Nova Wins Again
Villanova is the men’s college basketball champion for the second time in three years, and that’s an enviable level for a program to achieve. The Wildcats dismantled Michigan 79-62 on Monday night in San Antonio to place itself once again at the top of sport’s rankings.
This tournament had a bunch of abnormalities to it, but Villanova was the north star. Remember when a No. 16 seed, UMBC, beat the overall No. 1 seed, Virginia? When a No. 11 seed, Chicago-Loyola, hustled its way into the Final Four?
“I don’t think these kids will think we dominated the tournament,” said Jay Wright, now one of 14 coaches to win this title twice. “They’ll just think we played Villanova basketball.”
Those things may be one and the same.
The Wildcats (36-4) won each their six tournament games by double digits, including the Final Four semifinal torching of another No. 1 seed, Kansas. And while Michigan (33-8) got off to a strong start, Villanova’s shooting eventually picked up and its defense remained strong.
We always believe that it is the stars that carry the champions, but ‘Novas’s hero against Michigan was redshirt sophomore Donte DiVincenzo. He came off the bench to score 31 points, giving the Wildcats the shooting touch they were missing. You thought Jalen Brunson (9 points) or Mikal Bridges (19) would dominate? Oh, they sure did their part, but DiVincenzo was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Michigan, which was seeded fifth in the Big Ten Tournament and won it to make its way into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed, played outstanding basketball through March and the Final Four semifinal. It simply ran into a team that was not only better but may be one of the best champions of all time.
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman
-
NBA Star Penalized for Inappropriate Gesture During Victory Over Trail Blazers Philadelphia 76ers’ star center, Joel Embiid, has been...
-
Spanish Football Chief Faces Scrutiny Over World Cup Incident The Spanish government announced on Tuesday that it has submitted...
-
University of Houston Mourns the Loss of Former Basketball Star Reggie Chaney The University of Houston community is deeply...
-
Former President Donald Trump Leaves Republicans Speculating on His Debate Strategy Former President Donald Trump has definitively confirmed that...
-
As Neymar’s desire for a new chapter surfaces, the football world debates whether he will return to Barcelona’s embrace...
-
The football legend mesmerizes with a dazzling display and debuts a Wakanda Lionel Messi wowed fans once again with...
-
Andrew Wiggins Returns: Ready to Help Warriors Defend Championship Title! Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has returned to...
-
Scotland’s rugby team has been dealt a significant blow. Scotland’s rugby team has been dealt a significant blow with...
-
Diaz injured his knee while the Puerto Rican team was celebrating its victory. During Wednesday night’s game in the...
-
Number 16 has joined the legendary likes of Numbers 8 and 24. Despite retiring from the NBA in 2021,...
-
Tatum was slapped with his first career ejection after two technical fouls. Monday night was a rough one for...
-
Correa joined the Mets with a $315 million contract. Recently, baseball player Carlos Correa announced that he had cut...