Villanova Men's Basketball
Villanova Reaction: Strong Season, Disappointing Finish
Villanova Men’s Basketball’s season came to a close on Friday, March 20, with the Wildcats losing 86-76 to Utah State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova endured a series of swings, trailing 22-13 barely eight minutes into the game before catching fire from beyond the arc, going 7-of-13 from three over the next 13 minutes of play on the way to a double digit lead early in the second half. Utah State managed to pick up their play with the season on the line, however, closing the Wildcats out with a 15-3 run and allowing just one shot in the final six minutes. The Aggies made 13 of their last 14 two-point shots in the second half and went 18-of-23 from the charity stripe, an onslaught Villanova had little chance of surviving amidst their own shooting spell.
It’s a bitter ending for a young team in their first season under head coach Kevin Willard — who had a viral moment of his own as a joke fell flat during a sideline interview — one that flirted with a top 25 ranking for much of the final two months of the regular season. Seniors Devin Askew, Duke Brennan and Wade Chiddick will graduate, leaving Villanova with at least five spots to fill on their roster heading into next year — not counting any potential transfers.
Here’s the reaction from fans and media as the Wildcats snapped a three-year drought in the NCAA Tournament but saw it end in a blink, as Malachi Palmer and Acaden Lewis described in postgame interviews.
