Next test for ’Nova: KU at the Final Four
BOSTON» With all of the underdogs and upsets that have upended the NCAA Tournament this year, no one has managed to come close to Villanova.
The 2016 national champions are headed back to the Final Four, thanks to a fourth consecutive doubledigit victory in a month of March when they have played every bit like the No. 1 seed they earned.
“This tournament’s a crazy tournament. Anybody can beat anybody,” junior guard Jalen Brunson said after his Wildcats beat Texas Tech 71-59 in a cold-shooting East Regional championship game Sunday to send Villanova back to the Final Four for the second time in three years.
“The underdog mentally, they may have it. But, honestly, they believe they’re good. That’s why they’re in that position. That’s (also) why we’re in that position,” Brunson said. “We’re a good team, and we believe we can keep getting better.”
The Wildcats (34-4) will play Midwest Regional champion Kansas (31-7) at the Final Four on Saturday. Also bound for the national semifinals in San Antonio: Michigan (32-7) and Loyola Chicago (32-5).
Sister Jean of Loyola, get ready for Father Rob.
“I very much look forward to meeting Sister Jean,” said the Rev. Rob Hagan, the priest on the Villanova bench. “I was 12 years of Catholic school and taught by the nuns. I have great respect for the nuns. Usually what Sister says is what goes.”
But if these two Catholic schools — one Jesuit, one Augustinian — meet in the national championship game next Monday, the Wildcats won’t be without spiritual support of their own.
“He’s our rock,” sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo, who scored eight points Sunday, said of Father Rob. “He keeps us level-headed to make sure we don’t get too high or too low. So to be able to share this moment with him was actually real fun.”
Eric Paschall had 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, Brunson scored 15, and DiVincenzo also had eight of the Wildcats’ season-high 51 rebounds. After starting four guards, Texas Tech (27-10) grabbed just 33 boards and shot only 18 free throws compared with 35 for Villanova to miss a chance to play for a championship in its home state.
“We knew they were a great 3-point shooting team and talented players, but we also knew how tough they were,” Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said. “We knew the identity of their team was the toughness and physicality, and that proved to be true.”
“It wasn’t a pretty offensive game. But (like Texas Tech), we played pretty good defensively too,” said Villanova coach Jay Wright.