2019 Villanova Basketball is extending the “Golden Era”

Happy Tuesday Nova Nation! Over the past five seasons, Villanova has earned no less than a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It’s been unquestionably the most successful period in the history of the Villanova Basketball program, and it’s been AMAZING to witness it unfold in front of us.

This year’s team has an outside chance of continuing that streak, but right now it’s unlikely. But even if this Villanova team drops a few games down the stretch, I’m still going to hold them up with the rest of the “Golden Era” Wildcat teams. Not because Phil Booth and Eric Paschall are holdovers or because they could still end up as a Top 4 seed, but because of how far this team has already come this season.

For me, the “Golden Era” actually starts one year before Villanova became a mainstay atop the college basketball world. That was the 2013 season which didn’t start out great for the Wildcats. That team had some bad losses, including dropping two Big 5 games and losing to Columbia at home. Anyone who watched the Furman game knows the feeling.

But then that team started to grow. They learned Jay’s system, they improved team chemistry, and they started producing results. The same team that started so poorly would go on to defeat three Top 5 teams and earn a 9 Seed in the NCAA Tournament. They ended up getting bounced in the first round by UNC, but that team started the amazing run that Villanova is still on today.

Speaking of today, this Wildcat team has also developed both on the court and in the locker room. While they may not have been the Top 10 team they were advertised to be at the beginning of the season, they certainly are starting to look like one now. And that’s what the “Golden Era” has been all about: achieving your highest potential.

If I told you six weeks ago that the Wildcats were about to open Big East play with a winning streak unmatched in the last six seasons, you probably wouldn’t have believed it. But here we are, with the Wildcats sitting at 9-0 to start conference play and a chance to extend their streak and their lead for the Big East title all this week. There may have been a bump in the road here or there, but Villanova Basketball’s greatest run is still very much alive and well.

In other “news”, Monday brings a slew of new rankings, Kyle Lowry will be in Thursday’s All-Star Draft, and catching up on college basketball. Enjoy!

Villanova Basketball

Villanova on track to do something title-winning predecessors couldn't | The Morning Call
Villanova beat Georgetown on Sunday to improve to 9-0 in the Big East. Can the Wildcats set a school mark for best conference record?

The biggest winners and losers in college basketball this week | Business Insider
The top four teams in the country remain the same as last week, but the rest of the AP Top 25 Poll looks pretty different than it did last week.

Rankings

Marquette remains in Top 10, Villanova sits at 13th/14th in new AP Top 25, Coaches Poll | Big East Coast Bias
The word of the day is ‘stagnant.’

Villanova stays at No. 14 in top-25 poll; top 4 unchanged | The Morning Call
Defending national champions Villanova remained at No. 14 in the latest AP men's basketball poll.

College basketball rankings: Tennessee leads unchanged top 5, Michigan tumbles in Andy Katz's Power 36 | NCAA.com
Tennessee, Duke, Gonzaga and Virginia lead the latest college basketball power rankings from NCAA.com's Andy Katz.

College basketball rankings: Kentucky, UNC, Villanova rise in top 25 | SI.com
Both of the Big Ten's Michigan schools went down over the weekend, bringing change to our top 10 and and the rest of the top 25 in our power rankings.

NBA Wildcats

Phoenix Suns: Bridges, Okobo showing improvement in rookie season | AZ Central
Deandre Ayton is the Phoenix Suns prized rookie 7-footer and No. 1 overall pick, but Mikal Bridges and Elie Okobo are making strides in first NBA season.

Why Kyle Lowry's 5th all-star game is so significant for Raptors | Sports Net
We need to talk about Kyle Lowry and why it’s so significant that he’s going to the NBA All-Star Game for the fifth time – even if you can make an argument he doesn’t deserve to be there.

College Basketball

What's real, what's fake and what you've missed in college hoops | ESPN
It's the true start of college basketball season for a great many fans. Here's what they've (you've?) missed.

Duke, Virginia, Tennessee, Gonzaga look poised to land top seeds | Yahoo! Sports
The NCAA tournament selection committee will give its early look-in at the top 16 overall teams on Saturday. Here's how the top seeds could look.

Protecting head coaches is the NCAA hypocrisy that’s not going away | New York Post
Nothing has happened to Sean Miller of Arizona or Andy Enfield of USC. Bruce Pearl of Auburn is sitting pretty. So is Bill Self of Kansas. Those coaches are back recruiting at an elite level like nothing happened. Meanwhile, players such as Silvio De Sousa have had their college careers ruined or postponed.

Arizona's Sean Miller facing NCAA probe, complicated future | Yahoo! Sports
Arizona's basketball program is facing scrutiny from federal and NCAA investigations that could test the status of the Wildcats' head coach.