Villanova Bracketology: Will a Quad 1 Game Boost ’Cats Résumé?

Villanova Men’s Basketball landed back among the projected field of 68 in ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s weekly tournament prediction published on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Listed as the second team in Lunardi’s “Last Four In” category, the Wildcats (7-1) rank as the No. 66 team in the field, continuing a recent trend of bouncing into and out of the tournament picture in recent weeks. Despite getting votes in the Associated Press top 25 poll and holding the No. 35 ranking in the country according to metrics like KenPom and the NET rankings, Villanova has a relatively weak résumé.

All seven of their wins have come in Quad 4 games, the lowest tier of opponents according to the NET rankings. Their lone loss, against BYU, came in a Quad 1 matchup, and they’ll have another chance to prove their mettle when they travel to face No. 2 Michigan tonight in one of the toughest games they’ll play all season — click here for a preview of that matchup.

Lunardi included three other Big East teams in the field of 68, UConn, St. John’s and Seton Hall; Butler also made the list as his “First Team Out.” Four bids would give the Big East the smallest tournament showing of any of the major conferences: next closest, he predicts the ACC and SEC with eight teams apiece.