Villanova’s Mikal Bridges Is Really Good At Basketball

Happy Friday Nova Nation! There are a few very sad pieces in today’s news, so I figure I’d lead with something a bit happier. If you thought Jalen Brunson was the only one getting his own spotlight at the Davis Center, think again:

No, I’m not talking about Josh Hart. Although boy, he really filled up that trophy case too didn’t he! I’m talking about another Villanova great and also Julius Eriving Award winner, Mikal Bridges. In a season where his teammate won the National Player of the Year award, Bridges was arguably the most talented member of the team. The NBA agreed, as Bridges was a lottery pick to the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded to the Suns.

On a side note, I will never forgive my friend for “joking” with me that this trade would happen 20 minutes before it actually did. I swear he spoke it into existence. It’s almost worse than the Sixers actually trading him.

Anyway, back to Bridges. He’s been showing everyone that his Top 10 selection was more than worth it, and I think this graphic sums it all up pretty nicely:

Nova Nation is so proud of Mikal Bridges and everything he’s accomplished with the Wildcats and beyond. While his new team doesn’t win quite as many games as the one he played on last year, he still plays with ATTITUDE and the heart of a champion. And in case he’s ever in the neighborhood, I’m pretty sure he still has one more year of eligibility left on the Main Line!

In other “news”, the Big East be crazy, Gus Johnson’s moving tribute, and Nova’s Jennifer Carangi is the newest player turned head coach. Enjoy!

Villanova loses to Georgetown

Mac McClung key for Georgetown down home stretch | Washington Times
An opposing coach once said, "The thing I love about Mac is that he knows he belongs." Mac McClung will be key for Georgetown to make a run toward the postseason.

Hoyas Upset Goliath, Dominate No. 17 Villanova | The Hoya
In front of a packed home crowd, the Georgetown men’s basketball team ended its two-game losing streak and pulled off a season-altering upset over No. 17 Villanova on Wednesday.

Let's break down Wednesday night's shakeups, shakedowns and shoes | NCAA.com
A college basketball season is one long series of sudden and unexpected turns and drops. Here was Wednesday night to prove it anew. The thing was, not just in Cameron Indoor Stadium, and with Zion's shoes — but all over the country there were upsets.

Villanova Basketball

Four teams that have come a long way, and five other things on my mind | ESPN+
Kentucky, Villanova, Purdue and LSU have seen their stock skyrocket over the past two months. But can they sustain that success until Selection Sunday?

These are the 4 different types of March Madness Cinderellas | NCAA.com
Cinderellas are part of what makes March Madness so fun. Here are four different types.

Big East Basketball Rankings: Marquette holds strong, middle muddles | Busting Brackets
With less than a month remaining in the regular season, where does each team in Big East basketball stand? Here are our current rankings.

Coach Carangi’s first year as North Penn head coach in the books | The Knight Crier
TOWAMENCIN- The girls’ basketball team finished with a 6-16 record last year and missed the playoffs after being the #1 seed in the 2016-17 basketball season for district playoffs. Coach Maggie deMarteleire, a Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame inductee, decided to retire from coaching following the 2017-18 season, and the team began to look...

Class of 2019 and Recruiting

Ranney playing "the villain" as it advances back to Shore Conference Tournament final | APP
Ranney had little trouble in defeating Freehold Township on Wednesday evening in a Shore Conference Tournament semifinal.

Kentucky Makes Big Scholarship Offer To 5-Star Isaiah Todd | College SPUN
A five-star prospect in the Class of 2020, the top college basketball programs in the country are all hoping Isaiah Todd chooses them.

College Basketball

Dan Patrick Show: Nike stock drops after Zion shoe incident | CollegeBasketballTalk
The Dan Patrick Show weighs in on Nike's stock.

Gus Johnson gives emotional tribute to stat spotter's late son (video) | SI.com
Johnson's spotter, Jeff Chapman, was absent from Wednesday's game at Georgetown.

Syracuse Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim hits, kills person in 'tragic' highway crash | WLUK
Sources close to the investigation say Coach Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, New York's basketball team hit and killed a person who got out of their car after another crash late Wednesday night.

Shot Takers, Vol. 15: Dismissing all Zion-related hot takes, the tragedy at Syracuse and much more – The Athletic
Greetings, one and all, to the weekly and much-beloved adventure we call Shot Takers, back for a...

Bubbles and Brackets

March Madness bracket: Did Duke loss to UNC change its outlook? | SI.com
The Blue Devils' blowout loss to UNC without Zion Williamson didn't cost them their No. 1 overall seed in our NCAA tournament projection yet, but there's a lot more uncertainty now.

Bracketology Bubble Watch: Minnesota faces Michigan hoping for its biggest victory of the season | CBSSports.com
Tracking Thursday's bubble teams in action