Jay Wright told ESPN earlier this season that he never talks about wins and losses within the program. But maybe after this run is over, he’ll have some fun with it.
“If when we’re done, and somebody says, ‘Hey, there was a run, where you …’ I’ll be like, ‘That was really cool. That was really cool.'”
Monday night had all the staples of a classic Villanova win. Nothing takes the Wildcats out of what they want to do.
They started off slowly, with Michigan coming out ready for a fight and taking it to Villanova from the opening tip. It didn’t matter. A 30-9 run that spanned parts of both halves essentially buried Michigan.
The Wildcats’ 3-pointers weren’t falling early. It didn’t matter. As they’ve shown more and more the past few years, they’re not as “live by the 3, die by the 3” as they once were. They got to the rim, got to the free throw line and got baskets in transition.
Jalen Brunson struggled after scoring Villanova’s first four points. It didn’t matter. Donte DiVincenzo had one of the most impressive performances of the NCAA tournament, coming off the bench to score 31 points, including 18 in the first half when Villanova couldn’t get anything going offensively. Likely lottery pick Mikal Bridges found his shot in the second half, making multiple 3-pointers late in the game to sustain Villanova’s run.
It was three of the oft-repeated mantras of Wright’s program playing out in real time: Attitude. Together. Villanova basketball for 40 minutes.
“It’s our culture. I always go back to our culture,” former Villanova forward Kris Jenkins said after the game. “There’s so many great programs, so many great coaches, but I think our culture is what sets us apart.”
The team that doesn’t rattle — ever — showed some emotion and turned what was a tight, physical game into a blowout.
The stoic Villanova Wildcats were ready to respond after getting punched in the mouth, and they earned their second title in three years — along with the title of best program in college basketball.
It’s a far cry from the narratives of five years ago.
“It’s safe to say they can never say that again,” Jenkins said of the “can’t win in March” notion. “They can put that one to rest.”
Article Appeared @http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/23006199/villanova-title-proves-best-program-all-college-basketball