Villanova was a favorite to make the Final Four and did just that. How did the Wildcats make it this far?
It can be incredibly hard to win as the prohibited favorite, whether it’s in the conference season or the NCAA Tournament. Many teams have found that out the hard way in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
But the one team who didn’t get nervous about losing was the Villanova Wildcats, who with the exception of a few minutes in the Sweet Sixteen game, have been in complete control.
An argument can be made that the conference realignment in the Big East was the best thing to ever happen to the basketball program. They went from the middle of the pack to the flag bearer of the league, with a national championship from just two years ago.
The offense for the Wildcats is borderline unstoppable, with six players averaging in double figures. They’re the only team in the country who can say that. This team is the highest scoring offense at over 85 ppg, while also being the most efficient offense in the country as well.
Villanova is led by Jalen Brunson, one of the finalists for the Wooden Award. Coming into the tournament, I had him as the most impactful player of the entire field. And he hasn’t disappointed, leading the Wildcats to yet another Final Four.
He led the team from start to finish, in what’s been another impressive season for the Big East team. Here’s how they were able to get back to this point.