Villanova Basketball's winning strategy is unconventional, but it's working

Happy Thursday, 'Nova Nation! Great win last night, but don't get too worked up when you hear most of the media still doubting Villanova for weeks to come. Even if they march in to Xavier and win on the road, the haters are gonna hate. That is, until Villanova proves them wrong in March.

And I think part of the reason for the doubt is that Villanova isn't conventional. No superstars. No crazy athletes throwing down SportsCenter dunks. They just go about their business and win in whatever way is presented to them. It'd be nice to see that show up when it matters most.

And now, the "news."

Villanova Is Winning In Its Own Weird Way, But Can It Last? | VICE Sports
Villanova, at 22-3, is ranked first in the Associated Press and USA Today polls for the first time in school history. The computers favor the Wildcats, too. As of Monday, they were first in the KenPom.com ratings and third in the RPI ratings, behind Kansas and Oklahoma.Still, fairly or not, questions abound because of Villanova's recent NCAA tournament struggles.

Villanova Wildcats aren't acting brotherly with the rest of the Big 5 | ESPN
Villanova has taken on the role of the bullying older brother among the Big 5, as it added another blowout win in the series Wednesday against Temple.

Anatomy of a roster: Villanova Wildcats | ESPN ($)
A look at all the players currently receiving meaningful minutes for No. 1 Villanova, and the recruiting-based "origin story" for each.

Patrick Tiernan Named BIG EAST Mens Track Athlete of the Week | Villanova.com
Senior distance runner Patrick Tiernan (Toowoomba, Australia) was named the BIG EAST Mens Track Athlete of the Week in an announcement by the conference on Tuesday afternoon. Tiernan ran the nations leading time in the 3000 meters at the FastTrack National Invite last week and earns a weekly conference honor for the sixth time in his career.

Villanova honors ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi | The Villanovan
Twelve-time Emmy Award winner and six-time Edward R. Murrow Award recipient Tom Rinaldi was presented with another accolade to add to his distinguished résumé. Twelve-time Emmy Award winner and six-time Edward R.

College Basketball’s Senior Moment | Wall Street Journal [$]
In an era of one-and-done freshmen, college basketball is having a senior moment... and Ryan Arcidiacono is the cover boy.

Nine great college basketball towns | NCAA.com
With March Madness a month away, here are nine towns scattered across the nation where college basketball is the central conversation piece and every fan dreams of a championship.

Who is Daniel Holtzclaw? | SBNation.com
#LongForm Alert... Linebacker. Police officer. Predator.