Villanova Bracketology: Wildcats Somehow Back on the Bubble

Somehow, some way, Villanova Men’s Basketball is back on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Even after losing two in a row, letting a banged up Providence team run them out of the building before blowing a massive second half lead against UConn, the Wildcats (16-12, 9-8 Big East) managed to secure their fourth ranked win since December, dominating No. 16 Marquette and perhaps salvaging their season. Villanova landed in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s latest update, occupying the final spot in the “Next Four Out” category.

The equivalent of the No. 76 spot in a field of 68, the Wildcats still have a good deal of climbing to do with just three games remaining in the regular season. Winning out against Seton Hall, Butler and Georgetown — playing at the Hoyas is the toughest matchup they have left — would put them at 19 wins on the year, so they’d need to win at least a game or two in the Big East Tournament as well in order to reach that 20-21 win benchmark and feel strongly about their chances of receiving an at-large bid.

The Xavier Musketeers currently hold the No. 74 spot in Lunardi’s latest update, so eliminating them in the Big East Tournament (should the bracket shake out that way) would provide Villanova with another chance to control their own destiny.

Right now, the Wildcats occupy the No. 50 spot in the NET rankings and the No. 56 spot in the KenPom ratings: both could use some improvement, and any bid stealers during the conference tournaments will make their chances of an at-large spot dwindle significantly, assuming they’re still in the tournament picture then.

Buckle up.