Scottie Reynolds. Nothing else matters now. Villanova’s 6-foot-2 junior point guard from Herndon, Va., doesn’t need to make another shot or even play another game as a Wildcat. What he did in the final five seconds last night against Pitt — catching a pass from Dante Cunningham, dribbling the length of the floor, weaving through three Pitt defenders before dropping in a runner in the lane — will live forever. He is now on par with Paul Arizin and Howard Porter and Ed Pinckney in Villanova lore. And the ‘Cats are going to the Final Four (did we really just type that?) for the first time in 24 years because of what Reynolds did — but also because of so much more. There is much to say about Villanova 78, Pitt 76, and we’ll do our best to say it after the jump.
(more…)

Take a deep breath, ‘Nova fans. Coach Jay Wright has no interest in taking the suicide plunge head job at Kentucky, which was vacated this afternoon when Billy Gillispie was fired (with a $6 million buyout!) after just two seasons. Appearing this afternoon on Mike Missanelli’s radio program on ESPN-AM 950, Wright said he had his dream job at ‘Nova and even revealed that he wouldn’t take the Kentucky job even if they offered him three times as much money as he’s making on the Main Line … because Kentucky had already made him that offer two years ago, when it eventually settled on Gillispie after Wright turned them down. The key factor for Wright, a Bucks County native who grew up loving the Wildcats, is the presence of athletic director Vince Nicastro and university president the Rev. Peter Donohue. So there. Now back to the task at hand with Pitt on the agenda for tomorrow night and that little matter of a FINAL FOUR BERTH hanging in the balance.

Photo credit: [Getty Images]

As a general service to you, Gentle Reader, we’re pleased to provide links to what’s been written today about the Pitt Panthers (31-4), who will play Your Villanova Wildcats (29-7) tomorrow night at 7:05 at Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden, with the winner — all together now — going to the Final Four. Herewith:

* Ray Fittipaldo’s game story in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
* Columnist Ron Cook on Pitt finally getting over the Sweet 16 hump — and what it may portend [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
* The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Pitt page, which includes audio and video links [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
* Andy Katz on the fact that Pitt wins ugly — and likes it that way [ESPN.com]
* Steve Serby takes a look at Pitt-’Nova [New York Post]
* Dick Jerardi says Xavier lost it more than Pitt won it [Daily News]

Photo credit: [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

The entire Philadelphia region seems to be ‘Novafied right now, and for more on the Wildcats’ 77-54 demolition of Duke last night in the East Regional semifinals, we give you some links to how news outlets throughout the region covered:

* Brendan F. Quinn’s gamer for The Bulletin [The Bulletin)
* Terry Toohey's gamer in The Delaware County Times [Delco Times]
* Columnist Jack McCaffrey on how ‘Nova way ‘properly selfish’ in breaking down the Blue Devils [Delco Times]
* Andy Schwartz on how ‘Nova beat up another opponent [Comcast SportsNet]
* Mike Kern’s gamer in the Daily News [Daily News]
* Dick Jerardi on ‘Nova’s defense [Daily News]
* Bob Ford on the Wildcats simply wanting it more [The Inquirer]
* Dan Wetzel’s conclusion: ‘Villanova is better than Duke’ [Yahoo.com]

Photo credit: [philly.com]

Who among us could have imagined, back on Jan. 21, back when they were 2-3 in the Big East, that Your Villanova Wildcats would be in this spot, that they would have thumped UCLA and Duke in back-to-back games in the NCAA tournament to get to the East Regional finals, where they will play Pitt on Saturday? More on ‘Nova’s amazingness after the jump.
(more…)

We touched on this a bit in a story we wrote for The Bucks County Courier Times on Wednesday, and Rich Hofmann expanded on it in a column for today’s Daily News: Jay Wright is clearly the right guy to be coaching on the Main Line. Both our story and Hofmann’s column reference a U.S. Department of Education report on revenue and expenditures by college athletics programs. The link for that report can be found here.

Clearly, ‘Nova’s success is a combination of things. But the university has committed to investing money into the program to keep up with the big boys. And Wright’s “family” approach, right down to his attention to and appreciation for the ‘Cats past, is a big part of the pitch he’s used to draw quality players to Lancaster Ave.

Links: Wright’s family atmosphere pays off for ‘Nova [phillyBurbs.com]
Hofmann: ‘Nova’s investment in hoops, Wright a winning combo [Daily News]
U.S. Dept. of Education report on equity in athletics [U.S. DOE]

This broke earlier this week, but we consider it good news: The Atlantic 10 tournament is going to continue to be played at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, according to the Daily News. We’ve covered our reasons for liking the A-10 before, and you can check them out here. Bottom line: It’s the best neutral location to play a tournament for a conference that stretches from Massachusetts down to North Carolina and out to Missouri.

Links: A-10 to stay in AC [Daily News]
A-10 should stay in AC [BIG FIVE POST]

John Smallwood’s column in today’s Daily News, which the newspaper promoted on its back-page cover (left), deserves a response. It is, in a word, irresponsible. It’s the sort of thing that’s going to provide ‘Nova fans with a ready-made excuse should the Wildcats (28-7) lose to Duke (30-6) in Thursday night’s East Regional semifinals in Boston. And we feel the need to take it apart because Smallwood just made an appearance this afternoon on Glen Macnow’s and Anthony Gargano’s radio show on 610-AM WIP to explain it further. More after the jump.
(more…)

The obvious story line to emerge from Villanova’s 89-69 battering of UCLA yesterday was the physical manner with which the ‘Cats did it, as ESPN.com’s Dana O’Neil, a former ‘Nova beat writer for the Daily News, so terrifically explains. But just about any story you’ll read about that game includes the following incredible quote from Bruins point guard Darren Collison, a remark that will now go down as one of the great pansy lines in the history of the NCAA tournament:

“I was talking to the official because I thought they were fouling too hard.”

Poor Darren. But it’s puzzling, considering UCLA coach Ben Howland is known for emphasizing a physical brand of basketball, one that he first honed from his days at Pitt before heading west to Westwood. But one has to wonder: Is the level of physical play in the Big East that much tougher this year than anywhere else? Clearly, Collison and Co. had no idea what hit them yesterday.

Link: O’Neil on ‘Nova-UCLA [ESPN.com]

That photo above shows various members of the 1971 Villanova Wildcats, who lost to UCLA in the NCAA final, 68-62, being greeted by Rollie Massimino (foreground), the coach of the ‘85 national champion ‘Cats, just after today’s win over UCLA. All were sitting behind the ‘Nova bench at the request of current coach Jay Wright, according to Dan Dougherty, an assistant with the ‘71 bunch.

Dougherty, who still coaches high school ball at Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, told us those present were Mike Daly, Bob Gohl, Tom Inglesby, Chris Ford, Clarence Smith, Joe McDowell and coach Jack Kraft, who happens to be the guy in the snazzy green jacket.

Dougherty said Hank Siemotkowski, an all-tournament selection, lives in Sweden and couldn’t make it. And Howard Porter, the dominant center who had scored 25 points in the title game, was of course tragically murdered two years ago. [Porter had also signed with an agent before the '71 season was over, causing the NCAA to officially nullify 'Nova's participation in that tournament.]

A few minutes later, the entire group — Massimino included — went to the current ‘Cats locker room to congratulate them. Wright was practically gushing about it all afterward.

“This was a last-minute thing,” Dougherty said. “This is a great group of guys who never forgot where they came from.”