It’s time for another installment of Villanova’s Quad Goals, our ongoing series in which we track the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament Resume. If you need a refresher on the NET ratings or the Quad System, check out our previous article for additional details.
The Villanova Wildcats picked up a HUGE win this week by defeating St. John’s at home. For the resume, it’s a great win against a very good team. But it’s even more important for NET purposes. It’s far easier to win games at home than on the road, which is the major reason the whole Quad system was created in the first place. Because of that, you need to beat really good teams at home for the game to qualify as a Q1 win. To put it in perspective, only three of Villanova’s fifteen home games qualify for Quad one this season: Michigan, St. John’s, and Marquette.
The Red Storm currently sit at 29th in the NET, so they’re no lock to maintain their Q1 status. But for now, let’s move forward assuming they will. That gives Villanova two Q1 wins on the season now, which is actually pretty good for this time of year. Through Tuesday’s games, only 31 teams have two or more Q1 wins, and there’s a good chance most if not all of them are headed toward the NCAA tournament.
The Wildcats will have a chance to pick up another Q1 win this weekend in Omaha. Creighton’s currently ranked #48 in the NET, well within the 1-75 requirement for a Q1 road game. So if Nova can remain undefeated in Big East play through the weekend, not only will they be in line to make the NCAA Tournament, they’ll be on their way up the seeding ladder to the all-important protected 1 through 4 seeds.
But enough about this weekend, let’s get back to Nova’s Quad.
Villanova’s Quad Goals
It took them more than half the season, but the NCAA has finally started putting out the daily Team Sheets again! Here’s where Nova stands as of games through January 8th:
The full schedule breakdown is below, but here are a few takeaways:
- The St. John’s game bumped Villanova’s Strength of Schedule back up to 6th in the country. That could be key as a tie breaker when comparing Villanova’s resume to similar schools come seeding time.
- Way to go St. Joe’s! Your three game losing streak has officially dropped you down to Q4 status. The hawk IS dead.
- Furman is back up to Q2 status, so once again the Wildcats are undefeated in Q3 and Q4 games.
- Keep an eye on Oklahoma State. Despite having a losing record they’re still ranked #65 in the NET after beating Texas this week. If they can pull off some surprises and sneak into the Top 50, that becomes a Q1 win for the Wildcats.
- Two of Villanova’s next three games will be Q1 opportunities on the road. It will be an important 10 day stretch for the Wildcats as they’ll travel to Creighton and Butler.
Villanova’s Schedule by NET Ranking and Quadrant
Team | NET | Location | Quad | Result | Move Potential |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | NET | Location | Quad | Result | Move Potential |
Morgan State | 307 | Home | 4 | W | Steady |
Quinnipiac | 243 | Home | 4 | W | Steady |
Michigan | 3 | Home | 1 | L | Steady |
Furman | 61 | Home | 2 | L | Fall to Q3 |
Canisius | 239 | Neutral | 4 | W | Steady |
Oklahoma State | 65 | Neutral | 2 | W | Rise to Q1 |
Florida State | 23 | Neutral | 1 | W | Steady |
La Salle | 273 | Away | 4 | W | Rise to Q3 |
Temple | 60 | Home | 2 | W | Steady |
St. Joe's | 161 | Home | 4 | W | Rise to Q3 |
Penn | 113 | Away | 2 | L | Steady |
Kansas | 14 | Away | 1 | L | Steady |
Uconn | 110 | Neutral | 3 | W | Rise to Q2 |
DePaul | 125 | Home | 3 | W | Steady |
Providence | 91 | Away | 2 | W | Steady |
St. John's | 29 | Home | 1 | W | Fall to Q2 |
Creighton | 48 | Away | 1 | - | Steady |
Xavier | 85 | Home | 3 | - | Rise to Q2 |
Butler | 53 | Away | 1 | - | Steady |
Seton Hall | 45 | Home | 2 | - | Rise to Q1 |
DePaul | 125 | Away | 2 | - | Fall to Q3 |
Georgetown | 99 | Home | 3 | - | Steady |
Creighton | 48 | Home | 2 | - | Steady |
Marquette | 21 | Away | 1 | - | Steady |
Providence | 91 | Home | 3 | - | Steady |
St. John's | 29 | Away | 1 | - | Steady |
Georgetown | 99 | Away | 2 | - | Steady |
Xavier | 85 | Away | 2 | - | Rise to Q1 |
Marquette | 21 | Home | 1 | - | Fall to Q2 |
Butler | 53 | Home | 2 | - | Steady |
Seton Hall | 45 | Away | 1 | - | Steady |
*Move Potential indicates if a game is within 15 spots in the NET of moving from one Quadrant to another.