Rollie Massimino, who coached Villanova to an improbable national championship in 1985, has died at the age of 82.
Keiser, an NAIA school in West Palm Beach, Fla., announced Wednesday that Massimino had passed away at his home in Florida. He had served as the coach of the school's men's basketball team for the past 10 years.
Massimino had been in relatively good health before he battled lung cancer in recent years. He had surgery to remove a tumor in his lung in 2011, suffered a collapsed lung and had brain surgery in 2016.
Born Roland Vincent "Rollie" Massimino, the affable coach had won more than 800 games in his coaching career, but is best known for leading a then-eighth-seeded Wildcats team to a victory over Patrick Ewing and top-seeded Georgetown in the 1985 title game.
"He was a life coach, not just a basketball coach," former Villanova star Ed Pinckney said, per ESPN. "Coach was all about family. He was an unbelievable man -- and a great person."
Massimino coached the Wildcats for 19 seasons and compiled a 355-241 record before leaving for UNLV in 1992 to replace Jerry Tarkanian. He spent two years with the Runnin' Rebels and also coached at Cleveland State from 1996-2003.
Massimino joined Chuck Daly's staff at Penn before becoming the head coach at Villanova in 1973. The Wildcats went to 11 NCAA Tournaments -- including three Sweet 16s, one Elite Eight and its first national championship under Massimino's watch.
Including nearly 300 wins while at Northwood/Keiser, Massimino's career record is 816-462 in 41 seasons.
"As our campus community deeply mourns the loss of Coach Massimino, we extend our warmest thoughts and condolences to his wife Mary Jane and the entire Massimino family," Keiser University chancellor Arthur Keiser said in a statement. "We are so truly honored to have shared this time with him and take some degree of comfort in knowing the positive impact he has had on college students for the last four decades remains immeasurable."
Showing posts with label Villanova. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Villanova. Show all posts
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Topple-seed: Villanova stunned 65-62 by Wisconsin in NCAA
By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) When the season ended suddenly and shockingly, much earlier than Villanova expected, Kris Jenkins bent over in disbelief near mid-court.
There would be no game-winning shot, no confetti-filled celebration, no more games. The defending champions - and No. 1 overall seed - are done.
On Wisconsin.
After two relatively routine days, madness returned to the NCAA Tournament on Saturday as top-seeded Villanova was bounced from the brackets and the East region 65-62 by No. 8 seed Wisconsin, which added another major upset to its resume and stormed into the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year.
Nigel Hayes scored 19 points, dropping a layup in traffic with 11.4 seconds left, and Bronson Koenig shook off foul trouble and added 17 for the tournament-toughened Badgers (27-9), who will play next week at New York's Madison Square Garden after knocking off a Villanova team that never found its traction in snowy Buffalo.
"Seeds don't matter," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "I told these guys I don't care where we're seeded. We have to win six games. Let's start with these two this weekend."
Mission accomplished.
Senior Josh Hart scored 19 to lead the Wildcats, but the guard was bottled up and stripped by Wisconsin's Ethan Happ and Vitto Brown on a drive in the final seconds. Brown then split two free throws with 4 seconds left, but Villanova struggled to corral the rebound and then couldn't get off a final shot.
It was a bitter ending for the Wildcats, who were trying to be the first team to repeat as champions since 2007. But starting with an unimpressive performance against No. 16 Mount St. Mary's in its opener on Thursday, Villanova looked vulnerable and instead became the first No. 1 seed to be sent home.
"To me, there's no dishonor in losing in this tournament," said coach Jay Wright, whose team lost as a No. 2 in Buffalo three years ago. "We've lived through it. You are judged by how you play in this tournament and that's the reality of it. So, you have to accept it."
When the horn sounded, Wisconsin's red-clad fans erupted in celebration and the Badgers stormed the court after taking down a No. 1 seed for the third time in four years. Wisconsin beat Arizona in 2014, Kentucky in 2015 and now can add Villanova to its list.
Flushed with pride, Gard hugged his wife and children as the Badgers' pep band played their hearts out. A few minutes later, Wisconsin's players doused each other with water and tore a few signs off the walls in KeyBank Center for souvenirs.
Hayes has been part of all those previous upsets by Wisconsin.
"All of those games we've been the underdog," he said. "You have all types of ranking systems, statistics. The thing with all those algorithms is they can't calculate heart, will to win, toughness, desire. And that's the thing we have."
Villanova came into the NCAAs on a roll after winning the Big East Tournament and was expected to at least escape the East but had their hopes busted and will have to relish those moments from last year when they won their first title since 1985.
Wright was concerned about Wisconsin, calling them a "great number eight" seed and compared them to Butler, which beat Villanova twice during the season. As it turned out, the Badgers were more than that, as savvy seniors Koenig and Hayes made several key plays in the closing minutes as Wisconsin overcame a 57-50 deficit.
Super sub freshman Donte DiVincenzo scored 15 and Jalen Brunson added 11 for Villanova. But the Wildcats got little from Jenkins, the hero of last year's title game when he drained a 3-pointer to beat North Carolina. Jenkins couldn't shake a prolonged shooting slump and went just 2 of 9 and 4 of 22 in two games.
Jenkins and fellow seniors Hart and Darryl Reynolds finish their career 129-17 in four years, but the sting of their last loss might linger.
"We're close on and off the court and that bond is never going to be broken," Hart said.
UNDER PRESSURE
The Badgers have been at their best when it matters most.
Under Gard, Wisconsin improved to 39-1 when leading or tied with 5 minutes remaining, including 24-1 this season.
MORE PRESSURE
With a crown comes expectations, sometimes unrealistic ones. Tabbed as the team to beat - well, at least one of them - Villanova's players and coaches knew anything less than a return to the Final Four would be looked at as failure.
Maybe not fair, but Wright knows that's the reality.
"You're a one seed, you're supposed to get to the Final Four, get out of your bracket," he said. "That's probably what we have to be to be a success. And as you know, we accept that, we'll take it. We're not going to define ourselves that way, but we do get it."
BIG PICTURE
Villanova: There would be no magic this March for the Wildcats, who didn't talk about repeating but were constantly reminded about trying to repeat. Jenkins and Hart are NBA bound, but in Brunson, DiVincenzo and Eric Paschall, Villanova has a solid core coming back.
Wisconsin: All that's left for the Badgers seniors - Koenig, Hayes, Brown and Zak Showalter - is to win a national title. They've won 13 NCAA tourney games in the past four years and can't be overlooked. This team can play almost any style and in Koenig Wisconsin has a player capable of taking over.
UP NEXT
Wisconsin: Will play the Florida-Virginia winner next week.
AP Sports Writer
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) When the season ended suddenly and shockingly, much earlier than Villanova expected, Kris Jenkins bent over in disbelief near mid-court.
There would be no game-winning shot, no confetti-filled celebration, no more games. The defending champions - and No. 1 overall seed - are done.
On Wisconsin.
After two relatively routine days, madness returned to the NCAA Tournament on Saturday as top-seeded Villanova was bounced from the brackets and the East region 65-62 by No. 8 seed Wisconsin, which added another major upset to its resume and stormed into the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year.
Nigel Hayes scored 19 points, dropping a layup in traffic with 11.4 seconds left, and Bronson Koenig shook off foul trouble and added 17 for the tournament-toughened Badgers (27-9), who will play next week at New York's Madison Square Garden after knocking off a Villanova team that never found its traction in snowy Buffalo.
"Seeds don't matter," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. "I told these guys I don't care where we're seeded. We have to win six games. Let's start with these two this weekend."
Mission accomplished.
Senior Josh Hart scored 19 to lead the Wildcats, but the guard was bottled up and stripped by Wisconsin's Ethan Happ and Vitto Brown on a drive in the final seconds. Brown then split two free throws with 4 seconds left, but Villanova struggled to corral the rebound and then couldn't get off a final shot.
It was a bitter ending for the Wildcats, who were trying to be the first team to repeat as champions since 2007. But starting with an unimpressive performance against No. 16 Mount St. Mary's in its opener on Thursday, Villanova looked vulnerable and instead became the first No. 1 seed to be sent home.
"To me, there's no dishonor in losing in this tournament," said coach Jay Wright, whose team lost as a No. 2 in Buffalo three years ago. "We've lived through it. You are judged by how you play in this tournament and that's the reality of it. So, you have to accept it."
When the horn sounded, Wisconsin's red-clad fans erupted in celebration and the Badgers stormed the court after taking down a No. 1 seed for the third time in four years. Wisconsin beat Arizona in 2014, Kentucky in 2015 and now can add Villanova to its list.
Flushed with pride, Gard hugged his wife and children as the Badgers' pep band played their hearts out. A few minutes later, Wisconsin's players doused each other with water and tore a few signs off the walls in KeyBank Center for souvenirs.
Hayes has been part of all those previous upsets by Wisconsin.
"All of those games we've been the underdog," he said. "You have all types of ranking systems, statistics. The thing with all those algorithms is they can't calculate heart, will to win, toughness, desire. And that's the thing we have."
Villanova came into the NCAAs on a roll after winning the Big East Tournament and was expected to at least escape the East but had their hopes busted and will have to relish those moments from last year when they won their first title since 1985.
Wright was concerned about Wisconsin, calling them a "great number eight" seed and compared them to Butler, which beat Villanova twice during the season. As it turned out, the Badgers were more than that, as savvy seniors Koenig and Hayes made several key plays in the closing minutes as Wisconsin overcame a 57-50 deficit.
Super sub freshman Donte DiVincenzo scored 15 and Jalen Brunson added 11 for Villanova. But the Wildcats got little from Jenkins, the hero of last year's title game when he drained a 3-pointer to beat North Carolina. Jenkins couldn't shake a prolonged shooting slump and went just 2 of 9 and 4 of 22 in two games.
Jenkins and fellow seniors Hart and Darryl Reynolds finish their career 129-17 in four years, but the sting of their last loss might linger.
"We're close on and off the court and that bond is never going to be broken," Hart said.
UNDER PRESSURE
The Badgers have been at their best when it matters most.
Under Gard, Wisconsin improved to 39-1 when leading or tied with 5 minutes remaining, including 24-1 this season.
MORE PRESSURE
With a crown comes expectations, sometimes unrealistic ones. Tabbed as the team to beat - well, at least one of them - Villanova's players and coaches knew anything less than a return to the Final Four would be looked at as failure.
Maybe not fair, but Wright knows that's the reality.
"You're a one seed, you're supposed to get to the Final Four, get out of your bracket," he said. "That's probably what we have to be to be a success. And as you know, we accept that, we'll take it. We're not going to define ourselves that way, but we do get it."
BIG PICTURE
Villanova: There would be no magic this March for the Wildcats, who didn't talk about repeating but were constantly reminded about trying to repeat. Jenkins and Hart are NBA bound, but in Brunson, DiVincenzo and Eric Paschall, Villanova has a solid core coming back.
Wisconsin: All that's left for the Badgers seniors - Koenig, Hayes, Brown and Zak Showalter - is to win a national title. They've won 13 NCAA tourney games in the past four years and can't be overlooked. This team can play almost any style and in Koenig Wisconsin has a player capable of taking over.
UP NEXT
Wisconsin: Will play the Florida-Virginia winner next week.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Not-so-super Nova: Top seed finishes Mount St. Mary's 76-56
By TOM WITHERS
Associated Press
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — For 20 minutes, Villanova looked ordinary, vulnerable, may be even a little scared.
The Wildcats finished like champions.
Donte DiVincenzo scored 21 points and the NCAA Tournament's top seed shook off a shocking start and stumbled forward in the East region Thursday night with a 76-56 victory over No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary's.
Leading by just one at halftime, the Wildcats (32-3) opened the second half with a 21-6 run and took their first step toward defending their championship. Villanova is trying to be the first back-to-back titlist since Florida in 2007, and the Wildcats will have to play better to make history.
"I'm not annoyed," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "I really am shocked, not how Mount St. Mary's played, but that we didn't start the game with energy. We don't have time to figure it out."
Since the NCAA went to seeding in 1985, No. 1 seeds are 130-0 against No. 16s. The historic upset remains elusive, but for a while it looked like it could happen inside KeyBank Center.
Freshman Miles Wilson scored 22 points as the Mountaineers (20-16), who edged New Orleans in a First Four matchup on Tuesday, gave the defending champions all they could handle in the first half.
"I was thinking we could get the win," Mount St. Mary's Elijah Long said.
But the Big East champions, who entered this tourney with more wins than any past champion, regrouped at halftime and reserved a date with Wisconsin, which beat Virginia Tech 84-74, in the second round on Saturday.
It wasn't easy. It's not supposed to be.
"They outplayed us," Wright said. "At the end, we had more size and some more talented players who made plays. They deserve a lot of credit."
Jalen Brunson scored 14 points and Mikal Bridges had 13 for the Wildcats.
Villanova not only survived a tough test from the Mountaineers but a horrendous shooting night by senior Kris Jenkins. The hero of last year's NCAA title game, when his 3-pointer at the horn defeated North Carolina, Jenkins missed his first 10 shots and finished just 2 of 13.
"I'm not worried about him at all," Wright said. "
The Mount St. Mary's players wear warmups with "Mayhem" written on the back, and they caused quite a commotion in the early going.
Showing no fear against a team the smart-money guys in Las Vegas said would beat them by 25, the Mountaineers jumped to a 10-2 lead against the Wildcats, who missed their first eight shots, committed two turnovers and had three shots blocked in the opening 5 minutes.
"I thought we were capable of coming out and, you know, missing some shots, coming out and making some mistakes," Wright said. "But the level of energy we started the game with, I just didn't think we were capable of that. I'm in a little bit of shock myself."
Villanova's players looked nervous and played that way, and when Long threaded a no-look pass to Chris Wray for an easy basket to put the Mountaineers ahead 23-20, two seminarians — one of them clutching Rosary beads — from the tiny school in Emmitsburg, Maryland, high-fived in the stands.
Villanova, though, recovered and took its first lead at 26-25 when Eric Paschall powered home a dunk with 2:33 left in the half.
The Mountaineers left the court at halftime down only 30-29 and full of confidence.
It didn't' last.
Villanova senior Josh Hart, who sat more than 8 minutes in the first half with two fouls, opened the second half with a layup and DiVincenzo, who added 13 rebounds, hit a 3 to cap a 13-2 burst that knocked the air out of Mount St. Mary's.
Before long, the Wildcats were having their way, and except for DiVincenzo missing two breakaway dunks, Villanova showed why many believe they can win it all again.
UNDER WRAPS
Mount St. Mary's Junior Robinson, the dazzling 5-foot-5 point guard, was held to seven points on 3-of-9 shooting. He scored 23 in the First Four win at Dayton.
OFF THE MARK
Jenkins has been struggling with his shot for some time. He's 28 for 83 in his past seven games.
Wright, though, isn't concerned because while Jenkins has lost his touch, his confidence remains.
"I want him to come out firing like that," Wright said. "He thinks he's going to make every shot. I love that."
BIG PICTURE
Villanova: The Wildcats showed why they're champions by stepping up when it counted, shooting 63 percent in the second half. DiVincenzo has emerged as a major contributor of late, something Nova has needed with Jenkins struggling.
Mount St. Mary's: With all five starters coming back, the Mountaineers should be in position to get back in the NCAA field.
"Everyone got a glimpse of how good we can be," coach Jamion Christian said. "It shows that when you have a program, no matter your seed, and you have guys committed to a plan and a high level of enthusiasm, that anything is possible."
UP NEXT:
Villanova: Plays Wisconsin on Saturday for a spot in the Sweet 16.
Associated Press
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — For 20 minutes, Villanova looked ordinary, vulnerable, may be even a little scared.
The Wildcats finished like champions.
Donte DiVincenzo scored 21 points and the NCAA Tournament's top seed shook off a shocking start and stumbled forward in the East region Thursday night with a 76-56 victory over No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary's.
Leading by just one at halftime, the Wildcats (32-3) opened the second half with a 21-6 run and took their first step toward defending their championship. Villanova is trying to be the first back-to-back titlist since Florida in 2007, and the Wildcats will have to play better to make history.
"I'm not annoyed," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "I really am shocked, not how Mount St. Mary's played, but that we didn't start the game with energy. We don't have time to figure it out."
Since the NCAA went to seeding in 1985, No. 1 seeds are 130-0 against No. 16s. The historic upset remains elusive, but for a while it looked like it could happen inside KeyBank Center.
Freshman Miles Wilson scored 22 points as the Mountaineers (20-16), who edged New Orleans in a First Four matchup on Tuesday, gave the defending champions all they could handle in the first half.
"I was thinking we could get the win," Mount St. Mary's Elijah Long said.
But the Big East champions, who entered this tourney with more wins than any past champion, regrouped at halftime and reserved a date with Wisconsin, which beat Virginia Tech 84-74, in the second round on Saturday.
It wasn't easy. It's not supposed to be.
"They outplayed us," Wright said. "At the end, we had more size and some more talented players who made plays. They deserve a lot of credit."
Jalen Brunson scored 14 points and Mikal Bridges had 13 for the Wildcats.
Villanova not only survived a tough test from the Mountaineers but a horrendous shooting night by senior Kris Jenkins. The hero of last year's NCAA title game, when his 3-pointer at the horn defeated North Carolina, Jenkins missed his first 10 shots and finished just 2 of 13.
"I'm not worried about him at all," Wright said. "
The Mount St. Mary's players wear warmups with "Mayhem" written on the back, and they caused quite a commotion in the early going.
Showing no fear against a team the smart-money guys in Las Vegas said would beat them by 25, the Mountaineers jumped to a 10-2 lead against the Wildcats, who missed their first eight shots, committed two turnovers and had three shots blocked in the opening 5 minutes.
"I thought we were capable of coming out and, you know, missing some shots, coming out and making some mistakes," Wright said. "But the level of energy we started the game with, I just didn't think we were capable of that. I'm in a little bit of shock myself."
Villanova's players looked nervous and played that way, and when Long threaded a no-look pass to Chris Wray for an easy basket to put the Mountaineers ahead 23-20, two seminarians — one of them clutching Rosary beads — from the tiny school in Emmitsburg, Maryland, high-fived in the stands.
Villanova, though, recovered and took its first lead at 26-25 when Eric Paschall powered home a dunk with 2:33 left in the half.
The Mountaineers left the court at halftime down only 30-29 and full of confidence.
It didn't' last.
Villanova senior Josh Hart, who sat more than 8 minutes in the first half with two fouls, opened the second half with a layup and DiVincenzo, who added 13 rebounds, hit a 3 to cap a 13-2 burst that knocked the air out of Mount St. Mary's.
Before long, the Wildcats were having their way, and except for DiVincenzo missing two breakaway dunks, Villanova showed why many believe they can win it all again.
UNDER WRAPS
Mount St. Mary's Junior Robinson, the dazzling 5-foot-5 point guard, was held to seven points on 3-of-9 shooting. He scored 23 in the First Four win at Dayton.
OFF THE MARK
Jenkins has been struggling with his shot for some time. He's 28 for 83 in his past seven games.
Wright, though, isn't concerned because while Jenkins has lost his touch, his confidence remains.
"I want him to come out firing like that," Wright said. "He thinks he's going to make every shot. I love that."
BIG PICTURE
Villanova: The Wildcats showed why they're champions by stepping up when it counted, shooting 63 percent in the second half. DiVincenzo has emerged as a major contributor of late, something Nova has needed with Jenkins struggling.
Mount St. Mary's: With all five starters coming back, the Mountaineers should be in position to get back in the NCAA field.
"Everyone got a glimpse of how good we can be," coach Jamion Christian said. "It shows that when you have a program, no matter your seed, and you have guys committed to a plan and a high level of enthusiasm, that anything is possible."
UP NEXT:
Villanova: Plays Wisconsin on Saturday for a spot in the Sweet 16.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Mount St. Mary’s-Villanova Preview
Stats, LLC
Villanova got an early start in defending its national championship while its first-round opponent was still a step away from the Big Dance.
The Wildcats, seeded No. 1 overall in the NCAA Tournament, arrived in Buffalo on Monday ahead of the snowstorm snarling travel throughout the Northeast. The Big East Conference champions practiced in western New York on Tuesday before even knowing who they would open up against in the East Region.
“You’re a 1-seed playing a 16-seed, so there’s nothing to complain about,” Villanova coach Jay Wright told CSNPhilly.com before leaving Philadelphia.
Villanova (31-3) learned it will meet Mount St. Mary’s (20-15) on Thursday night at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center after the Northeast Conference champion narrowly defeated New Orleans 67-66 on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.
The Wildcats are trying to become the first repeat national champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007. If they can beat the Mountaineers on Thursday and also get past No. 8 seed Wisconsin or No. 9 Virginia Tech in the second round, they advance to the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden, where they won the Big East Championship on Saturday night with a 74-60 victory over Creighton.
No defending champion has ever entered the NCAA Tournament with more wins than Villanova and no No. 16 seed has ever defeated a No. 1.
“This starts a new season,” Wright said. “Whatever our seed is, whatever we did in the regular season doesn’t matter. We’re one of 68 teams. That’s it. And we get beat in the first round, we’re done. Let’s enjoy the finality of this, the pressure, let’s enjoy this, let’s embrace it.”
Villanova won last year’s national championship game against North Carolina on Kris Jenkins’ last-second 3-pointer. National Player of the Year candidate Josh Hart said this year’s Wildcats team has a higher ceiling than last year’s.
“The difference between this year and last year is we are a little bit younger this year, so there’s still room to improve,” Hart said. “I don’t know if we’re better. I just know that we’re playing just as well at the end of the season.”
This is the third time Villanova earned a No. 1 seed. In 2006, the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Florida. In 2015, Villanova lost in the second round against North Carolina State.
Wright led two teams into NCAA Tournament games in Buffalo and doesn’t have fond recollections from either experience. Villanova played there in 2014, as a No. 2 seed, and lost to eventual national champion UConn.
“Great disappointment,” Wright said. “But not just in losing, but we didn’t really play Villanova basketball either.
“My first NCAA Tournament game ever (in 2000), where we were at Hofstra, was at Buffalo, same place. And it was St. Paddy’s Day and there was a blizzard. I was thinking, ‘My whole life, I waited to coach in the NCAA Tournament and it was miserable. … It was a horrible first experience as a coach, and it was in Buffalo.”
Mount St. Mary’s started the season 1-11 but went 19-4 sinece.
The Mountaineers are making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and second under fifth-year coach Jamion Christian. This is the first time since 2008 that Mount St. Mary’s plays in a regional. In 2014, Mount St. Mary’s lost to Coppin State in the First Four.
Villanova got an early start in defending its national championship while its first-round opponent was still a step away from the Big Dance.
The Wildcats, seeded No. 1 overall in the NCAA Tournament, arrived in Buffalo on Monday ahead of the snowstorm snarling travel throughout the Northeast. The Big East Conference champions practiced in western New York on Tuesday before even knowing who they would open up against in the East Region.
“You’re a 1-seed playing a 16-seed, so there’s nothing to complain about,” Villanova coach Jay Wright told CSNPhilly.com before leaving Philadelphia.
Villanova (31-3) learned it will meet Mount St. Mary’s (20-15) on Thursday night at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center after the Northeast Conference champion narrowly defeated New Orleans 67-66 on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.
The Wildcats are trying to become the first repeat national champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007. If they can beat the Mountaineers on Thursday and also get past No. 8 seed Wisconsin or No. 9 Virginia Tech in the second round, they advance to the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden, where they won the Big East Championship on Saturday night with a 74-60 victory over Creighton.
No defending champion has ever entered the NCAA Tournament with more wins than Villanova and no No. 16 seed has ever defeated a No. 1.
“This starts a new season,” Wright said. “Whatever our seed is, whatever we did in the regular season doesn’t matter. We’re one of 68 teams. That’s it. And we get beat in the first round, we’re done. Let’s enjoy the finality of this, the pressure, let’s enjoy this, let’s embrace it.”
Villanova won last year’s national championship game against North Carolina on Kris Jenkins’ last-second 3-pointer. National Player of the Year candidate Josh Hart said this year’s Wildcats team has a higher ceiling than last year’s.
“The difference between this year and last year is we are a little bit younger this year, so there’s still room to improve,” Hart said. “I don’t know if we’re better. I just know that we’re playing just as well at the end of the season.”
This is the third time Villanova earned a No. 1 seed. In 2006, the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Florida. In 2015, Villanova lost in the second round against North Carolina State.
Wright led two teams into NCAA Tournament games in Buffalo and doesn’t have fond recollections from either experience. Villanova played there in 2014, as a No. 2 seed, and lost to eventual national champion UConn.
“Great disappointment,” Wright said. “But not just in losing, but we didn’t really play Villanova basketball either.
“My first NCAA Tournament game ever (in 2000), where we were at Hofstra, was at Buffalo, same place. And it was St. Paddy’s Day and there was a blizzard. I was thinking, ‘My whole life, I waited to coach in the NCAA Tournament and it was miserable. … It was a horrible first experience as a coach, and it was in Buffalo.”
Mount St. Mary’s started the season 1-11 but went 19-4 sinece.
The Mountaineers are making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and second under fifth-year coach Jamion Christian. This is the first time since 2008 that Mount St. Mary’s plays in a regional. In 2014, Mount St. Mary’s lost to Coppin State in the First Four.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
No. 1 Villanova defeats No. 12 Virginia
No. 1 Villanova caught fire in the 2nd half and overcame No. 12 Virginia, 61-59 on Sunday.
Mikal Bridges led Villanova with 15 points, and rebounds with 5.
Ty Jerome led Virginia with 15 points.
Villanova plays Wednesday at Providence. The Wildcats have a 46-18 career record against the Friars.
Virginia heads home to play Virginia Tech on Wednesday.
Monday, December 12, 2016
Villanova tops new AP Top-25 for NCAA Basketball
The Associated Press on Monday released their latest Top-25 Poll for the NCAA College Basketball.
Below is the poll.
Updated NCAAB Top-25:
1. Villanova
2. UCLA
3. Kansas
4. Baylor
5. Duke
6. Kentucky
7. North Carolina
8. Gonzaga
9. Indiana
10. Creighton
11. Louisville
12. West Virginia
13. Virginia
14. Wisconsin
15. Purdue
16. South Carolina
17. Xavier
18. Butler
19. Arizona
20. Saint Mary's (Cal.)
21. Notre Dame
22. Oregon
23. Florida State
24. Southern California
25. Cincinnati
Below is the poll.
Updated NCAAB Top-25:
1. Villanova
2. UCLA
3. Kansas
4. Baylor
5. Duke
6. Kentucky
7. North Carolina
8. Gonzaga
9. Indiana
10. Creighton
11. Louisville
12. West Virginia
13. Virginia
14. Wisconsin
15. Purdue
16. South Carolina
17. Xavier
18. Butler
19. Arizona
20. Saint Mary's (Cal.)
21. Notre Dame
22. Oregon
23. Florida State
24. Southern California
25. Cincinnati
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