Wildcats back again as team to beat

PHILADELPHIA — Jay Wright apologized for running late for an interview because of a hiccup with one of his thrice-weekly COVID19 tests. The Villa nova coach’ s mouth wasn’t nearly as mouth-watering as the roster he assembles each season to keep the Wildcats atop the Big East.

“I wasn’t getting my saliva out fast enough,” Wright said with a laugh.

Already this preseason, the No. 3 Wildcats (24-7) were forced to take a hiatus from workouts because of a coronavirus outbreak, and a combination of illness and injury had Wright running early practices with only eight players.

“You’re just holding your breath trying to get to the first game,” Wright said. “The opener can’t get here fast enough. We’re not prepared for it like I’d like us to be. But if I had a choice, I’d rather get there and start it.

“You’re just so worried about somebody testing positive. It’s in the back of your mind all the time.”

The Wildcats open Nov. 25 against Boston College at MoheganSun, are sort casino in Connecticut that has become a modified bubble for several early-season games. The Big East tossed around the idea of a bubble for conference play, but the cost was too exorbitant. So the Wildcats will move ahead with games in Texas, Wisconsin, New York and Washington and a small homes late.

Should the games go on, look out.

Few teams are as ready to roll as the Wildcats, who ended last season with yet another share of the Big East crown and a lineup with a few future pros ready to chase the program’s third national championship (2016, 2018) under Wright. They lost leading scorer Seddiq Bey (16.7 points) after two seasons to the NBA but have plenty of stars left.

The Wildcats won at least 24 games for the seventh straight season and won a share of the Big East crown for the sixth time in seven seasons.