McClain 5; Pinckney 3; McLain 2; Pressley, 1); Blocks: 1 (Pressley); Steals: 8 (Pressley 3; McClain, Pinckney 2; Jensen 1). G’TOWN MIN FGM FGA FTM FTA REB A PF PTS Martin 37 4 6 2 2 5 1 2 10 Williams 29 5 9 0 2 4 2 3 10 Ewing 39 7 13 0 0 5 2 4 14 Jackson 37 4 7 0 0 0 9 4 8 Wingate 39 8 14 0 0 2 2 4 16 McDonald 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Broadnax 13 1 2 2 2 1 2 4 4 Dalton 4 0 1 2 2 0 0 1 2 TOTALS 200 29 53 6 8 17 18 22 64 Turnovers: 11 (Wingate 4; Williams 3; Martin, Ewing, McDonald, Broadnax 1); Blocks: 1 (Ewing); Steals: 6 (Ewing 2; Williams, Jackson, Wingate, Broadnax 1); Halftime Score: VU 29-28; Attendance: 23,124 VILLANOVA 66, GEORGETOWN 64 APRIL 1, 1985 — RUPP ARENA, LEXINGTON, KYchickiesandpetes.com @chickiesandpetes @chickiesnpetes @chickiesandpetes YOUR HOME BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE GAME2009 FINAL FOUR 2021-22 VILLANOVA BASKETBALL 2 0 2 1 - 2 2 82 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM I t arrived at Vil- lanova in the fall of 2005 without fanfare. With the school’s first NCAA Sweet 16 Tourna- ment appearance in 17 years fresh in the rear view mirror, lit- tle heed was taken of an incoming crop of freshmen who seemed destined to wait their turn behind a veteran core that included two All-Americans and a starting line- up of accomplished upperclassmen. Four years later that same class, consisting of Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark, Dante Cunningham and Frank Tchuisi, completed their career as the cornerstones of a unit that will long be recalled on the Main Line. They exited the stage literally, on the elevated floor before more than 70,000 people at Detroit’s Ford Field, home of the 2009 Final Four. Behind them were the treasured memories of a remarkable farewell tour that included a school- record 30 victories and the program’s first Final Four appearance since the 1985 NCAA championship. “Even through our last practice in Detroit the day before the Final Four,” said head coach Jay Wright, “this team kept getting better.” It was a glamorous and thrilling end for a no-frills contingent that simply went about its business calmly and with a clear purpose. Ahead was a BIG EAST Conference that would establish a new record in January with no fewer than nine of its members ranked in the Top 25. The challenges proved formidable in the early going. There were three losses in the first 18 days of January to top 25 squads – Marquette, Louisville and Connecticut – by a total of 14 points. But Villanova’s players got together in Cunningham’s hotel room in Florida before facing USF and that gath- ering helped ignite an impressive run that began with a hard-fought 70-61 win over the Bulls. Next, came a methodical 67-57 win over No. 3 Pitt in the final basketball game ever at the Spectrum that set the tone for the second half of the BIG EAST regular season. Villanova then hit its stride in Febru- ary rolling to wins over Cincinnati, Provi- dence, Syracuse and Marquette. By the time the regular season wrapped up at the Pavilion win a 97-81 win over Provi- dence, Villanova was 13-5 and the owner of a double-bye to the BIG EAST Confer- ence Tournament in Manhattan. In New York, the Wildcats found them- selves up against Marquette for the third time in 12 weeks. VU built a large half- time lead, saw the Golden Eagles rally to reclaim the edge, and then watched as Reggie Redding found Anderson under the basket for a layup that nearly rimmed out as the horn sounded for a 76-75 win. On Selection Sunday, Villanova learned it would begin its NCAA Tournament journey just down the road at the Wacho- via Center in South Philadelphia as a No. 3 seed in the East Region. Patriot League champion American would be the open- ing round foe and the Eagles were fir- ing in long-range bombs en route to a 12-point edge early in the second half. But Villanova’s veterans, led by Ander - son and Cunningham, methodically wore down American and the ‘Cats ultimately pulled away to an 80-67 victory. From start to finish against a sto- ried UCLA program, Villanova was in command. Fisher was electric in helping stake the ‘Cats to a 38-19 lead they never looked back from. The final was 89-69. With its fourth visit to the Sweet 16 in the past five seasons, the Wild- cats advanced to the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston where another brand name of college basketball awaited. ACC Tour- nament champion Duke, the region’s second seed, never did get untracked against the ‘Cats with Villanova pull- ing away to a 77-54 win after halftime. That set up a return engagement with BIG EAST rival Pitt for a trip to the Final Four. It was a seesaw contest with 15 lead changes that capti- vated the sellout crowd from the opening tip to the final horn. Pittsburgh carved out a 67-63 lead with 3:24 left in regulation but an Anderson steal and 3-point play changed the texture of the final minutes (the senior would finish with 17 points and be named to the All-East Region team along with Cunningham and Most Outstanding Player Reynolds). Villanova sank 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch and appeared to be in control with less than 10 seconds left. But an errant inbounds pass that sailed over the head of Cunningham on an inbounds play and a Wildcat foul allowed Pitt to tie the game at 76 on a pair of Levance Fields free throws with 5.5 seconds left. That set up one of the more notable plays in Villanova basketball history. With the official counting down near the five second limit to inbound the basketball, Redding lobbed a high pass to Cunning- ham near midcourt. Cunningham leaped high, collected the pass and immediately dished it off to a streaking Reynolds. The junior guard dribbled down the right side, eluded DeJuan Blair and drove into the lane, where he hung in the air and sent a shot over Jermaine Dixon towards the net. The shot fell, the horn sounded, and after a final desperation heave from Pitt’s Levance Fields was off line, Villanova cel- ebrated a trip to the Final Four. The Wildcats fell to eventual cham- pion North Carolina in the national semi- finals but the legacy of the class of 2009 was secure: through workmanlike toil, it had authored a truly spectacular final act. BACK ROW: Graduate Manager Adam Fisher; Administrative Intern Kyle Neptune; Assistant Coach Jason Donnelly; Shane Clark; Antonio Peña; Frank Tchuisi; Casiem Drummond; Head Coach Jay Wright; Maurice Sutton; Dante Cunningham; Taylor King; Dwayne Anderson; Corey Stokes; Assistant Coach Doug West; Team Chaplain Rev. Rob Hagan, O.S.A.; Graduate Manager George Halcovage. FRONT ROW: Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Pierce; Strength Coach Lon Record; Russell Wooten; Reggie Redding; Corey Fisher; Scottie Reynolds; Jason Colenda; Manager of Basketball Operations Keith Urgo; Associate Head Coach Patrick Chambers609-265-2400 From Boston to Miami. We know the way! academybus.com ACADEMY BUS IS THE OFFICIAL BUS TRANSPORTATION PARTNER OF VILLANOVA ATHLETICS.2016 NCAA CHAMPIONS 2021-22 VILLANOVA BASKETBALL 2 0 2 1 - 2 2 84 n WWW.VILLANOVA.COM O n the heels of consecutive upset defeats in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in 2014 and 2015, the prevailing sentiment greeting the 2015-16 Wildcats was that this team had something to prove. And that something could only be addressed in March. Villanova head coach Jay Wright disagreed with the premise. He asked his team, which included two return- ing starters, to embrace the actual day-to-day grunt work it would take to even position themselves for another chance at postseason glory. The challenges were real. Holdover captains Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Oche- fu were joined in the revamped starting lineup by juniors Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins along with freshman guard Jalen Brunson. The key reserves were sophomore guard Phil Booth, redshirt fresh- man Mikal Bridges and junior forward Darryl Reynolds. The Wildcats opened with four straight victo- ries at the Pavilion by an average margin of 26.3 points. Next came a Thanksgiving stop in Brook- lyn where they earned the NIT Season Tipoff title with wins over Stanford and Georgia Tech. They then took care of Saint Joseph’s on Hawk Hill for their seventh consecutive triumph. Next came a long journey to Pearl Harbor where the No. 9 Wildcats would take on No. 7 Oklahoma set against the backdrop of the 74th anniversary of the attack on the island. It was a thoughtful weekend of reflection off the court but Villanova proved no match for the Sooners on this warm day at Bloch Arena, falling 78-55. Villanova rebounded with a home-court vic- tory over La Salle before flying south to meet another Top 10, squad, Virginia. The Cavaliers outlasted the Wildcats 86-74. The Wildcats went back to the workshop and posted home-court wins over Delaware and Penn, setting the stage for a BIG EAST Conference opener at the Pavilion against undefeated, sixth ranked Xavier. A scary fall in the first two minutes suffered by the Musketeers’ Edmond Sumner changed the tenor of the meeting quickly. With Brunson bat- tling the effects of a virus, Arcidiacono stepped forward with a brilliant offensive performance. The senior’s 27 points ignited the Wildcats’ offense as Villanova rolled past Xavier 91-64. VU reeled off six more BIG EAST wins, includ- ing a pair over Seton Hall, to carve a 7-0 confer- ence mark headed into a scheduled showdown with Providence. A winter storm delayed the game by a day to Jan. 24 and PC upended VU 82-79 in overtime. Less than two weeks later, the two teams met again in Providence. With Ochefu sidelined by the effects of a concussion, Reynolds started and provided 19 points and 10 rebounds in 36 minutes to key a 72-60 win. VU was 10-1 in the BIG EAST and poised for a promotion from its No. 3 nation- al ranking when the polls were released on Feb. 8. For the first time in its history, Villanova was ranked at the top of both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches poll when the polls were announced. The Wildcats picked up wins over DePaul and St. John’s to remain at No. 1 for a second week. Wins at Temple and on Senior Day over Butler extended the run atop the polls into a third week. Xavier got the better of the Wildcats in the rematch on Feb. .24 in Cincinnati before Vil- lanova closed out the year with three more BIG EAST wins to complete a 27-4 regular season. For the third time in as many seasons, VU’s 16-2 conference record earned it the BIG EAST regular season championship. Villanova’s quest to repeat as BIG EAST Tour- nament champions took it to the title game game against Seton Hall. In a close game throughout, the Wildcats were unable to score on their final possession and Seton Hall won, 69-67. A No. 2 seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament brought the Wildcats back to Brooklyn for the second time. A late first half spurt helped carry Villanova past UNC Asheville 86-56 to set up a second round clash with Iowa, a team that had spent much of the season ranked in the Top 25. Villa- nova cleared the sec- ond round hurdle with little fuss. Hart scored 19 points to spark a balanced attack in an 87-68 triumph. In the Sweet 16, Miami and Villanova were both challenged to contain the oppo- nents’ substantial firepower. The Wild- cats strung together enough second half stops to pull away to a 92-69 win in Louisville. That set up an Elite Eight clash with Kan- sas and this time Vil- lanova won a gritty game unlike anything they had seen to this point in the NCAA Tournament. Some fine defensive work by Bridges and clutch free throws from Arcidiacono helped the Wildcats slip past the Jayhawks 64-59. Awaiting Villanova at the Final Four in Houston was Okla- homa. Against the Sooners, Vil- lanova earned the largest mar- gin of victory ever recorded in a Final Four game, a 95-51 vic- tory. Hart’s 23 points and eight rebounds led the way. On championship Monday, the Wildcats and Tar Heels staged a classic. North Carolina took a 39-34 lead into halftime. The Wildcats opened a 67-57 lead near the end of the second half but North Carolina kept coming. The Tar Heels forged a 74-74 tie when Marcus Paige tossed in a deep 3-pointer while being hounded by a defender. 4.7 seconds remained on the clock. Jenkins inbounded the basketball to Arcidi- acono, who accepted the feed and began drib- bling towards the frontcourt along the left side. As he crossed halfcourt, the Tar Heels defense shifted towards the Villanova guard. Behind him, Arcidiacono heard Jenkins calling his name. Arci- diacono drifted two his right and sent a pass to a trailing, open Jenkins. Jenkins took the pass, stepped into the shot, and it fell through the net as the horn sounded. NRG Stadium erupted. The Villanova Wildcats were the 2016 NCAA national champions. BACK ROW (L-R): Graduate Manager Nick DiPaola; Equipment Director Lionel Brodie; Strength Coach John Shackleton; Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Pierce; Assistant Coach Kyle Neptune; Associate Head Coach Baker Dunleavy; Eric Paschall; Tim Delaney; Kevin Rafferty; Head Coach Jay Wright; Daniel Ochefu; Darryl Reynolds; Mikal Bridges; Kris Jenkins; Special Assistant to the Head Coach Jason Donnelly; Director of Student-Athlete Development Mike Nardi; Graduate Assistant Ryan Harkins; Graduate Manager Mickey Mikulski; Graduate Manager Mike Clark. FRONT ROW (L-R): Video Coordinator George Halcovage; Donte DiVincenzo; Jalen Brunson; Josh Hart; Ryan Arcidiacono; Patrick Farrell; Phil Booth; Henry Lowe; Assistant Coach Ashley Howard VILLANOVA • 35-5 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS # PLAYER FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OFF DEF TOT PF TP A TO BLK STL MIN 02 JENKINS, Kris f 6-11 2-4 0-1 0 2 2 4 14 1 3 0 2 21 23 OCHEFU, Daniel f 4-5 0-0 1-2 1 5 6 2 9 2 2 2 0 32 01 BRUNSON, Jalen g 1-4 1-2 1-2 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 22 03 HART, Josh g 4-9 1-3 3-4 1 7 8 3 12 1 2 1 1 38 15 ARCIDIACONO, Ryan g 6-9 2-3 2-2 0 2 2 2 16 2 2 0 1 37 05 BOOTH, Phil 6-7 2-2 6-6 0 2 2 0 20 0 1 1 1 25 25 BRIDGES, Mikal 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 4 2 0 0 1 0 15 45 REYNOLDS, Darryl 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 Team 0 0 0 Totals 28-48 8-14 13-17 2 21 23 16 77 6 10 5 5 200 FT % 1st Half: 14-24 58.3% 2nd half: 14-24 58.3% Game: 28-48 58.3% 3FT % 1st Half: 3-7 42.9% 2nd half: 5-7 71.4% Game: 8-14 57.1% FT % 1st Half: 3-4 75.0% 2nd half: 10-13 76.9% Game: 13-17 76.5% Deadball Rebounds: / NORTH CAROLINA • 33-7 TOT-FG 3-Pt Rebounds # Player FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF TP A TO Blk Stl Min 03 MEEKS, Kennedy f 1-8 0-0 2-2 6 1 7 3 4 0 2 0 1 21 11 JOHNSON, Brice f 6-10 0-0 2-3 1 7 8 2 14 1 1 1 0 31 44 JACKSON, Justin f 3-8 3-4 0-2 2 2 4 2 9 2 2 1 1 34 02 BERRY II, Joel g 7-12 4-4 2-2 0 3 3 2 20 4 3 0 0 37 05 PAIGE, Marcus g 7-17 4-7 3-4 2 3 5 3 21 6 1 0 1 34 00 BRITT, Nate 1-4 0-2 0-0 1 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 9 01 PINSON, Theo 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 12 04 HICKS, Isaiah 2-4 0-0 0-0 2 2 4 4 4 0 1 1 2 20 42 JAMES, Joel 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 Team 2 1 3 Totals 27-63 11-17 9-13 16 20 36 20 74 16 11 3 5 200 FT % 1st Half: 15-28 53.6% 2nd half: 12-35 34.3% Game: 27-63 42.9% 3FG % 1st Half: 7-9 77.8% 2nd half: 4-8 50.0% Game: 11-17 64.7% FT % 1st Half: 2-3 66.7% 2nd half: 7-10 70.0% Game: 9-13 69.2% OFFICIALS: Michael Stephens, John Higgins, Terry Wymer TECHNICAL FOULS: Villanova-None. North Carolina-None. ATTENDANCE: 74340 2016 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Score By Periods 1st 2nd Total Villanova 34 43 77 North Carolina 39 35 74 VILLANOVA 77, NORTH CAROLINA 74 4/4/16 • NRG STADIUM • HOUSTON, TX B efore the 2017-18 college basket- ball season began, the Villanova Wildcats understood that they would be without two elements that have often been crucial ingredients to success. Villanova’s roster included exactly zero scholarship seniors. What’s more, the Wildcats would also be without an on-campus home, due to the $65 million renovation project that transformed the original Pavilion into the Finneran Pavilion. The campaign would be a road show of sorts, with 12 games played at the team’s second home, the Wells Fargo Center, and others in neu- tral settings like Allentown, Pa., and Hempstead, N.Y. On paper, those loomed as sig- nificant obstacles. In reality, they became mere footnotes to as impressive a march through a season as Villanova has made its 98 years of Division I hoops. From opening night – a 75-60 triumph over Columbia – to the final Monday night of the season in San Antonio, Tex., the Wildcats were extraordinary. Junior floor leader Jalen Brunson teamed with class- mates Mikal Bridges and Phil Booth to lead the way on a remarkable journey that hit an early high note with the program’s second Battle 4 Atlantis championship in five years. The Wildcats rallied from a 46-34 halftime deficit to upend Tennessee 85-76 in the semifinals and then held off UNI 64-50 in the title game in the Bahamas. Brunson was selected as the event’s Most Outstanding Player. It would only be the first of what turned out to be a series of awards in what would become the most deco- rated single season in program history. Villanova turned back the clock by hosting a regular season game in the Jake Nevin Field House – capacity 2,200 – for the first time since Jan. 4, 1986 when Penn came to campus on Nov. 29. In front of a raucous audi- ence comprised mostly of students, the Wildcats rolled as redshirt freshman Omari Spellman flashed his upside with 14 points and seven rebounds in a 90-62 Philadelphia Big Five triumph. A trip to New York City for the Jimmy V Classic was a December highlight. A 28-point outburst by Bridges that included a highlight reel second half dunk helped lift VU past 2017 NCAA Finalist Gonzaga 90-72. The Wildcats took a 12-0 mark into the opening of BIG EAST play on Dec. 27 at DePaul and came away with a 103-85 victory in their first ever visit to Wintrust Arena. For the second time in three seasons, Butler handed Villanova its first loss, on Dec. 30. Brunson’s 31 points weren’t enough as sizzling long range shooting pushed the Bulldogs to a 101-93 win before a raucous crowd at Hinkle Field House. The Cats’ quickly got back on track in January, climb- ing the BIG EAST standings thanks to a perfect month that also included an 81-61 non-conference win over for- mer league rival Connecticut on Jan. 20. After posting a 98-78 victory over Creighton at the Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 1, the Wildcats stood at 21-1. Injuries that had begun to mount in January became more challenging in a month with nine games in 28 days. Three Wildcats – Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, and Phil Booth – were sidelined for multiple games with the same injury – a broken bone in the hand. Booth’s loss following a Jan. 23 win over Providence, was especially damaging. Then, when Eric Paschall went to the sidelines with a concussion following a Feb. 4 win over Seton Hall, the mountain grew steeper still. St. John’s knocked off Villanova 79-75 in South Phila- delphia on Feb. 7. But the Wildcats bounced back with terrific effort, downing Butler 86-75 with Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo combining for 57 points. There would be two more BIG EAST defeats in the month – at Provi- dence and at Creighton – but the most significant ele- ment is that the ‘Cats were regaining their health. Booth returned on Feb. 24 in a win over DePaul, joining Gillespie and Samuels who had returned earlier. Not long after their arrival in Manhattan, it was announced that Brunson was the recipient of both the BIG EAST Player and Scholar Athlete of the Year awards. It would begin a run of honors that saw him become the consensus National Player of the Year, becoming the first Wildcat to be named the winner of the John R. Wooden, Naismith and Oscar Rob- ertson Trophy as the coun- try’s top player. The Wildcats contin- ued to roll in their first two games, downing Marquette 94-70 and then blitzing Butler 19-0 in the opening minutes to take control of a semi- final clash. The theatrics of Bridges and Brunson helped carry the Wildcats past Providence in over- time 76-66 to produce the program’s third BIG EAST Tournament crown in four seasons. Bridges took home the Dave Gavitt Award as the event’s Most Outstanding Player. Villanova earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and travelled to Pittsburgh to meet Radford in the open- ing round. The Wildcats built a 44-23 halftime lead over Radford and glided to an 87-61 win in the opening round. Booth and Bridges helped to contain Alabama star Collin Sex- ton in the second round. That, and a burst early in the second half carried VU past the Crimson Tide. Bridges finished with 23 points and DiVincenzo added 18. The Wildcats returned to Boston, the launching point of their 2009 march to the NCAA Final Four, for the 2018 Eastern Regional. In the semifinal, the Wildcats found them- selves in old school BIG EAST battle against their former conference rival West Virginia. The Mountaineers held a 57-51 lead with 11:08 remaining to play in regulation. Enter Brunson and Spellman. The duo fueled a monstrous closing burst that culminated in a 90-78 triumph. Two days later, the Wildcats downed another representative of the Big 12, holding off Texas Tech 71-59. The Wildcats thus punched their ticket to Texas, site of their 2016 NCAA national title victory. In the semifinals, Villanova drained an NCAA Final Four record 18 3-pointers on their way to a 95-79 win over Kansas. Paschall was sensa- tional, dropping in 10-of-11 field goal attempts while compiling 24 points. Two nights later, the Wildcats found themselves trailing Michigan by seven points after 9:01 of game action. That’s when the BIG EAST’s Sixth Man of the Year stepped forward with a performance for the ages. DiVincenzo would finish with 31 points as the ‘Cats pulled away for a 79-62 triumph. The Wilmington, Del., product would be named Most Outstanding Player. The story of Villanova’s march through the madness was its dominance. Villanova won all six of its NCAA games by double digits with an average margin of victory of 17 points per contest. Two days after returning to Philadelphia, the Wildcats were celebrated with a parade near City Hall. Top Row (L-R): Donte DiVincenzo; Eric Paschall; Tim Delaney; Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree; Head Coach Jay Wright; Dylan Painter; Omari Spellman; Mikal Bridges; Jermaine Samuels. Front Row (L-R): Denny Grace; Matt Kennedy; Collin Gillespie; Phil Booth: Team Physician Dr. Mike Duncan; Jalen Brunson; Tom Leibig; Peyton Heck MICHIGAN • 33-8 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS # PLAYER FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OFF DEF TOT PF TP A TO BLK STL MIN 04 LIVERS, Isaiah f 0-2 0-2 0-0 1 3 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 20 13 WAGNER, Moritz f 6-11 1-4 3-4 0 7 7 4 16 1 4 0 0 33 01 MATTHEWS, Charles g 3-9 0-2 0-4 0 3 3 5 6 1 3 1 2 33 03 SIMPSON, Zavier g 4-8 0-2 2-3 1 2 3 1 10 2 3 0 1 34 12 ABDUR-RAHKMAN, M-A g 8-13 2-7 5-6 0 1 1 2 23 0 0 0 0 34 02 POOLE, Jordan 1-5 0-2 1-1 0 1 1 2 3 1 0 0 1 10 05 SIMMONS, Jaaron 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 TESKE, Jon 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 1 2 1 0 0 0 7 22 ROBINSON, Duncan 0-3 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 22 23 WATSON, Ibi 1-2 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 24 BAIRD, CJ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+ 51 DAVIS, Austin 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+ 55 BROOKS, Eli 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Team 1 0 1 Totals 24-55 3-23 11-18 6 21 27 20 62 6 10 1 6 200 FG % 1st half: 11-28 39.3% 2nd half: 13-27 48.1% Game: 24-55 43.6% 3FG % 1st half: 2-13 15.4% 2nd half: 1-10 10.0% Game: 3-23 13.0% FT % 1st half: 4-7 57.1% 2nd half: 7-11 63.6% Game: 11-18 61.1% Deadball Rebounds: 4 VILLANOVA • 36-4 TOT-FG 3-Pt Rebounds # Player FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA Off Def Tot PF TP A TO Blk Stl Min 04 PASCHALL, Eric f 2-5 1-3 1-2 1 7 8 4 6 0 2 1 0 27 14 SPELLMAN, Omari f 3-8 0-2 2-2 4 7 11 3 8 0 1 0 0 29 25 BRIDGES, Mikal f 7-12 3-7 2-2 2 2 4 2 19 1 2 0 1 36 01 BRUNSON, Jalen g 4-13 1-5 0-0 0 2 2 4 9 2 2 0 2 28 05 BOOTH, Phil g 1-4 0-3 0-0 1 1 2 4 2 0 0 0 1 23 02 GILLESPIE, Collin 0-0 0-0 4-4 0 5 5 0 4 1 0 0 1 16 10 DiVINCENZO, Donte 10-15 5-7 6-10 3 2 5 1 31 3 4 2 0 37 21 COSBY-ROUNDTREE, D 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 23 SAMUELS, Jermaine 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+ 34 DELANEY, Tim 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+ Team 0 0 0 Totals 27-57 10-27 15-20 12 26 38 18 79 7 12 3 5 200 FG % 1st half: 14-31 45.2% 2nd half: 13-26 50.0% Game: 27-57 47.4% 3FG % 1st half: 4-13 30.8% 2nd half: 6-14 42.9% Game: 10-27 37.0% FT % 1st half: 5-6 83.3% 2nd half: 10-14 71.4% Game: 15-20 75.0% Deadball Rebounds: 2,2 OFFICIALS: Michael Stephens, John Higgins, Terry Wymer TECHNICAL FOULS: Villanova-None. North Carolina-None. ATTENDANCE: 74340 2016 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Score By Periods 1st 2nd Total Villanova 34 43 77 North Carolina 39 35 74 VILLANOVA 79, MICHIGAN 62 4/2/18 • ALAMODOME • SAN ANTONIO, TX 2018 NCAA CHAMPIONS 2021-22 VILLANOVA BASKETBALL 2 0 2 1 - 2 2 WWW.VILLANOVA.COM n 85Next >