The Wildcats VASTLY underachieved in the big dance in April. Honestly, that’s been a trend. The Wildcats have struggled to live up to expectation, barring their national championship, when they get into the big dance. This season’s Wildcats, will they make a deep run or are they going to crack under pressure? Let’s dive in.

The Skinny

Yes, Villanova lost Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, and Darryl Reynolds. But they are still going to be very strong. Phil Booth returns for Nova, and they still have the star in Jalen Brunson. Lots of people are talking about Mikael Bridges and the strides he’s taken.

I’ve watched him this season. He is legit. This team is legit.

They started slowly against Western Kentucky yesterday and were not good at all in the first half against Tennessee today. But the Wildcats prevailed in both games. These guys don’t play. They will be undefeated going into Big East play, and when that rolls around, there are going to be more than a few tests.

Big East play

Under Jay Wright, Villanova is the favorite, and they should be the favorites to win the Big East. They have the conferences best coach and the conferences best player in Jalen Brunson. I am a huge fan of Brunson I love everything about this game. For this team to be successful, he needs to be a star. Typical whipping boys in DePaul and St.

John’s will not be bad this season.

Well, DePaul is going to be bad, but they’ll be better than horrible as they have been for decades. St. John’s though, they’re going to be good. They’re good enough, especially at the guard position, to make the big dance. Teams like Butler and Creighton are always tough to beat, especially on the road.

Then we come to the other cream of the crop, Xavier and Seton Hall. Villanova will lose to Xavier or Seton Hall. Probably both. Both of these teams are legit. I have written on Xavier, a really solid squad, and Seton Hall gets hyped for Villanova. Nova should still win the conference because I do not see them having many more than two losses.

Summary

Villanova is very good again. At the Battle for Atlantis, they have not looked great, but they have found a way to win, and that is what good teams do. They have one of the best coaches in the nation in Jay Wright (he will be the next Duke coach when Coach K call it quits), and they have the best guard in the nation in Jalen Brunson. Unsung heroes, Dante Divencenzo and Phil Booth, will make their presence known every game and Mikael Bridges will be in the Association. Villanova is legit again, and they will be in the big dance, and they will go far. They are battle tested, more so than previous seasons. They have championship experience and memories of underachieving. This group will look to continue their league dominance, and maybe they’ll be national champions again.
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