It's Villanova Time
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS) — The Super Bowl is over and with it football. So Philadelphia sports fans are left to grope for something, anything to hang on to, and each year usually around this time Villanova coach Jay Wright and his program usually provide it.
Wright seems to like quietly stalking the Philly sports food chain, gradually gaining momentum as March approaches.
This year, it's a little different. The Wildcats are 21-3 overall and 11-1 in the Big East, having avenged their lone conference loss.
On Monday, they became the sixth team this enigmatic college basketball season to hold the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25, which is one off the record. But it is a record for Villanova, which became No. 1 for the first time in the history of the school during the regular season.
Now the hope is that the 'Cats don't fall by the wayside as North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan State, Kansas and Oklahoma have done previously this year.
Six teams received votes for the top spot in the AP poll this week. It speaks of the parity in college basketball today. "I think it's great for college basketball," Wright said.
It's also great for Philadelphia, which still has a barren sports landscape ahead. The Phillies are young and no one cares right now, as they try to dig out from under a 99-loss season. The Sixers continue to push new levels of ineptitude by losing double-digit leads, and the Flyers are yet to ripen, with its young talent brewing at the lower levels. Talk surrounding the Eagles is really encouraging, as they extend everyone it seems except for Sam Bradford.
So we're left with Villanova to wrap our arms around—as we should.
The Wildcats have a nice mix of youth and experience, especially in the backcourt with freshman Jalen Brunson, teamed with senior Ryan Arcidiacono and junior Josh Hart. The trio averages a combined 38.1 points a game.
Villanova, which has won 13 of its last 14 games, owns six victories over top-50 RPIs teams, though it has lost by double digits to powerhouses Oklahoma and Virginia.
Emerging 6-8 junior Darryl Reynolds could be a vital contributor as March Madness approaches, backing up 6-11 senior Daniel Ochefu, Villanova's only real inside force. With Reynolds adding more inside depth, and the trio of Brunson, Hart and Arcidiacono continuing to shoot well, the Wildcats could have some lasting power.
With the way this college hoops season is going, who knows how far Nova can go?