Why NCAA Tournament bubble teams should be wary of this team
NCAA Tournament bubble teams Clemson, North Carolina, West Virginia and others are focused on winning every game left on their schedule. They should keep an eye on what's happening in Philadelphia, too.
Villanova (16-14, 10-9) is peaking heading into the Big East Tournament and a threat to win the conference tournament and thus punch a ticket for March Madness. The Wildcats could push a bubble team into the dreaded NIT.
After a shaky start under first-year coach Kyle Neptune, who replaced the highly successful Jay Wright in April 2022, the Wildcats are playing their best basketball.
“Nobody wants to see that team in the [Madison Square] Garden,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott recently said about Villanova, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
His comments came after Villanova’s 79-67 win over Creighton. Villanova has won four of its past five games, including a win over No. 19 Xavier. The lone loss was on the road to No. 20 Providence.
Villanova's overall record probably isn't good enough to get an at-large bid. The team is 76 in NET rating and was 0-8 in Quad 1 games until a recent hot streak added two wins to the total. But if it wins the tournament or goes on a little run, the Wildcats could be bound for the NCAA Tournament.
Star guard Justin Moore is healthy after missing the start of the season. He has two 20-point games in the past three contests after zero in his first seven games.
On Saturday against No. 14 Connecticut, the Wildcats have another chance to add a quality win.
Villanova, already locked into the No. 6 seed for the Big East tournament, will face helpless Georgetown (7-24, 2-18) in the first game. The Wildcats would then take on Seton Hall, whom they beat earlier this week. After that, who knows? They would have momentum at that point and would need just two more wins to steal a bid.
The Big East is no stranger to low seeds getting hot in the tournament -- remember Kemba Walker with Connecticut in 2016?
Several Wildcats were part of last season's Big East tourament title team, so they'll be unfazed by the Garden's bright lights.
So look out for Villanova, a team that could burst some bubbles.
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