Villanova finds itself in underdog role
NEW ORLEANS — In what world is Villanova, the winningest men's college basketball team in the last five years, the underdog?
Welcome to a Final Four cast that includes three of the most storied programs in the sport's history, showcasing 14 combined national championships. Villanova vs. Kansas is the first game of the Final Four on Saturday (6:09 p.m. ET) — one that Jayhawks coach Bill Self refers to as the “undercard," with Duke vs. North Carolina taking much of the spotlight.
Villanova coach Jay Wright, who piloted the Wildcats to national titles in 2016 and 2018, said he embraces being the newest of the blue bloods but is intentional about carving out his team's identity.
“Do I feel anything about being here with them? Hell yeah,” Wright said of sharing the stage with the other programs. “We have great respect for them, the tradition, history and the teams they are right now. They're the three best teams playing their best basketball right now.
“We never aspire to be one of those programs. As a matter of fact, we fight the urge to try to be like them because we're just so different. We just try to be the best Villanova we can be."
Villanova (30-7) is a No. 2 seed and claimed the South Regional title but is considered an underdog against No. 1 seeded Kansas.
The Jayhawks have hit another gear with bench player Remy Martin, a transfer from Arizona State who has exploded in this NCAA Tournament to lead the team in scoring in secondround and Sweet 16 wins.
Villanova, meanwhile, will be without starting guard Justin Moore, who hurt his Achilles in the Wildcats' Elite Eight win over Houston.
Villanova forward Jermaine Samuelssaid being counted out in this Final Four is similar to what the team heard at the start of last year's NCAA Tournament, with Big East player of the year Collin Gillespie out with a season-ending knee injury, when the Wildcats reached the Sweet 16 as a No. 5 seed. Many analysts had predicted those Wildcats would fall in the first or second round.
With Gillespie and Samuels back as fifth-year seniors, Villanova has the most seasoned roster of all four teams in New Orleans. And yet it's still the team receiving little hype.
“Yes, it's very tough that we lost Justin," Samuels said. "And it does hurt a little bit. But these guys are ready. The same guys put in the same work as Justin all year. A lot of people don't see the hours they put in after the games, before the games, and they're ready to go and they're ready to contribute.”