Don't expect parity this year in college basketball, but Villanova could be great again

TGIF 'Nova Nation! ESPN (Insider) has a pretty good article below about the expectations for parity - or a lack thereof - for this coming season. Last year was one of the most entertaining in recent memory because so many teams were at or near the same level.

ESPN says not to expect this again, with a few teams likely to separate from the pack. Your Villanova Wildcats are one of them. Good times!

FWIW, I tend to always disagree with this analysis. Short of the 'super teams' that Kentucky and Duke can put out, it just always feels like this is an overblown sentiment.

And now, the "news."

Why parity won't dominate this college basketball season | ESPN ($)
College basketball is beloved because any team can beat any other on a given night, right? Wrong. A combination of great teams and weak mid-majors should make for few upsets this season.

Big East Coaches Give Villanova Its Due But Hunt Is Now Back On | Todays U
Villanova is still the toast of the college basketball world, and the Big East is happy for its success, but it's also time for the hunt to resume

Eric Paschall among highest impact transfers | SI.com
Virginia's Austin Nichols and Syracuse's Andrew White are two of the top projected scoring transfers in college basketball this season, but Eric Paschall could be another guy who comes in and averages double-digits in scoring.

35 Years of the BIG EAST Tournament At Madison Square Garden | YouTube
The #BIGEAST Tournament celebrates 35 Years at The Garden this March. Join the #MarchToMSG as we write a new chapter in #BIGEASThoops history, March 8-11.

Cooley addresses potential National Anthem protests at Big East Media Day | ProJo
"We talk about it. It’s the elephant in the room right now in the landscape of athletics. I personally have my beliefs with the National Anthem, of which I talked to my team about. I’m a big believer that the United States is the best place in the world to live. But at the same time, if our kids are going to protest, we’ve got to educate them on why.

CAA Showdown Saturday As Villanova Visits Richmond | CBS Philly
Villanova (ranked as high as #11 in FCS) is 5-1 after hammering Rhode Island last weekend, 35-0.

#6 Richmond Spiders have the “will to win” as they ready to host #13 Villanova | WRIC
[anvplayer video="WRIC:1119506"] RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Three weeks in a row, the sixth ranked Spiders have survived a late surge from its opponent: Colgate, Towson and last week's triple overtime thriller at Albany. They've taken their hits too, losing senior defensive back David Jones and true freshman running back Xavier Goodall to season ending injuries

7 Leadership Lessons You Can Learn From the Game of Basketball | Fox News
Winning on the court, like winning in business, requires the sum of your team proving more powerful than any individual player.