Villanova Basketball is ready to dance!

Happy Monday Nova Nation! Your Villanova Wildcats are dancing again, thanks in part to clinching the automatic bid from the Big East Tournament Championship. Villanova was given the 6-seed in the South Region, and they’ll start their March Madness run against #11 St. Mary’s.

While their seeding has been widely pointed to as one of the few “mistakes” by the selection committee, it’s not so egregious that fans should be up in arms about it. Also, the seeding allowed Villanova to play in the first round location closest to home, Hartford, CT. Given that their opponents will need to fly across the entire country (as would their fan base), Villanova is already at an advantage.

That opponent is the St. Mary’s Gaels, a team that knocked Villanova out of the 2010 NCAA tournament’s second round. While St. Mary’s comes in as a much lower seed, the projections guru KenPom.com sees this as a pretty even split. With Villanova (26) and St. Mary’s (31) ranked just five spots from eachother, they’re projecting a 52% chance to win and a one point Wildcat victory (66-65).

If Villanova does get by the Gaels, they’ll likely have another somewhat familiar foe on their hands in the #3 Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue fans travel well, which could make for an exciting second round game and rematch of the 2016-17 season’s Gavitt Tipoff Games. Then again, that assumes they can get by the team that handed Nova a stunning first round upset as a #3 seed, the #14 Old Dominion Monarchs.

We’ll have much more to come this week as we ramp up for Thursday’s 7:20 PM EST tip-off, but for now let’s just gauge how we all feel about Villanova’s expectations this season:

In other “news”, Big East refs were at their worst in the BET, Villanova wins a record third consecutive BET, and Cole Swider is really excited about the 6 Seed. Enjoy!

Villanova defeats Seton Hall

Seton Hall basketball: Rally falls just short to Villanova in Big East Tournament final | APP
5 takeaways from another classic championship game between these two old rivals.

Villanova-Seton Hall: An old-school rivalry for new Big East | New York Post
Villanova and Seton Hall bring old-school Big East grit to their rivalry in a remade conference.

Villanova nips gritty Seton Hall to win 3rd straight Big East tourney | New York Post
It looked good coming out of his hands. Almost every shot has over the past three days here at the Garden. It had the distance. It lined up well. But it was just long, caroming off the back rim, falling to the floor. Myles Powell wouldn’t have his Isaiah Whitehead moment. Seton Hall wouldn’t replicate the 2016 team. It was heartbreak for the young NCAA Tournament-bound Pirates. The game-winning 3-pointer didn’t fall, and the Villanova Wildcats set a Big East record with its third straight conference tournament title, outlasting the Pirates, 74-72, at a sold-out Garden, and winning its ninth straight game in the tournament.

Big East referees dropped the ball in Friday night's Seton Hall-Marquette game | New York Post
A sellout crowd came to Madison Square Garden to watch the semifinals of the Big East’s showcase event. Instead, it watched the worst the league has to offer.

Villanova defeats Seton Hall, wins record third straight Big East crown | The Inquirer
The Wildcats held a nine-point lead with 3 minutes remaining but had to fight to gain the victory.

Villanova Makes Big East History With Win Over Seton Hall In Championship | CBS Philly
Villanova is the first team ever to win three straight Big East tournaments.

Villanova wins Big East Tournament Championship

Villanova’s latest Big East title belongs to Paschall, Booth | The Athletic
Villanova seniors served as the example and leaders for a young Wildcats team coming off a national championship.

Villanova ekes out another Big East crown | Newsday
Seniors Phil Booth and Eric Paschall guide the Wildcats to their third conference tournament title in three years.

Big East Tournament: Phil Booth, Eric Paschall lead Villanova to title | SI.com
Phil Booth and Eric Paschall have been instrumental to Villanova's success this season, helping the Wildcats muscle through tough times while also playing "big brother" roles toward their younger teammates.

At Reigning NCAA Tournament Champion Villanova, Players Wait, Stay Patient And Win | Forbes
Villanova, the reigning NCAA men's basketball tournament champion, won its third consecutive Big East tournament title on Saturday night. The Wildcats have been the most consistent program in recent years and have been able to keep most players from transferring.

A wild and Wildcat ending to Villanova’s Big East championship | The Inquirer
A typical rough-and-tumble Big East final works out third straight time for Villanova.

Villanova Basketball

Defending champ Villanova and Ja Morant vs. Markus Howard the feature attractions as NCAA Tournament returns to Hartford | Hartford Courant
Defending national champion Villanova, a familiar team to Connecticut college basketball fans, and Murray State star Ja Morant will be among the featured attractions when the NCAA Tournament returns to Hartford this week.

2019 NCAA tournament bracket projection for Villanova Wildcats | ESPN+
ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi's team of bracketologists examines the 2019 NCAA tournament outlook for the Villanova Wildcats.

Jay Wright deserves his place in Hall | Newsday
Though not a finalist this year, he should be elected in the near future.

If we play Villanova basketball we’ll be fine – Jay Wright, ESPN Bracketology | YouTube
Jay Wright is excited about Villanova’s chances in the tournament because of the senior leadership of Phil Booth and Eric Paschall. He also likes how his young players have gained knowledge throughout the season and thinks they are ready for the pressure of the NCAA tournament.

How Jay Wright’s teams have fared in the NCAA Tournament | The Inquirer
A 6 seed hasn't made the Final Four since 1992.

March Madness: Villanova player realized he was too excited about 6 seed | For The Win
Cole Swider was the only Villanova player to stand.

Villanova vs St. Mary’s

Villanova vs. St. Mary's: Odds, Predictions, Bracketology, Game Time, TV Channel | HERO Sports
Villanova vs. St. Mary's: Odds, Predictions, Bracketology, Game Time, TV Channel

St. Mary’s to face Villanova in first round of NCAA Tournament | SFChronicle.com
St. Mary’s will face Big East champion Villanova on Thursday in Hartford, Conn., in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gaels are a No. 11 seed, the Wildcats (25-9) are a No. 6 seed. Villanova has won two of the past three NCAA titles.

March Madness: Saint Mary's Gaels draw Villanova Wildcats | The Mercury News
The Saint Mary's Gaels will face the defending champion Villanova Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Hartford, Connecticut.

Giant Killers' 10 most likely first-round upsets in the 2019 NCAA tournament | ESPN+
Looking for a first-round upset? The Giant Killers model has several possibilities, including Ja Morant and Murray State pulling off a surprise.

2019 NCAA Tournament: 6 seed Villanova to face upset-prone St. Mary’s in first-round game | The Inquirer
This will be the first time the two teams have met since 2010, when the 10th-seeded Gaels upset No. 2 seed Villanova in a second-round game.

NCAA Tournament

Facts about all 68 March Madness basketball tournament teams | Miami Herald
Here are interesting details and analysis for each team in the 2019 NCAA college championship tournament. Villanova might be America's favorite dynasty.

Toughest 2019 questions for the NCAA tournament selection committee | ESPN
We finally made it. After 4½ months of basketball, the field of potential net-cutters will be whittled to 68 teams Sunday night and the brackets can officially be released.

NCAA tournament 2019: What to know about every team in the bracket | ESPN
The 68 teams have been revealed for the 2019 NCAA tournament. Here's your brief look at every one.

March Madness 2019: Teams with Potential to Be Bracket-Busters | Bleacher Report
As long as it's not your team enduring a surprise knockout by a scrappy underdog, we can pretty much all agree the best part of March Madness is the Cinderella stories...

March Madness 2019: Selection Committee Chair Bernard Muir interview | YouTube
Insight from Selection Committee Chair Bernard Muir on some of the tough decisions involved with this year's bracket.

Big 5

Villanova, Temple dancing as NCAA Tournament bracket unveiled | PhillyVoice
The brackets are out and Philly, as usual, is represented.

One Last Dance: Temple Makes NCAA Tournament In Fran Dunphy’s Final Year | CBS Philly
The Temple Owls are taking Fran Dunphy dancing one last time, joining Villanova as the only two Philadelphia schools in the NCAA Tournament.