Villanova Basketball Quad Goals: Perception vs. Reality

It’s time for another installment of Villanova’s Quad Goals, an ongoing series in which we track the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament resume. If you’re looking for more information on the NET and the rest of the ranking methods for the tournament, check out Rankings 101.

The Villanova Wildcats have been racking up the losses. A one point win over Marquette kept them from losing four in a row, but that still makes them just 1-3 in their last four games. That’s not exactly the best way to build an NCAA Tournament resume, especially now that we’re midway through February.

But that’s perception. Losses feel bad, especially when they come in bunches. This team may feel like they need to get back on track, but in reality they’re exactly where we were hoping they’d be at the start of the season.

Villanova has seven Quad 1 wins, which is the metric that’s been shown by the selection committee to be the most important asset on a team’s resume when it comes to earning a Top 4 seed. Is seven good? It’s VERY good. Only eight teams in the country have 7+ Quad 1 wins, and while that’s not the only criteria, it’s really important. On top of that, Villanova’s only losses are all Quad 1. Sure those are lost opportunities at a win, but it also means the team has no bad losses, which isn’t nothing.

And the resume building isn’t over. Villanova has four remaining Quad 1 wins on the schedule: at DePaul, at Xavier, at Seton Hall, and at Georgetown. Yes, those games are all on the road. But even if Villanova goes 2-2 in those games, it means they finish with 9 Quad 1 wins with a shot at getting double digits in the Big East Tournament.

Am I saying that Villanova is going to compete for a #1 or even #2 seed? No, not this season. But the Wildcats have put themselves in a great spot to snag one of those protected Top 4 seeds that make a BIG difference in advancing to the second weekend. The opportunity is there, now they just have to seize it.

And now, onto the resume!

Villanova’s Tournament Resume

The Wildcats seven Quad 1 wins are tied for the 5th most in the country. It’s a great spot to be in, but they still need to do more in order to lock up a Top 4 Seed. Here’s their current NCAA Tournament Resume.

Here are some more thoughts on Villanova’s NCAA Tournament Resume:

• Not only does Villanova have a bunch of Q1 wins, they’re all pretty locked in. The two exceptions are the win at St. John’s (currently 67th, needs to be 75th or better) and the neutral court win over Misssissippi State (currently 49th, needs to be 50th or better).
• Five of Villanova’s final seven games of the season come on the road, including this weekend’s trip into North Philly to play at Temple. It makes for a rough home stretch, but it also presents a lot of Quad 1 opportunities.
• Villanova’s losses have all come against teams currently in the Top 22 in the NET. The “worst loss” right now is the home loss to Creighton, and the lowest ranked loss is to #22 Ohio State. None of those hurt Villanova’s efforts for a Top 4 Seed.
• Yes the Wildcats lost a few home games this season, but they’re still undefeated at the Finn. The final game on campus is against St. John’s, and a win would make the Wildcats 8-0 at the Pavilion this year.