Villanova is in the midst of one of the best runs in Big East history, having captured three straight regular-season championships and one tournament title, while winning nearly 90 percent of its in-conference contests.
It’s incredible, but it’s increasingly irrelevant until a season extends well into March. Because even when the Wildcats look the part of a national championship contender, like in Thursday’s 81-67 Big East quarterfinal win over Georgetown, coach Jay Wright knows the perception remains that Villanova is just as likely to fall in the first few days of the NCAA Tournament as it is to reach the Final Four.
The Wildcats (28-4) have failed to reach the second week of the NCAA Tournament the past six years, getting bounced as a two seed in 2014 and as a top seed last season, contributing to the league’s diminished standing since its reconfiguration three years ago.
“We definitely let down the Big East last year,” Wright said. “We were a good enough team to advance and we didn’t do it. … We do take that responsibility seriously. I really would like us to get to a Final Four for the Big East as much as for these guys. I really would. Because we love this league, and we want this league to get respect.
“There’s a lot of pressure from the outside of this team to get to the second week. If we don’t get there, it’s not going to kill us. We’ll be really disappointed, but we’re going to enjoy every step.”
Top-seeded Villanova, which will meet No. 4 Providence in Friday’s semifinals, used a familiar formula to shake loose No. 8 Georgetown, hitting 13-of-21 3-pointers and using a 20-1 advantage in points off turnovers to turn a 48-47 lead with 9:30 remaining into a 12-point edge two minutes later.
Ryan Arcidiacono, last year’s Big East Co-Player of the Year, had 19 points — including five 3-pointers — and six assists, while Josh Hart scored a game-high 25 points, helping knock off the Hoyas (15-18) for the third time this season and for the first time in school history in the Big East Tournament (1-5).
“We have the balance where we can shoot [3-pointers], and there’s going to be some nights you can’t finish at the rim and you have to rely on them,” Wright said. “You can lose that way, but it gives you a hell of a chance to win. Thank God for the 3’s tonight.”
Despite tipping off less than 15 hours after its first-round win over DePaul, Georgetown led for the majority of a back-and-forth first half after overwhelming the Wildcats on the offensive glass, but Villanova still took a 28-27 lead into the break.
Led by L.J. Peak’s 18 points, the Hoyas held a six-point lead early in the second half, but the Wildcats quickly erased the deficit by hitting 7-of-9 3-pointers, asserting their dominance as the defending tournament champion.
“That’s a hell of a team Jay has,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. “I think they’re going to represent this conference very well over the next couple weeks.”
But how many weeks will it be?
