Villanova Basketball is used to Friday Night in the Garden

Happy Game Day (again) Nova Nation! For the 5th straight season your Villanova Wildcats will be playing under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden on a Friday night in March. Since the Wildcats joined the Big East in 1981, they’ve appeared in 21 of 39 Semi-Final rounds. That includes their first six seasons, as well as their last five.

Of their previous twenty appearances, the Wildcats have advanced to the Championship nine times, winning the title on four occasions. That includes playing in the finals in each of the past four seasons, and winning three of them.

Jay Wright took a few tries before he figured out how to win on Friday night in MSG. His teams advanced to the semi-finals in 2004, ‘05, ‘06, and ‘09, each time failing to reach the final. He finally broke through in 2015, and has been to every final since.

Villanova will look to extend that streak tonight when they take on Xavier. The two have only met once before in the Big East Tournament, the 2015 Championship game which the Wildcats won 69-52. These are two very different teams, but hopefully the game will have the same result and Villanova will move on to face either Marquette or Seton Hall in the finals.

For today’s poll, we take a look at Villanova’s bench. In yesterday’s win Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, Cole Swider, and Joe Cremo combined to add 13 points and 13 rebounds in a winning effort. Today’s question is, can they improve on that production?

In other “news”, betters were mad at Gillespie, Villanova continues to improve... slowly, and be sure to fill out your vegetable bracket. Enjoy!

Villanova vs Providence

Villanova 73 PC 62: Wildcats end Friars' Big East run | providencejournal.com
As Ed Cooley embraced his wife, Nurys, and greeted a few friends deep inside Madison Square Garden, the weariness and the exasperation of a long basketball season washed over his face.

Villanova takes first step toward third straight Big East Tournament title | Newsday
The defending national champions, minus four stars from last year's team, held off Providence in the quarterfinals.

Villanova handles Providence to advance to Big East semis | The Morning Call
Eric Paschall had 20 points and 10 rebounds Thursday, and No. 25 Villanova took control in final nine minutes to beat Providence 73-62 in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament.

Villanova opens Big East Tournament play with 73-62 win over Providence | The Inquirer
The Wildcats shot just 36 percent from the field but made up for it with strong defense and rebounding. Eric Paschall had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Collin Gillespie sank five three-pointers while scoring 19.

Villanova vs Xavier

Villanova vs. Xavier - 3/15/19 Big East College Basketball Pick, Odds, and Prediction | Sports Chat Place
Big East postseason college basketball action pits the Xavier Musketeers against the Villanova Wildcats in the semifinals.

Villanova Basketball

Villanova is playing the long game | The Athletic
Jay Wright looks a little more salt than pepper these days, his hair getting a bit grayer with each passing year in a distinct Clooney-ish way.

Villanova is coming of age, but is racing against time to do it | The Inquirer
The Wildcats aren't expecting any easy games this postseason. Their opponents better not, either.

College admissions scandal highlights inequality; Conference tournament season begins for Villanova, Temple | Morning Newsletter
All the local news you need to know to start your day, delivered straight to your email.

Dave Portnoy Rips College Basketball Player on Twitter for Ruining His Bet | Fan Duel
Barstool founder Dave Portnoy tweets at Villanova guard Collin Gillespie after he swung the over/under with a meaningless layup in the final seconds vs Providence.

Phil Booth leaves mark at Villanova with leadership, competitiveness | The Inquirer
He has contributed to two national championships during his five years in the program, but his leadership, along with that of Eric Paschall, on a young Wildcats team has impressed coach Jay Wright.

College basketball: Ranking top 50 players in 2019 | SI.com
College basketball is full of standout players, from star freshmen to grizzled seniors. We narrowed it down to the 50 best.

Villanova uses different style to reach Big East semifinal round | New York Post
The Big East Tournament was once a be-all and end-all for Villanova basketball.

Big East Tournament

Big East Tournament 2019: Quarterfinals Scores, Semifinals Bracket and Schedule | Bleacher Report
The Big East men's basketball tournament quarterfinals present a chance for the top teams in the conference to finally get their postseason started...

Howard Herman | Designated Hitter: Big East tournament mystique holds true at Madison Square Garden | The Berkshire Eagle
When there are nearly 20,000 basketball fans crowded into Madison Square Garden at 1:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, it really means only one thing. The Big East Tournament is in town.

Big East tournament betting dilemma: The league changed dramatically | New York Post
Recent volatility has thrown a monkey wrench into the Big East Tournament handicapping process for sports bettors hoping to build accurate prediction...

Big 5

St. Joe’s gets past Duquesne to advance in Atlantic 10 Tournament | The Inquirer
The Hawks held it together at both ends, and will face Davidson next.

Temple safely in the NCAA Tournament, two CBS basketball voices predict | The Inquirer
“They have a real chance of surprising people ... They're a dangerous team."

College Basketball

Middle School Using March Madness To Get Kids To Try Healthy Foods | CBS Philly
A middle school is using the NCAA Tournament as a way to get students to try healthy food.

Best buzzer-beaters in March Madness history: Laettner, Jenkins or Charles at No. 1? | Sporting News
March Madness is defined by buzzer-beaters.

Bubbles and Brackets

College basketball bracketology 2019: With four days until Selection Sunday, a shake-up is coming | SBNation.com
The Thursday of Championship Week offers up the ACC, Big 12, Big East and Pac-12 quarterfinals, along with second round play in the Big Ten and SEC. And for several teams, today’s results might determine whether they hear their names called during the Selection Show on Sunday.

March Madness: Latest NCAA tournament bracket projections | SI.com
Thursday is one of the busiest days of Championship Week, with top teams making their case for No. 1 seeds and bubble teams sweating out Selection Sunday.

College Basketball Bracketology 2019: What will the Committee value the most? | SBNation.com
The answer to that question will likely determine who earns the last spot or two in the field. Thursday afternoon’s early game window definitely didn’t provide enough clarity.

College basketball bracketology 2019: Alabama picks up key win; St. John’s falls flat | SBNation.com
The Crimson Tide are inching closer to the field, while the Red Storm might be in trouble. Both, and every other bubble team for that, might want to keep a wary eye on West Virginia, however.

College basketball bracketology 2019: TCU, Creighton taste bubble defeat | SBNation.com
While the Horned Frogs stick around with the loss, the Bluejays had better start making their NIT plans. Elsewhere, the Mountain West and Pac-12’s top seeds survived quarterfinal tests, and you might want to keep an eye on Nebraska in the Big 12.