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Happy Tuesday Nova Nation! “It’s finally March,” I told myself as I shoveled snow yesterday morning. The temperature outside may not feel like it yet, but the excitement around college basketball sure has ticked up a notch in the past few days.
Villanova fans have had a lot to cheer about this year, even if it’s been a bit of a bumpy road. And while this team may not achieve the same level of success as the past few seasons, they’re going to have a chance at some pretty cool accolades.
Big East: Most Consecutive Big East Tournament Titles
After only winning one BET in the first 35 years of the Big East, Villanova has now claimed three of the last four titles at Madison Square Garden. This year they’ll be going for something no Big East team has ever been able to pull off: a three-peat. Georgetown, UConn, and Syracuse all came up short in their three-peat bids, and Louisville left before they had a chance to claim it. A third consecutive Big East Tournament Title would be an immense accomplishment given the turnover from the two previous seasons.
Villanova: Most Games Played/Won: Phil Booth
Despite the injuries, Phil Booth could wind up with the longest playing career of any player in Villanova history. Booth has played in 142 games to date, and the record held jointly by Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins is 146. Booth could tie them with an appearance in the Big East Tournament Final, and will have a good shot to pass them as well.
Becoming the all time wins leader will be a little trickier. Booth currently sits at 124, and the record is again held by Hart and Jenkins at 129. It’s one thing to play in five more games, but winning five more games, especially when most of them are in the post season, will surely be a challenge for Booth and the Wildcats
Most Three Point Field Goals Attempted by the Team in a Game
I don’t think it will surprise anyone that this record is in play after Villanova’s exceptionally high reliance on the three pointer this season. What may surprise you is that they’ve already broken the record multiple times. Coming into the season, the record for the most threes taken in a game was 38, set back in 1994. The Wildcats attempted at least 40 or more shots on four separate occasions this season, but the high water mark was against Furman with 44.
In other “news”, some unforgettable NCAA Tournament moments, tourney time for the Big East women, and Villanova returns to the AP Poll. Enjoy!
Big East Basketball
Villanova back in the hunt for another Big East regular-season championship | The Inquirer
The Wildcats picked up two games in the Big East standings last week, including a win over Marquette, while the Golden Eagles lost twice. The Cats have a half-game lead going into the final week of the regular season.
Big East Basketball Schedule: Week 18 | Anonymous Eagle
It’s the final week of the regular season, and there’s a lot on the line.
With Selection Sunday Approaching, The Big East Is Cannibalizing Itself | Forbes
With Selection Sunday fast approaching, only two Big East teams are certain of getting invites to the Big Dance. The rest of the league is cannibalizing itself.
March Madness: Big East Tournament Preview and Pick Get More Sports | Get More Sports
The Big East isn’t as strong as it has been in recent years. March Madness bids will be decided here, and you can bet on all the action at BetDSI.
Villanova Women’s Basketball
Through Unusual Amount Of Pain And Suffering, Jannah Tucker Blossoms Into Star At Villanova | CBS Philly
Jannah Tucker’s journey was filed with an unusual amount of pain and suffering before weaving its way toward stardom at Villanova and healing.
The 2019 Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament Bracket And Schedule | Anonymous Eagle
We’ve got the whole bracket and the television schedule and times right here for you.
Class of 2019
Scottie Lewis, Bryan Antoine have been extraordinary in 4-year run | USA Today
The county hadn't had a McDonald's All-American since 1987. That was before Scottie Lewis and Bryan Antoine came to Ranney School.
Ranney outlasts Rutgers Prep, advanced back to Non-Public South B final | APP
Ranney defeated Rutgers Prep on Monday night in an NJSIAA Non-Public South B semifinal.
Rankings
College basketball rankings: Tennessee, welcome back to Andy Katz's top 5 | NCAA.com
Selection Sunday is less than two weeks away. And plenty of teams are playing as if they don’t want to participate. The teams that do, but don’t have the overall resume, will need to rack up wins this week and certainly into next for the conference tournament.
Villanova basketball returns to AP Top 25 after being out for two weeks | The Inquirer
Villanova returned to the AP Top 25 this week after beating Marquette and Butler. The Wildcats came in at No. 23.
College basketball rankings: Virginia, UNC rise; Duke drops | SI.com
No. 1 remained the same, but the rest of the top 10 saw a big shake-up as the clock winds down on the regular season.
NBA Wildcats
Updated 2019 NBA Mock Draft: Is It Possible Jarrett Culver Jumps All The Way Up To No. 3? | Forbes
In this updated 2019 NBA mock draft, Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett maintain their stranglehold on the top two spots, but Jarrett Culver jumps up to No. 3.
Report: Omari Spellman Out Four Weeks with Left High Ankle Sprain | Basketball Insiders
Atlanta Hawks forward Omari Spellman sustained a left ankle injury during Friday night's game vs. Chicago. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed on
March Madness
1 unforgettable thing from every March Madness since 2000 | NCAA.com
The most memorable NCAA tournament moments often come from the champion — but not always. These are the 19 things we remember from each year of the tournament since 2000.
7 NCAA bracket questions: Is Zion-less Duke a No. 1 seed? | Yahoo! Sports
When will the Blue Devils get their star forward back? How will he look? All that could factor into whether Duke ends up on the top line.
Bubbles and Brackets
College Basketball Bracketology Seed List For Monday, March 4, 2019 | Blogging the Bracket
The Big East is dominating the cut line at the moment.
2019 NCAA Tournament Bracket: Latest Projection of the Field of 68 | Bleacher Report
Thanks to losses by Kentucky and Michigan State over the weekend, there's a new projected No. 1 seed for the 2019 NCAA tournament: the North Carolina Tar Heels...