Villanova Wildcats men's basketball

Villanova Wildcats
2016–17 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
University	Villanova University
First season	1920–21
All-time record	1,692–917 (.649)
Conference	Big East
Location	Villanova, PA
Head coach	Jay Wright (16th year)
Arena	The Pavilion 6,500 Wells Fargo Center 21,600
Nickname	Wildcats
Colors	Navy Blue and White[1]
Uniforms
Home Away
NCAA Tournament champions
1985, 2016
NCAA Tournament runner-up
1971*
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1939, 1971*, 1985, 2009, 2016
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1939, 1949, 1962, 1970, 1971*, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 2006, 2009, 2016
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1951, 1955, 1962, 1964, 1970, 1971*, 1972, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2016
NCAA Tournament appearances
1939, 1949, 1951, 1955, 1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1971*, 1972, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 *vacated by NCAA
Conference tournament champions
1978, 1980, 1995, 2015
Conference regular season champions
1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1997, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016

Villanova University's men's basketball team has competed since the 1920–1921 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 37 times, the 8th highest total in NCAA history. They were National Champions in 1985 and 2016. They made the Final Four in 1939, 1971, 1985, 2009, and 2016; their 5 appearances are 14th most all-time. They have an NCAA Tournament record of 57–35 (.620). Villanova has defeated 5 #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament which is 6th most all-time. Villanova has appeared in the NIT 17 times, winning in 1994. They won the Big East Tournament in 1995 and 2015. Villanova will enter the 2016–2017 season with an all-time winning percentage of (.648), placing the Wildcats tied for 13th among all NCAA Division I basketball programs. As of the end of the 2015–16 season Villanova has 1,685 wins, which is 26th among Division I men's basketball teams.

History

Early years (1920–1936)

Villanova began its varsity basketball program in 1920. Michael Saxe coached for six seasons, from 1920–1926, compiling a 64–30 record (.681). John Cashman coached three seasons, from 1926–1929, compiling a 21–26 record (.447). George "Doc" Jacobs coached seven seasons, from 1929–1936, and had a 62–56 record (.525).

The team played its first game in 1920 in Alumni Hall on Villanova's campus, beating Catholic University 43–40. In the early years, Villanova's home courts were Alumni Hall and West Catholic High School. The Wildcats moved into the Villanova Field House (now known as the Jake Nevin Field House) in 1932. Villanova also played many home games at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania beginning in 1929. The Wildcats played home games in both the Villanova Field House and the Palestra until 1986.

Al Severance era (1936–1961)

Alexander Severance coached Villanova for 25 seasons, from 1936 to 1961. It was under the leadership of Coach Severance that Villanova's basketball program rose to prominence. Severance compiled a 413–201 record (.673).i

The 1938–39 team won the first ever NCAA Tournament game, which put them in the inaugural Final Four. Severance led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament again in 1949, 1951, and 1955. Villanova earned NIT bids in 1959 and 1960.

The most storied player in Villanova history, Paul Arizin, played during this era. Severance discovered Arizin, already a Villanova student, playing basketball in the Villanova Fieldhouse. Arizin holds the Villanova record for most points in a game (85), and is credited with inventing the jump shot and was the 1949 College Player of the Year. Other notable players from the Severance era include Joe Lord, Larry Hennessy, Bob Schafer and George Raveling.

Coincidentally, Al Severance died in 1985 on the same day that Villanova upset Georgetown University and Patrick Ewing to take the NCAA basketball championship.

1939 Final Four

The inaugural NCAA Tournament featured eight teams from throughout the country. Villanova, representing the Middle Atlantic States, beat Brown, representative of the New England States, 43–40 before a crowd of 3,500 at the Palestra. The following night, the Wildcats lost to Ohio State 53–36 in the Eastern Division Championship.

Jack Kraft era (1961–1973)

Jack Kraft coached Villanova for 12 years, from 1961 through 1973. He compiled a 238–95 record (.715). Kraft led Villanova to the NCAA Tournament six times, and five times to the NIT. Only once did Kraft's teams fail to earn a post-season bid, in his final season. The 1971 team, led by Howard Porter, reached the NCAA Championship game, and lost to UCLA at the height of the UCLA dynasty.

Notable players during the Jack Kraft era include: Chris Ford, Tom Ingelsby, Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni, Howard Porter, Jim Washington, and Hubie White.

1971 NCAA Finalist

On March 27, 1971, Villanova made its first appearance in an NCAA basketball tournament championship game. The unheralded Wildcats took on the legendary John Wooden and his mighty UCLA Bruins. The 28–1 UCLA squad featured Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe, Henry Bibby, and Steve Patterson. Going into the title game, the Bruins had won six of the previous seven NCAA championships, including the previous four.

Jack Kraft's Villanova squad, nicknamed the "Iron Men", was made up of just nine players. Led by Howard Porter, Clarence Smith, Hank Siemiontkowski, Chris Ford, Tom Ingelsby, Bob Gohl, Mike Daley, John Fox and Joe McDowell. Villanova amassed a 27–6 record, including a shocking 90–47 victory over a powerhouse Penn squad.

Villanova fought from behind for most of the game, twice cutting the lead to three in the final minutes. Villanova lost by six, 68–62. The six-point loss was the narrowest spread of UCLA's seven consecutive victories in NCAA title games.

Despite the loss, Villanova's Howard Porter was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Porter was later stripped of the award and the team's NCAA victories were vacated after it was discovered that Porter had violated NCAA rules because he had signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Condors of the American Basketball Association during the middle of his senior year.

Rollie Massimino era (1973–1992)

During Rollie Massimino's tenure, the Villanova Wildcats abandoned their traditional independent status by joining the newly formed Eastern Eight Conference in 1975. In 1980, the 'Cats moved into the new Big East Conference, along with Georgetown, St. John's, and Syracuse. The 1980s were the golden age of the Big East, highlighted by the 1985 NCAA Tournament, when Villanova, Georgetown, and St. John's reached the Final Four.

Massimino's teams had tremendous success in the NCAA Tournament, usually in an underdog role. Coach Massimino led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament eleven times, winning in 1985. His teams reached the Elite Eight five times in an eleven-year span: 1978, 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1988. Coach Massimino's teams were well-prepared for the Tournament, always playing a difficult schedule, and playing tenacious defense. Massimino lost their opening game in the NCAA Tournament only once, to Shaquille O'Neill and Chris Jackson-led LSU in 1990.

Massimino coached for 19 seasons at Villanova, compiling a record of 357–241 (.596). In the NCAA Tournament, Massimino had a 20–10 record (.667).

Notable players from the Massimino era include Alex Bradley, Stewart Granger, Keith Herron, Dwayne McClain, Harold Jensen, Ed Pinckney, John Pinone, Harold Pressley, Rory Sparrow, and Doug West.

In 1976, the Wildcats played their first game in the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Because of the greater seating capacity, the 'Cats generally played a few home games each year at the Spectrum until the opening of what is now known as the Wells Fargo Center. Villanova christened its current home court, the Pavilion, with a 64–62 victory over Len Bias led Maryland squad on February 1, 1986.

1985 National Champions

In 1985, under the direction of coach Rollie Massimino, the men's basketball team completed one of the most surprising runs in NCAA tournament history by winning the national championship in the first year of the 64-team field. The eighth-seeded Wildcats (unranked in the final AP poll) beat Dayton (at Dayton), top-seeded Michigan, Maryland and second-seeded North Carolina to win the Southeast Regional en route to the Final Four in Lexington, Kentucky. After defeating 2-seed Memphis State in the national semifinals, Villanova met defending champion and ten-point-favorite Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing, in the title game on April Fools' Day.

Top-seeded Georgetown had beaten conference rival Villanova twice during the regular season, and had reached the title game with tenacious defense, which gave up less than 40% of their opponents' shots from the field in both the regular season and the postseason. Before the championship game, Massimino told his team they would have to play a perfect game in order to beat Georgetown. In perhaps the greatest shooting performance in NCAA history, the Wildcats went 22-of-28 from the field to convert a blistering 78.6% of their shots, including a second half where they missed only one basket. The Hoyas hung tough, converting 55% of their 53 attempts, but were unable to overcome the astounding shooting performance as Villanova won 66–64 to claim the NCAA championship. The Wildcat squad remains the only eight-seed and the lowest overall seed in tournament history to win the championship, and their overall team shooting percentage remains an NCAA tournament record for a single game. The game is often cited among the greatest upsets in college basketball history. Ed Pinckney, who shot 5-of-7 and had 16 points in the game, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. This game is featured in the book The Perfect Game by Frank Fitzpatrick.^[2]

In an ironic coincidence, Al Severance, Villanova's coach for 25 years from 1936 to 1961, died on April Fools' Day, April 1, 1985, which was the same day that Villanova won the NCAA Championship.

Steve Lappas era (1992–2001)

The Steve Lappas era was marked by extraordinarily strong regular seasons, including teams that won Villanova's only NIT and their first Big East Tournament Championship. However, Lappas' teams are also remembered for their underachieving performances in NCAA Tournaments.

Lappas compiled a very respectable record of 174–110 (.613) during his years at Villanova. The 1994 and 1995 teams, led by Kerry Kittles, Jason Lawson, Eric Eberz, and Alvin Williams, won the NIT and Big East Tournaments, respectively. However, five nights after their victory in the 1995 Big East Championship, the Wildcats lost a triple-overtime thriller to underdog Old Dominion on St. Patrick's Night in Albany, New York in a 1st round NCAA game many Villanova fans consider the most painful loss in Villanova history.

Under Coach Lappas, Villanova reached the NCAA Tournament in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1999, compiling a disappointing 2–4 record.

Notable players in the Lappas era include Michael Bradley, Kerry Kittles, Jason Lawson, Tim Thomas, John Celestand and Alvin Williams and Eric Eberz.

Villanova began playing a few major home games at the Wells Fargo Center beginning in 1996. Villanova's first game in the new arena was a December 1996 loss to the Duke Blue Devils. Wells Fargo Center was known as the CoreStates Center, the First Union Center, and the Wachovia Center before it adopted the Wells Fargo Center name.

1994 NIT Champions

On March 30, 1994, Villanova became the 15th school to have won both NCAA and NIT Championships in their history when the Wildcats defeated Vanderbilt 80–73 in NIT Finals. The Wildcats were led by Jonathan Haynes, who scored 19 points, and Kerry Kittles, who posted 18. Eric Eberz added 16 points and seven rebounds. Haynes and Kittles earned spots on the All-Tournament team for their efforts.

Jay Wright era (2001–present)

Jay Wright was named Villanova's coach in 2001. As a former Rollie Massimino assistant, Wright was well-acquainted with Villanova. Prior to his appointment at Villanova, Wright was head coach at Hofstra.

Villanova earned a post-season tournament berth in each of Wright's initial ten seasons as Villanova head coach before missing in 2011–12. The Wildcats played in the NIT in 2002, 2003, and 2004, and in 11 NCAA Tournaments in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. During Wright's tenure, Villanova has compiled a 20–10 record in the NCAA Tournament crowned with the amazing 2016 National Championship. Six of Wright's ten NCAA Tournament losses at Villanova were to the eventual National Champion. One of the highlights of his tenure was an amazing run to the 2009 Final Four when Villanova beat #1 seeded Pittsburgh in the Elite 8 on a coast to coast buzzer beater shot by team captain Scottie Reynolds. Villanova subsequently lost the national semifinals to eventual NCAA Champion North Carolina.

The struggling finishes to both the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons were highlighted by losing streaks down the stretch followed by some poorly played NCAA games where Villanova barely beat Robert Morris in overtime and took losses at the hands of St Mary's (2010) and George Mason (2011) in the NCAA Tournament. Villanova had a rebuilding season with a disappointing 13–19 record in 2011–12 season and they missed an NCAA bid after 7 consecutive appearances in the Tournament. It was the first season that Jay Wright did not lead the program into any postseason tournament. The 2012–13 season saw a return trip to NCAA tournament but a #2 seed in 2013–14 and a #1 seed in 2014–15 both ended quickly in the Round of 32 showing a negative 6 year trend where Jay Wright went 3–5 in NCAA Tournament games despite favorable seeds. This drew comparisons to Steve Lappas tournament futility in the prior regime. The 2016 Championship ended that long drought.

Notable players during the Jay Wright era include Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, Dante Cunningham, Allan Ray, Will Sheridan, Curtis Sumpter, Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Maalik Wayns, Mouphtaou Yarou, JayVaughn Pinkston, Darrun Hilliard, Ryan Arcidiacono, Daniel Ochefu, Ryan Arcidiacono, Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart.

2004–05 season

Under coach Jay Wright, Villanova's men's basketball team reached the 2005 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, defeating New Mexico and Florida before losing to #1 seed and eventual champion North Carolina by one point. Junior Forward Curtis Sumpter was injured in the Florida game and did not return to the court until the 2006–07 season. There is controversy surrounding a disputed traveling call against Allan Ray made in the closing seconds of the UNC game. With under a minute left and Villanova down by three, Ray drove and made a shot. There was contact with a UNC defender and a whistle. Most assumed the whistle signified a foul on Carolina, giving Ray a chance to tie the game with the resultant free-throw. Incredibly, the officials ruled that Ray committed a traveling violation prior to taking the shot, negating the basket, and rendering Kyle Lowry's buzzer beating 3 pointer a mere footnote to a painful loss.

2005–06 season

Led by senior guards Randy Foye and Allan Ray as well as sophomore guard Kyle Lowry, the Villanova men's basketball team began the 2005–2006 year ranked #4 in the major polls from USA Today and the Associated Press. Having lost only three regular season games, the Wildcats enjoyed a #1 seed in the 2006 tournament—their first. The Wildcats' wins over Monmouth, Arizona, and Boston College brought them back to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1988. Villanova's 75–62 upset loss in Minneapolis to eventual champion Florida ended the team's run toward a Regional Final. The loss to Florida was the second consecutive year that Villanova was eliminated in the NCAA Tournament by the eventual national champion. The Wildcats' 28 wins during the 2006 campaign was the second most victories for any Villanova Men's Basketball team at that time. Foye, Ray and Lowry all entered the NBA following the season.

2006–07 season

Wright's 2006–2007 team was composed mainly of freshmen and sophomores who, at times, struggled to mesh. The Wildcats improved throughout the season, due in large part to the emergence of freshman Scottie Reynolds. Villanova finished the 2006–07 season with a record of 22–11. The Wildcats earned an at-large bid to the 2007 NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the second round to the Kentucky Wildcats. Villanova's 2006–07 free throw percentage of .781 led the NCAA, and set a Villanova season record.^[3]

2007–08 season

The 2007–08 campaign was an erratic one for the young Wildcats, a team with no seniors. After a promising 9–1 start, Villanova had a rough start to its Big East season. In mid-season, the Wildcats lost five consecutive games by double digits and lost 6 of 7 games during a 3-week span in the middle of the season, as the freshmen struggled to adjust to the college game, and the experienced players encountered difficulties in adjusting to leadership positions. In February and March, as the players became more comfortable within Coach Wright's system, and with improved defense, the team began to win.

A win against Syracuse in the Big East Tournament was good enough for the Wildcats to secure one of the final at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. Villanova proved it was worthy of the bid when an upset over Clemson and a victory over Siena put them in the final 16 teams in the tournament, where they lost to eventual National Champion Kansas.

2008–09 season

Most notable in the 2008–09 season was the rise to prominence of senior forward Dante Cunningham. Cunningham averaged 16.1 points per game, an increase of nearly 6 points over the previous season. He also managed to average 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game.^[4] Cunningham was honored as the Big East Most Improved Player.^[5] His teammate, tenacious sophomore guard Corey Fisher, was also honored as the Big East Sixth Man of the Year for his contributions off the bench.^[5]

The Wildcats finished the regular season with a mark of 26–7, earning a school record for most regular season victories. They lost their final regular season game to the Louisville Cardinals, 69–55, in the fourth round, or semi-finals of the Big East Tournament.^[6] The Wildcats began the NCAA Tournament at the Wachovia Center, a secondary venue for home games. They survived an early scare by American^[6] to handily beat two of college basketball's most prestigious programs, UCLA and Duke, in the rounds of 32 and 16 by a combined margin of 43 points.^[7][8]

Villanova won a very close match up against number 1 seed Pittsburgh in the Elite 8 round of the tournament, with guard Scottie Reynolds racing down the court to make a layup with only 0.5 seconds left. Pitt took the final shot, which bounced off the backboard to end the game. The last-second basket by Reynolds was widely hailed as one of the most exciting plays of that year's tournament, with Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis calling the victory "one of the great games in NCAA tournament history".^[9] Villanova advanced to the Final Four where they faced the North Carolina Tar Heels. Villanova fell to the Tar Heels in the National Semifinals at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, by a final score of 83–69.^[10] This would be the fourth time in five years that Villanova's tournament ouster would be by the eventual National Champion.

The Wildcats' record of 30–8 broke a previous high for most victories in a season, a distinction previously held by the 2005–06 Wildcats squad. The senior class of 2009, composed of forwards Dante Cunningham, Shane Clark, Dwayne Anderson and Frank Tchuisi, earned the distinction of being the winningest senior class in school history.^[11]

2009–10 season

The Wildcats enjoyed another highly successful regular season, finishing with a record of 24–7 and earning a #2 Seed in the NCAA Tournament. They lost in the first round of the Big East Tournament to Marquette and required overtime to defeat 15th seeded Robert Morris University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats were defeated in the 2nd round by the 10th seeded St. Mary's Gaels.

Scottie Reynolds ended his career as the second-leading scorer in Villanova history with 2,222 points, 21 points short of breaking Kerry Kittles's all-time record. He finished his College career with 472 assists and 203 steals. Reynolds was named to the 2010 AP All-American 1st team, but was not selected in the NBA draft.

2016 National Champions

The Wildcats enjoyed another highly successful regular season and held the AP #1 ranking in the nation for the first time in school history over a 3-week period. They finished the regular season with a 27–4 record losing only to teams (Oklahoma, Virginia, Providence, Xavier) that were ranked at the time of the match-up. Villanova finished Big East Conference play 16–2 for the third year in a row also garnering their 3rd straight outright Regular Season Conference Title. After losing in the Big East Tournament Championship Game to Seton Hall, 69–67, the Wildcats earned a 2 seed in the The NCAA Tournament South Region where they dispatched the #15 seeded UNC Asheville by 30 points, followed by a 19-point win over #7 seed Iowa. After defeating #3 seed Miami by 23, they moved on to the Elite Eight to face the overall #1 seed Kansas Jayhawks. The Wildcats defense shined as they won by 5 points to advance to their 5th Final Four and the first since 2009. They faced #2 seed Oklahoma Sooners, who had beaten Villanova by 23 on December 7, 2015 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii early in the season. In the National Semi-Finals, Villanova beat the Sooners by 44 points (a NCAA Final Four record) to advance to the NCAA Championship for the first time in 31 years. They would face the second-overall #1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels for the championship. On April 4, Villanova defeated UNC on a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer by Kris Jenkins to win the NCAA Championship by a final score of 77–74, winning their second NCAA championship. UNC had recovered from a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes to tie the game on an off-balance, double-clutch three-point shot that passed through the net with 4.7 seconds left, leaving the Wildcats one last chance to clinch a victory before overtime. Kris Jenkins inbounded the ball to four-year team captain Ryan Arcidiacono, who dribbled down court, passed the ball and set a bubble screen to assist Jenkins' game-winning shot. Coach Jay Wright credits the play to the "Wildcat minute", where the team practices late-game scenarios at every practice. The game has been called one of the greatest in the history of NCAA Tournament Championships.^[12][13]

Villanova ended the 2016 season at 35–5 including the unanimous #1 ranking in the final Coaches' Poll (USA Today) while capturing their 2nd NCAA basketball championship trophy in the history of the program. In beating #3 seed Miami (AP #10), #1 seed Kansas (AP #1), #2 seed Oklahoma (AP #7) and #1 seed UNC (AP #3), Villanova became the first school in 31 years — since the 1985 Villanova Wildcats — to not only beat four top-three seeds on the way to a national title but to also beat four straight opponents ranked in the AP top 10, in addition to beating AP ranked Iowa in the Round of 32, by an average victory margin of 19 points per game. Villanova's run included two of the ten most offensively efficient games in the analytics era (2002–present), beating Miami and Oklahoma by scoring 1.56 and 1.51 points per possession in the Sweet Sixteen and Final Four, respectively.^[14] It has been called perhaps the most dominant tournament championship run of all time, and the most dominant of the analytics era by a wide margin.^[13]

Player honors

Postseason

NCAA Tournament history

Villanova has appeared in 37 NCAA Tournaments, beginning with the first in 1939. The Wildcats have amassed a tournament record of 57–35 (.620), and were the national champions in 1985 and 2016. Villanova has won as the underdog (based on Tournament seeding) 16 times, more than any other program.^[16] Villanova is one of only two programs (the other being Ohio State) that has played in the NCAA Tournament in every decade since the 1930s.

Opponent	Result	Score	Site	City	Round
2016 – 2 Seed – NCAA CHAMPIONS
UNC Asheville	W	86–56	Barclays Center	Brooklyn, New York	First Round
Iowa	W	87–68	Barclays Center	Brooklyn, New York	Second Round
Miami	W	92–69	KFC Yum! Center	Louisville, Kentucky	Regional Semifinals
Kansas	W	64–59	KFC Yum! Center	Louisville, Kentucky	Regional Finals
Oklahoma	W	95–51	NRG Stadium	Houston, Texas	National Semifinals
North Carolina	W	77–74	NRG Stadium	Houston, Texas	National Championship
2015 – 1 Seed
Lafayette	W	93–52	Consol Energy Center	Pittsburgh	Second Round
North Carolina State	L	68–71	Consol Energy Center	Pittsburgh	Third Round
2014 – 2 Seed
Milwaukee	W	73–53	First Niagara Center	Buffalo. NY	Second Round
Connecticut	L	65–77	First Niagara Center	Buffalo, New York	Third Round
2013 – 9 Seed
North Carolina	L	71–78	Sprint Center	Kansas City, Missouri	Second Round
2011 – 9 Seed
George Mason	L	57–61	Quicken Loans Arena	Cleveland, Ohio	Second Round
2010 – 2 Seed
Robert Morris	W	73–70 OT	Dunkin' Donuts Center	Providence, Rhode Island	First Round
St. Mary's	L	68–75	Dunkin' Donuts Center	Providence, Rhode Island	Second Round
2009 – 3 Seed – FINAL FOUR
American	W	80–67	Wachovia Center	Philadelphia	First Round
UCLA	W	89–69	Wachovia Center	Philadelphia	Second Round
Duke	W	77–54	TD Banknorth Garden	Boston	Regional Semifinals
Pittsburgh	W	78–76	TD Banknorth Garden	Boston	Regional Finals
North Carolina	L	69–83	Ford Field	Detroit	National Semifinals
2008 – 12 Seed – Sweet 16
Clemson	W	75–69	St. Pete Times Forum	Tampa, Florida	First Round
Siena	W	84–72	St. Pete Times Forum	Tampa, Florida	Second Round
Kansas	L	57–72	Ford Field	Detroit	Regional Semifinals
2007 – 9 Seed
Kentucky	L	58–67	United Center	Chicago	First Round
2006 – 1 Seed – Elite 8
Monmouth	W	58–45	Wachovia Center	Philadelphia	First Round
Arizona	W	82–78	Wachovia Center	Philadelphia	Second Round
Boston College	W	60–59 OT	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Minneapolis	Regional Semifinals
Florida	L	62–75	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Minneapolis	Regional Finals
2005 – 5 Seed – Sweet 16
New Mexico	W	55–47	Gaylord Entertainment Center	Nashville, Tennessee	First Round
Florida	W	76–65	Gaylord Entertainment Center	Nashville, Tennessee	Second Round
North Carolina	L	67–66	Carrier Dome	Syracuse, New York	Regional Semifinals
1999 – 8 Seed
Mississippi	L	70–72	Bradley Center	Milwaukee	First Round
1997 – 4 Seed
Long Island	W	101–91	Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum	Winston-Salem, North Carolina	First Round
California	L	68–75	Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum	Winston-Salem, North Carolina	Second Round
1996 – 3 Seed
Portland	W	92–56	Bradley Center	Milwaukee	First Round
Louisville	L	64–68	Bradley Center	Milwaukee	Second Round
1995 – 3 Seed
Old Dominion	L	81–89 3OT	Pepsi Arena	Albany, New York	First Round
1991 – 9 Seed
Princeton	W	50–48	Carrier Dome	Syracuse, New York	First Round
North Carolina	L	69–84	Carrier Dome	Syracuse, New York	Second Round
1990 – 12 Seed
LSU	L	63–70	Thompson–Boling Arena	Knoxville, Tennessee	First Round
1988 – 6 Seed – Elite 8
Arkansas	W	82–74	Riverfront Coliseum	Cincinnati	First Round
Illinois	W	66–63	Riverfront Coliseum	Cincinnati	Second Round
Kentucky	W	80–74	BJCC	Birmingham, AL	Regional Semifinals
Oklahoma	L	59–78	BJCC	Birmingham, AL	Regional Finals
1986 – 10 Seed
Virginia Tech	W	71–62	LSU Assembly Center	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	First Round
Georgia Tech	L	61–66	LSU Assembly Center	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Second Round
1985 – 8 Seed – NCAA CHAMPIONS
Dayton	W	51–49	University of Dayton Arena	Dayton, Ohio	First Round
Michigan	W	59–55	University of Dayton Arena	Dayton, Ohio	Second Round
Maryland	W	46–43	BJCC	Birmingham, AL	Regional Semifinals
North Carolina	W	56–44	BJCC	Birmingham, AL	Regional Finals
Memphis State	W	52–45	Rupp Arena	Lexington, Kentucky	National Semifinals
Georgetown	W	66–64	Rupp Arena	Lexington, Kentucky	National Championship
1984 – 7 Seed
Marshall	W	84–72	The MECCA	Milwaukee	First Round
Illinois	L	56–64	The MECCA	Milwaukee	Second Round
1983 – 3 Seed – Elite 8
Bye					First Round
Lamar	W	60–56	The Summit	Houston	Second Round
Iowa	W	55–54	Kemper Arena	Kansas City, Missouri	Regional Semifinals
Houston	L	71–89	Kemper Arena	Kansas City, Missouri	Regional Finals
1982 – 3 Seed – Elite 8
Bye					First Round
Northeastern	W	76–72 3OT	Nassau Coliseum	Uniondale, New York	Second Round
Memphis State	W	70–66 OT	Reynolds Coliseum	Raleigh, North Carolina	Regional Semifinals
North Carolina	L	60–70	Reynolds Coliseum	Raleigh, North Carolina	Regional Finals
1981 – 9 Seed
Houston	W	90–72	Charlotte Coliseum	Charlotte, North Carolina	First Round
Virginia	L	50–54	Charlotte Coliseum	Charlotte, North Carolina	Second Round
1980 – 8 Seed
Marquette	W	77–59	Providence Civic Center	Providence, Rhode Island	First Round
Syracuse	L	83–97	Providence Civic Center	Providence, Rhode Island	Second Round
1978 – Elite 8
La Salle	W	103–97	Palestra	Philadelphia	First Round
Indiana	W	61–60	Providence Civic Center	Providence, Rhode Island	Regional Semifinals
Duke	L	72–90	Providence Civic Center	Providence, Rhode Island	Regional Finals
1972 – Sweet 16
East Carolina	W	85–70	Jadwin Gymnasium	Princeton, New Jersey	First Round
Pennsylvania	L	67–78	WVU Coliseum	Morgantown, West Virginia	Regional Semifinals
South Carolina	L	78–90	WVU Coliseum	Morgantown, West Virginia	Consolation
1971 – NCAA RUNNER-UP
Saint Joseph's	W	93–75	Palestra	Philadelphia	First Round
Fordham	W	85–75	Reynolds Coliseum	Raleigh, North Carolina	Regional Semifinals
Pennsylvania	W	90–47	Reynolds Coliseum	Raleigh, North Carolina	Regional Finals
Western Kentucky	W	92–89	Astrodome	Houston, Texas	National Semifinals
UCLA	L	62–68	Astrodome	Houston	National Championship
1970 – Elite 8
Temple	W	77–69	Palestra	Philadelphia	First Round
Niagara	W	98–73	Carolina Coliseum	Columbia, South Carolina	Regional Semifinals
St. Bonaventure	L	74–94	Carolina Coliseum	Columbia, South Carolina	Regional Finals
1969
Davidson	L	61–75	Reynolds Coliseum	Raleigh, North Carolina	First Round
1964 – Final 16
Providence	W	77–66			First Round
Duke	L	73–87			Regional Semifinals
Princeton	W	74–62			Consolation
1962 – Final 8
West Virginia	W	90–75	Palestra	Philadelphia	First Round
NYU	W	79–70	Cole Field House	College Park, Maryland	Regional Semifinals
Wake Forest	L	69–79	Cole Field House	College Park, Maryland	Regional Finals
1955 – Final 16
Duke	W	74–73	Madison Square Garden	New York City	First Round
Canisius	L	71–73	Palestra	Philadelphia	Regional Semifinals
Princeton	W	64–57	Palestra	Philadelphia	Consolation
1951 – Final 16
North Carolina State	L	62–67			Regional Semifinals
1949 – Final 8
Kentucky	L	72–85	Madison Square Garden	New York City	Regional Finals
Yale	W	78–67	Madison Square Garden	New York City	Consolation
1939 – NCAA FINAL FOUR
Brown	W	42–30	Palestra	Philadelphia	Regional Finals
Ohio State	L	36–53	Palestra	Philadelphia	National Semifinals

NIT history

The Wildcats have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 17 times. Their combined record is 24–17. They were NIT Champions in 1994.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1959	First Round	St. John's	L 67–75
1960	First Round Quarterfinals	Detroit Utah State	W 88–86 L 72–73
1963	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	DePaul Wichita State Canisius Marquette	W 63–51 W 54–53 L 46–61 L 58–66
1965	Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Manhattan NYU St. John's	W 73–71 W 91–69 L 51–55
1966	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	St. John's Boston College NYU Army	W 63–61 W 86–85 L 63–78 W 76–65
1967	First Round	Marshall	L 68–70
1968	First Round Quarterfinals	Wyoming Kansas	W 77–66 L 49–55
1977	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Old Dominion Massachusetts St. Bonaventure Alabama	W 71–68 W 81–71 L 82–86 W 102–89
1987	First Round	La Salle	L 84–86
1989	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Saint Peter's Penn State Michigan State	W 76–56 W 76–67 L 63–70
1992	First Round	Virginia	L 80–83
1994	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals	Canisius Duquesne Xavier Siena Vanderbilt	W 103–79 W 82–66 W 76–74 W 66–58 W 80–73
2000	First Round Second Round	Delaware Kent State	W 72–63 L 67–81
2001	First Round	Minnesota	L 78–87
2002	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Manhattan Louisiana Tech Temple	W 84–69 W 67–64 L 57–63
2003	Opening Round	Siena	L 59–74
2004	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Drexel Virginia Rutgers	W 85–70 W 73–63 L 60–72

National Campus Basketball Tournament results

The Wildcats appeared in the only National Campus Basketball Tournament. Their record is 0–1.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1951	Quarterfinals	Utah	L 65–67

Year-to-year history

Season	Coach	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Independent (1920–1976)
1920–21	Michael Saxe	8–7
1921–22	Michael Saxe	11–4
1922–23	Michael Saxe	10–6
1923–24	Michael Saxe	14–7
1924–25	Michael Saxe	10–1
1925–26	Michael Saxe	10–6
Michael Saxe:		64–30(.681)
1926–27	John Cashman	11–7
1927–28	John Cashman	4–11
1928–29	John Cashman	6–8
John Cashman:		21–26(.447)
1929–30	George Jacobs	11–6
1930–31	George Jacobs	7–13
1931–32	George Jacobs	7–11
1932–33	George Jacobs	9–4
1933–34	George Jacobs	9–3
1934–35	George Jacobs	13–7
1935–36	George Jacobs	6–12
George Jacobs:		62–56(.525)
1936–37	Alexander Severance	15–8
1937–38	Alexander Severance	25–5
1938–39	Alexander Severance	20–5			NCAA Final Four
1939–40	Alexander Severance	17–2
1940–41	Alexander Severance	13–3
1941–42	Alexander Severance	13–9
1942–43	Alexander Severance	19–2
1943–44	Alexander Severance	9–11
1944–45	Alexander Severance	6–11
1945–46	Alexander Severance	10–13
1946–47	Alexander Severance	17–7
1947–48	Alexander Severance	15–9
1948–49	Alexander Severance	23–4			NCAA Elite Eight
1949–50	Alexander Severance	25–4
1950–51	Alexander Severance	25–7			NCAA First Round
1951–52	Alexander Severance	19–8
1952–53	Alexander Severance	19–8
1953–54	Alexander Severance	20–11
1954–55	Alexander Severance	18–10			NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1955–56	Alexander Severance	14–12
1956–57	Alexander Severance	10–15
1957–58	Alexander Severance	12–11
1958–59	Alexander Severance	18–7			NIT First Round
1959–60	Alexander Severance	20–6			NIT Quarterfinals
1960–61	Alexander Severance	11–13
Alexander Severance:		413–201 (.673)
1961–62	Jack Kraft	21–7			NCAA Elite 8
1962–63	Jack Kraft	19–10			NIT 4th Place
1963–64	Jack Kraft	24–4			NCAA Sweet 16
1964–65	Jack Kraft	23–5			NIT Runner Up
1965–66	Jack Kraft	18–11			NIT 3rd Place
1966–67	Jack Kraft	17–9			NIT 1st Round
1967–68	Jack Kraft	19–9			NIT Quarterfinals
1968–69	Jack Kraft	21–5
1969–70	Jack Kraft	22–7			NCAA Elite 8
1970–71	Jack Kraft	27–7			NCAA Runner Up
1971–72	Jack Kraft	20–8			NCAA 2nd Round
1972–73	Jack Kraft	11–14
Jack Kraft:		242–96
1973–74	Rollie Massimino	7–19
1974–75	Rollie Massimino	9–18
1975–76	Rollie Massimino	16–11			ECAC South Semifinals
Eastern Collegiate Basketball League/Eastern 8 (1976–1980)
1976–77	Rollie Massimino	23–10	6–1	2nd (East)	NIT Third Place
1977–78	Rollie Massimino	23–9	7–3	T–1st	NCAA Elite Eight
1978–79	Rollie Massimino	15–13	9–1	1st
1979–80	Rollie Massimino	23–8	7–3	T–1st	NCAA Second Round
Big East Conference (1980–2013)
1980–81	Rollie Massimino	20–11	8–6	T–3rd	NCAA Second Round
1981–82	Rollie Massimino	24–8	11–3	1st	NCAA Elite Eight
1982–83	Rollie Massimino	24–8	12–4	T–1st	NCAA Elite Eight
1983–84	Rollie Massimino	19–12	12–4	T–2nd	NCAA Second Round
1984–85	Rollie Massimino	25–10	9–7	T–3rd	NCAA Champion
1985–86	Rollie Massimino	23–14	10–6	4th	NCAA Second Round
1986–87	Rollie Massimino	15–16	6–10	6th	NIT First Round
1987–88	Rollie Massimino	24–13	9–7	T–3rd	NCAA Eilte Eight
1988–89	Rollie Massimino	18–16	7–9	T–5th	NIT Third Round
1989–90	Rollie Massimino	18–15	8–8	T–5th	NCAA First Round
1990–91	Rollie Massimino	17–15	7–9	T–7th	NCAA Second Round
1991–92	Rollie Massimino	14–15	11–7	4th	NIT First Round
Rollie Massimino:		357–241	139–88
1992–93	Steve Lappas	8–19	3–15	10th
1993–94	Steve Lappas	20–12	10–8	T–4th	NIT Champions
1994–95	Steve Lappas	25–8	14–4	2nd	NCAA First Round
1995–96	Steve Lappas	26–7	14–4	2nd	NCAA Second Round
1996–97	Steve Lappas	24–10	12–6	T–1st	NCAA Second Round
1997–98	Steve Lappas	12–17	8–10	4th
1998–99	Steve Lappas	21–11	10–8	T–4th	NCAA First Round
1999–00	Steve Lappas	20–13	8–8	T–6th	NIT Second Round
2000–01	Steve Lappas	18–13	8–8	T–3rd	NIT First Round
Steve Lappas:		174–110	87–71
2001–02	Jay Wright	19–13	7–9	5th	NIT Quarterfinals
2002–03	Jay Wright	15–16	8–8	T–3rd	NIT First Round
2003–04	Jay Wright	18–17	6–10	11th	NIT Quarterfinals
2004–05	Jay Wright	24–8	11–5	T–3rd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2005–06	Jay Wright	28–5	14–2	T–1st	NCAA Elite Eight
2006–07	Jay Wright	22–11	9–7	7th	NCAA First Round
2007–08	Jay Wright	22–13	9–9	T–8th	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2008–09	Jay Wright	30–8	13–5	4th	NCAA Final Four
2009–10	Jay Wright	25–8	13–5	T–2nd	NCAA Second Round
2010–11	Jay Wright	21–12	9–9	T–9th	NCAA Second Round
2011–12	Jay Wright	13–19	5–13	T–13th
2012–13	Jay Wright	20–14	10–8	T–7th	NCAA Second Round
Big East Conference (2013–present)
2013–14	Jay Wright	29–5	16–2	1st	NCAA Third Round
2014–15	Jay Wright	33–3	16–2	1st	NCAA Third Round
2015–16	Jay Wright	35–5	16–2	1st	NCAA Champion
Jay Wright:		354–157 (.693)	162–96 (.628)
Total:
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Basketball Hall of Fame

Paul Arizin '50, inducted 1978.

Retired numbers and jerseys

Villanova honors outstanding former players, coaches, and others by retiring their numbers or jerseys. For those honored, a replica jersey is hung in the rafters of the Pavilion. Uniform numbers of retired jerseys remain in circulation, while retired numbers are no longer used. Paul Arizin's #11 is the only retired number. As of 2011, 19 have been honored with a retired number or jersey, including 14 players, four coaches, and longtime trainer Jake Nevin.^[17]

The honorees include:

Villanova career records

Games Played	Ryan Arcidiacono – 144 games
Rebounds	Howard Porter – 1,325 rebounds
Assists	Kenny Wilson – 627 assists
Steals	Kerry Kittles – 277 steals
Blocks	Jason Lawson – 375 blocks
Points Scored	Kerry Kittles – 2,243 points

Villanovans in the NBA/ABA

Villanova's All-Time NBA/ABA roster

Members of professional championship teams

• 1948 Baltimore Bullets (BBA) – Herman "Red" Klotz
• 1956 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA) – Paul Arizin, Larry Hennessy
• 1967 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) – Wali Jones, Bill Melchionni
• 1974/1976 New Jersey Nets (ABA) – Bill Melchionni
• 1981 Boston Celtics (NBA) – Chris Ford
• 2000 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) – John Celestand

Villanova players currently in the NBA

• Dante Cunningham – 2009–10 to present
• Randy Foye – 2006–07 to present
• Kyle Lowry – 2006–07 to present
• Darrun Hilliard – 2015–16 to present
• Daniel Ochefu – 2016–17 to present

Villanova records in the NBA

Games Played	Rory Sparrow – 836 games
Minutes Played	Paul Arizin – 24,897 minutes
Rebounds	Jim Washington – 6,637 rebounds
Assists	Rory Sparrow – 4,192 assists
Steals	Chris Ford – 1,152 steals
Blocks	Ed Pinckney – 435 blocks
Points Scored	Paul Arizin – 16,266 points

Villanovans drafted

• 1958– Round 8, Pick 5: Tom Brennan (Philadelphia Warriors)
• 1959– Round 7, Pick 3: Joe Ryan (Philadelphia Warriors)
• 1960– Round 8, Pick 7: George Raveling (Philadelphia Warriors)
• 1962– Round 2, Pick 7: Hubie White (Philadelphia Warriors)
• 1963– Round 1, Pick 6: Tom Hoover (Syracuse Nationals)
• 1964– Round 3, Pick 2: Wali Jones (Detroit Pistons)
• 1965– Round 1, Pick 5: Jim Washington (St. Louis Hawks)
• 1965– Round 5, Pick 5: Richie Moore^[18] (Philadelphia 76ers)
• 1966– Round 2, Pick 9: Bill Melchionni (Philadelphia 76ers)
• 1967– Round 12, Pick 6: Frank Gadjunas (Cincinnati Royals)
• 1968– Round 16, Pick 8: Joe Crews (Philadelphia 76ers)
• 1969– Round 6, Pick 13: Johnny Jones (Philadelphia 76ers)
• 1970– Round 8, Pick 12: Fran O'Hanlon (Philadelphia 76ers)
• 1971– Round 2, Pick 15: Howard Porter (Chicago Bulls)
• 1971– Round 9, Pick 7: Clarence Smith (San Francisco Warriors)
• 1972– Round 2, Pick 4: Chris Ford (Detroit Pistons)
• 1972– Round 4, Pick 3: Hank Siemiontkowski (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• 1973– Round 2, Pick 9: Tom Ingelsby (Atlanta Hawks)
• 1973– Round 11, Pick 9: Ed Hastings (Boston Celtics)
• 1977– Round 8, Pick 20: John Olive (Philadelphia 76ers)
• 1978– Round 2, Pick 2: Keith Herron (Portland Trail Blazers)
• 1980– Round 4, Pick 6: Rory Sparrow (New Jersey Nets)
• 1981– Round 4, Pick 17: Alex Bradley (New York Knicks)
• 1981– Round 7, Pick 7: Tom Sienkiewicz (Seattle SuperSonics)
• 1982– Round 5, Pick 6: Aaron Howard (New York Knicks)
• 1983– Round 1, Pick 24: Stewart Granger (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• 1983– Round 3, Pick 11: John Pinone (Atlanta Hawks)
• 1983– Round 8, Pick 19: Mike Mulquin (Phoenix Suns)
• 1984– Round 8, Pick 21: Frank Dobbs (Philadelphia 76ers)
• 1985– Round 1, Pick 10: Ed Pinckney (Phoenix Suns)
• 1985– Round 2, Pick 3: Dwayne McClain (Indiana Pacers)
• 1985– Round 7, Pick 15: Gary McLain (New Jersey Nets)
• 1986– Round 1, Pick 17: Harold Pressley (Sacramento Kings)
• 1986– Round 6, Pick 14: Chuck Everson (Utah Jazz)
• 1987– Round 6, Pick 7: Harold Jensen (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• 1989– Round 2, Pick 11: Doug West (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• 1996– Round 1, Pick 8: Kerry Kittles (New Jersey Nets)
• 1997– Round 1, Pick 7: Tim Thomas (New Jersey Nets)
• 1997– Round 2, Pick 13: Jason Lawson (Denver Nuggets)
• 1997– Round 2, Pick 19: Alvin Williams (Portland Trail Blazers)
• 1999– Round 2, Pick 1: John Celestand (Los Angeles Lakers)
• 2001– Round 1, Pick 17: Michael Bradley (Toronto Raptors)
• 2006– Round 1, Pick 7: Randy Foye (Boston Celtics)
• 2006– Round 1, Pick 24: Kyle Lowry (Memphis Grizzlies)
• 2009– Round 2, Pick 3: Dante Cunningham (Portland Trail Blazers)
• 2015– Round 2, Pick 8: Darrun Hilliard (Detroit Pistons) ^[19]

Rivals

Big East

Some Villanovans count Georgetown as their most intense rivalry, having played a historic NCAA Championship game and many competitive Big East Tournament and regular season games against the Hoyas. Other rivals from the Big East Conference include founding members of the original Big East—Providence (an eastern rivalry which predates the original Big East) and St. John's, plus Syracuse who left the Big East as part of its 2013 split ACC.

Big Five

Villanova along with Saint Joseph's University, La Salle University, Temple University, and University of Pennsylvania banded together to create the Philadelphia Big-5 in 1954–55. From that date until the mid-1970s all Big 5 games were contested at the Palestra (cap. 9,208) on Penn's campus. The Five competed in a round-robin City Series. Additionally, all participated in numerous doubleheaders against non-Big 5 opponents. Most games were televised locally on WPHL-TV, broadcast by Harry Kalas.

Villanova's bitterest Big 5 rival is Saint Joseph's University, in what has become known as the Holy War. See main article.

Traditions

Villanova basketball athletes traditionally remain enrolled four years, graduate, and go on to enjoy post-college success. Villanova has never had to fire a head basketball coach (men's or women's) for any reason. Villanova has won more NCAA tournament games as a lower seed than any school. Villanova won what has been called the greatest college basketball game ever played, defeating Georgetown 66–64 on April 1, 1985 to win the NCAA National Championship.

Songs

V for Villanova is the Wildcats' fight song. Other Villanova songs include March of the Wildcats.

Streamers

Villanova had a tradition of throwing paper streamers in the school colors of blue and white onto the basketball court at home games, particularly Big Five games, after the first Wildcat basket. This tradition was shared by other Big Five basketball teams, and at Big Five games, streamers were thrown by both teams following their team's first field goal. The tradition was stopped in the late 1980s after the NCAA declared that throwing streamers would result in a technical foul. Since then Villanova has restarted the tradition, throwing the streamers on the first basket of the new season during the blue and white scrimmage game during Hoopsmania.

Hoops Mania

Hoops Mania has been an annual tradition to celebrate the start of basketball season. It was originally held in the Jake Nevin Fieldhouse for students and has since grown larger after the success of the 2005–06 season. It is now open to the public and students.

The 2006–07 Hoops Mania had special guest appearances by G-Unit performers 50 Cent and Tony Yayo. The 2008 Hoops Mania featured a performance by T-Pain, and in 2011 there was a guest appearance by Drake. Other performers have included Trey Songz in 2009, Fabolous in 2010, Rick Ross in 2012, Nicki Minaj in 2013, Schoolboy Q in 2014, Big Sean in 2015 and Wiz Khalifa in 2016.

References

External links

• Official website