WATCH: Kevin Willard, Shaheen Holloway embrace at Seton Hall-Villanova
WATCH: Kevin Willard, Shaheen Holloway embrace at Seton Hall-Villanova
Kevin Willard was hired to the coveted job of Villanova basketball coach because he has a long track record of getting teams to the NCAA Tournament. Over the past decade, he did it five times at Seton Hall and twice at Maryland.
If there was a common theme of those appearances, it’s that Willard’s squads landed in a first-round 8-9 game on four occasions.
In his first season at Villanova, make it five.
The eighth-seeded Wildcats drew ninth-seeded Utah State – a Big East vs. Mountain West referendum game – today in San Diego. (4:10 p.m. ET on TNT … stream with Sling).
Willard’s record in 8-9 games to date is 2-2 – Seton Hall beat N.C. State in 2018 but lost to Arkansas in 2017 and TCU in 2022. Maryland beat West Virginia in 2023. After both victories, Willard’s squad lost to the geographically advantaged No. 1 seed in the second round – a reminder of just how hard it is to make a Big Dance run from an 8-9 draw.
Top-seeded Arizona awaits the winner of his contest today.
Catch all the March Madness action on Fubo
Will Pope Leo being a Villanova fan help the Wildcats in March Madness?
Could things be different this time? Well, he has one new development in his favor: Pope Leo is a Villanova University graduate and a big college basketball fan — to the point where a Villanova-Notre Dame is being scheduled for Rome in November, presumably for a papal audience.
The idea of the Holy Father unwinding after a long day of quoting scripture and influencing world affairs by watching Villanova in the Big Dance and analyzing Willard’s coaching is not inconceivable. And maybe he’s got a special blessing up his sleeve to deal with the 8-9 draw.
Some divine favor certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at [email protected].
