VILLANOVA BASKETBALL NovaBasketball @NovaMBB #GoNova @NovaMBB Nova_Nation 2018-19 SCHEDULE & RESULTS GAME 35 | HARTFORD, CT. | XL CENTER DATE OPPONENT TV TIME/RESULTS Nov. 6 Morgan State FS1 W 100-77 NO. 6 VILLANOVA WILDCATS (25-9, 13-5 BIG EAST) Nov. 10 Quinnipiac (WFC) FS2 W 86-53 Head Coach: Jay Wright Nov. 14 Michigan FS1 L 73-46 Record at VU: 447-174 Nov. 17 Furman FS2 L 76-68 OT ADVOCARE INVITATIONAL MARCH 21, 2019 | 7:20 P.M. | TV: TBS Announcers: Carter Blackburn, Deb Antonelli, John Schriffen Nov. 22 vs. Canisius ESPN2 W 82-56 Radio: 610 ESPN - Play-By-Play: Ryan Fannon Analyst: Whitey Rigsby Nov. 23 vs. Oklahoma State ESPN W 77-58 Nov. 25 vs. Florida State ESPN W 66-60 IT’S WORTH NOTING... Dec. 1 at La Salle + ESPN2 W 85-78 ~A 74-72 victory over Seton Hall before straight seasons. It is the 15th time that a sellout crowd of 19,812 last Satur- the Wildcats have posted 25 or more Dec. 5 Temple + FS1 W 69-59 day gave Villanova its fifth BIG EAST wins in a season. Dec. 8 Saint Joseph’s + FS1 W 70-58 Tournament title in program history, fourth in the past five seasons, and third ~ Unanimous first team All-BIG EAST Dec. 11 at Penn + ESPN2 L 78-75 straight. The Wildcats are the first team selection Eric Paschall was also named Dec. 15 at Kansas ESPN L 74-71 in BIG EAST history to win the post- to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team season tournament in three consecutive after scoring 17 points and collecting Dec. 22 vs. UConn (MSG) CBS W 81-58 seasons and are 14-1 (.933) in the event eight rebounds in Saturday night’s win Jan. 2 DePaul* FS1 W 73-68 since 2015. over the Pirates. Paschall’s tip-in of a Jan. 5 at Providence* FOX W 65-59 Booth miss allowed the Wildcats to tie ~ Villanova returns to the NCAA Tour- Xavier at 58 in the semifinals before Jan. 8 St. John’s* FS1 W 76-71 nament for the 14th time in the past 15 ultimately prevailing in overtime. Jan. 13 at Creighton* FOX W 90-78 seasons under the leadership of coach Jay Wright. The Wildcats are 13-1 (.929) ~ Villanova is 20-4 this season when Jan. 18 Xavier* (WFC) FS1 W 85-75 in the NCAA Tournament in their last scoring 70 or more points in a game Jan. 22 at Butler* FS1 W 80-72 three appearances, earning a pair of (.826). When it fails to reach that thresh- NCAA national championships (2016 old, it is 5-5 (.500). Jan. 27 Seton Hall* (WFC) FOX W 80-52 and 2018). Jan. 30 at DePaul* CBS SN W 86-74 ~ Jay Wright was selected as the 2019 ~ Senior guard Phil Booth tied former BIG EAST Coach of the Year. It was the Feb. 3 Georgetown*(WFC) FS1 W 77-65 teammates Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart sixth time that the program’s all-time Feb. 6 Creighton* CBS SN W 66-59 OT for the most games played by a Wild- leaders in wins (447) was recognized Feb. 9 at Marquette* FOX L 66-65 cat in the BIG EAST Tournament Final with this honor. (146). The Baltimore, Md., native was Feb. 13 Providence* FS1 W 86-67 named the winner of the Dave Gavitt ~ The XL Center is a venue Villano- Feb. 17 at St. John’s* (MSG) FS1 L 71-65 Award as the event’s Most Outstanding va got to know well from 1980-2012, Player, averaging 19.0 points per game during the University of Connecticut’s Feb. 20 at Georgetown* FS1 L 85-73 during the Wildcats’ wins over Provi- tenure in the BIG EAST. The Wildcats Feb. 24 at Xavier* CBS L 66-54 dence, Xavier and Seton Hall. are 9-9 (.500) all-time in the facility vs. the Huskies, including an 81-61 Feb. 27 Marquette* FS1 W 67-61 ~ With its victory Saturday night over non-conference win on Jan. 20, 2018. Mar. 2 Butler* (WFC) FOX W 75-54 Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Tournament They were 2-1 (.667) in the building at championship, Villanova has record- the 1982 BIG EAST Tournament, played Mar. 9 at Seton Hall* FOX L 79-75 ed 25 or more victories in the last six there. Mar. 14 Providence (BET) FS1 W 73-62 Mar. 15 Xavier (BET) FS1 W 71-67 OT LAST GAME’S STARTERS Mar. 16 Seton Hall (BET) FOX W 74-72 Mar. 21 Saint Mary’s (NCAA) TBS 7:20 P.M. All home game played at the Finneran Pavilion (WFC) home games at Wells Fargo Center (MSG) games played at Madison Square Garden + Big Five games #2 Collin Gillespie #4 Eric Paschall #5 Phil Booth #15 Saddiq Bey #23 Jermaine Samuels * BIG EAST Conference games So. | G R-Sr. | F R-Sr. | G Fr. | F So. | F (BET) BIG EAST Tournament (NCAA) NCAA Tournament MEDIA INFORMATION Listen Live to every Villanova radio broadcast Media Contact: Mike Sheridan ([email protected]) via: villanova.com/TuneIn Michelle Ruel ([email protected]) Download the free TuneIn Radio app Phone: 610-519-4145/Fax: 610-519-7323 NCAA TOURNAMENT: NO 6. VILLANOVA (25-9, 13-5 BIG EAST) NATIONAL RANKINGS NEWS AND NOTES ASSOCIATED PRESS ESSENTIAL E forward Jermaine Samuels was averaging 4.4 1 Duke (58) 29-5 1,592 Senior forward Eric Paschall was a unanimous points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He had 2 Virginia (5) 29-3 1,497 First Team All-BIG EAST selection and followed scored eight points in his previous two games 3 North Carolina 27-6 1,453 that up with being named to the All-BIG EAST and did not start against Xavier as the coaching 4 Gonzaga (1) 30-3 1,398 Tournament Team last weekend at Madison staff opted for more size against the Musketeers 5 Michigan State 28-6 1,382 Square Garden. in the person of sophomore forward Dhamir 6 Tennessee 29-5 1,270 Cosby-Roundtree. 7 Kentucky 27-6 1,232 The transfer from Fordham contributed 14 8 Michigan 28-6 1,146 points, eight rebounds and five assists to Villa- And, then, well, things changed. Samuels nearly 9 Texas Tech 26-6 1,033 nova’s 74-72 BIG EAST Tournament champion- double his previous career high that night (15 10 Florida State 27-7 1,017 ship game victory. In 34 games he averaged 16.5 points), exploding for 29 points to go with nine 11 Houston 31-3 933 points,. 6.2 rebounds and 37.1 minutes per game. rebounds in a pulsating 67-61 win over the 12 LSU 26-6 886 Golden Eagles that altered the trajectory of the 13 Purdue 23-9 727 More vital has been the leadership partnership BIG EAST regular season race. A few days later, 14 Auburn 26-9 665 he has formed with classmate and friend Phil Villanova would earn its fifth BIG EAST regular 15 Buffalo 31-3 608 Booth. season title in six seasons (13-5). 16 Virginia Tech 24-8 595 17 Kansas 25-9 590 “It means a lot to our program to get these Samuels’ rise has keyed a 5-1 stretch for the 18 Kansas State 25-8 529 grind-it-out kind of games,” noted Wright on Wildcats that began that night at Finneran 19 Wofford 29-4 385 Saturday night. “It’s really a tribute to Phil and Pavilion. In that span the Franklin, Mass., native 20 Nevada 29-4 361 Eric. They really have been like coaches this has averaged 36.1 minutes, 13.5 points and 8.7 21 Wisconsin 23-10 339 season. We can do so much on the court, but rebounds per game. His season scoring average 22 Cincinnati 28-6 335 they’ve got to take guys in the locker room and has climbed to 6.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per 23 Villanova 25-9 306 24 Iowa State 23-11 245 teach them how they prepare for practice, how game entering the NCAA Tournament. 25 Utah State 28-6 73 they prepare for games. They’ve got to teach them how to sleep at night, how to eat the right Stated Wright: “He’s grown incredibly. Another Others receiving votes: Marquette 63, way. They’ve been like big brothers, fathers coachable guy that comes from an old-school Maryland 55, Mississippi St. 35, Mur- almost to these guys. family that teaches him listen to the coach. ray St. 12, New Mexico St. 11, UCF 9, Louisville 8, VCU 4, Seton Hall 3, Old “It’s been frustrating for them. There’s a lot of “There were times I would go to (Booth and Pas- Dominion 2, Liberty 1 times in games when these young guys don’t chall), ‘Guys, you got to talk to Main-O. You’ve know what they’re doing, and these guys are got to get Main-O to stop playing video games USA TODAY COACHES POLL. just trying to cover for everybody. It’s just been and how to be serious as a basketball player.’ 1. Gonzaga (27) 29-2 795 incredible experience of leadership by these And Main-O listens. He tells them – ‘I’m not 2. Virginia (5) 26-2 772 two.” playing video games. I’m watching basketball 3. North Carolina 24-5 720 games.’ That’s what they teach him.