NCAA Basketball: Top 10 seasons for Jay Wright at Villanova

2. 2015-16

Record: 35-5

Big East Record: 16-2

Big East Tournament Champion: No

NCAA Tournament finish: National Championship (W) vs North Carolina

Highest Ranking: #1

Top scorer: Josh Hart 15.5 ppg

Finally, we are at the point where we can talk rings. After 15 years, Wright could finally say he is a championship-winning coach. ‘Nova can finally hang up a banner, the first time since the 1984-85 season. Life is good in Philadelphia.

If you got this far reading, you’d get a slight idea of how many resources Wright had to work with plus all the unfortunate endings to really good outputs by his previous ‘Nova teams. How did we get up to this point; a championship being won?

In the preseason this team was ranked 11th in the AP Poll and was tied for the 11th best odds to see the confetti fall in Houston (where the Final 4/National Championship was). There was a point in time where they picked up two top-25 butt-whooping’s in the span of two weeks. Mind you these weren’t even close games.

Fun fact though, this ‘Nova team only lost once at home the entire year. Pure dominance on both ends of the ball. Smart shots, great depth, solid guard play, and buying in, were all themes of this team. Finishing in the top-15 for both offensive and defensive ratings encapsulated the culture Wright had built upon to this point.

The X-factor had to be freshman [and future NBA playoff star] Jalen Brunson stepping in playing quality minutes from the jump. Inserted in the starting lineup he never looked back. He and Ryan Arcidiacono were a match made in heaven. Rarely would you see them make mistakes.

On top of those players, you had utility tool Josh Hart, coming back from his big year the previous year, showcasing his outstanding fundamentals instilled by Wright. You had smooth shooting Kris Jenkins floating on the wing too. Daniel Ochefu provided some interior stability. Off the bench, there was young [future NBA player] Mikal Bridges who was a perimeter nuisance on the defensive end. Phil Booth was a quality backup guard who made great plays.

After getting demolished by the Oklahoma Sooners in the non-conference regular season play; ‘Nova returned the favor in the Final 4 crushing the Sooners by 44. Beating a team in that fashion that had been top-10 in the polls all year and a #2 seed in the tournament proves that Wright had finally found his group.

All the years of not getting over the hump look to be in the rearview. ‘Nova was on the doorstep to national and historical acclaim. Facing the North Carolina Tar Heels once again in the tournament, a team that has had their number over the course of recent tournament history. ‘Nova came out swinging this game fresh off of their Final 4 momentum.

This Tar Heels team was no slouch in spite of that, rightfully deserving of being there. ‘Nova fans knew they couldn’t call the game early. The narrative entering the game were the Tar Heels were such a dominant program plus possessed a really good team. It wouldn’t be crazy to having placed bets on the Tar Heels, a team that had the second best championship odds entering the 2015-16 season.

What ended up happening will forever go down in March Madness history. Arcidiacono dribbled from his free throw line maneuvering through defenders just to pitch it back to Jenkins to hit a 3-point shot that effectively won at the buzzer.

Wright remain composed after the shot. He had finally done it. ‘Nova was once again champs. Coming at the hands of a blue blood, ‘Nova can say they had one of the best teams of all-time. Wright had finally put himself in a rarefied atmosphere many college coaches can say they haven’t even sniffed. Accomplishing a feat that can’t be done in an overnight process. Great things, people, and achievements take time.

All the blood, sweat, tears of ‘Nova teams he had put in that played his style of basketball finally paid off, Wright was coaching a program that did not have the allure of a North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky. He did this by coaching his style and pulling in players that fit the mantra of the ‘Nova culture. Essentially building this program from the ground up, Wright could act in glory.

Little did he know this wasn’t going to be the best team he had fielded. Not even close.