patsox must be enjoying watching one of his boys on the big stage!

here is the blog submitted by this year's student tournament challenge contest winner here on VUSports:
http://vusportssubmission2016.weebly.com/

well done, jstamour1024!

Thanks to DC_VU_Chapter for spearheading the contest again this year - he is a great Villanovan!

Certainly don't have the look of a 1 to me.

They really look tight. Unable to get the ball inside.

The announcers were completely mystified why Jay put the starters back in with 90 seconds left. I'm sitting here saying Jay took them out to soon, and he put them back in to not allow it to get any closer. It was so obvious yet Verne and his partner were stupified. Post game Jay said it was because he got scared. I loved it when Verne said it was for the fans who can't travel to Louisville.

Article on CBS, I don't know how to copy and paste from my phone. I didn't realize that Dixon played at TCU. Gary Patterson has made their football team a national player, I'm sure they see Dixon as someone who could do the same with the hoops team.

Watch other games without a sense of dread or depression!

There's a small chance that the wife and I don't converse tomorrow for 2 reasons:
1. She's a 2003 alum of Iowa. If Cats win, she'll be happy that I'm not in a bad mood and we'll be good. If Hawkeyes win, hmmm, I hope I can forgive her.
2. I go on a 6 month deployment to El Salvador on Monday morning 0500. Tomorrow, obviously, is our last family day. The fact that I've informed her that it's "must watch TV" has, for some crazy reason, perturbed her. Luckily, here in Hawaii, the game starts at 0610. Should be over by 0930. Phew.

BTW - my little brother is a Hawkeye - we've already decided to not talk tomorrow.

Go CATS

ace, got a real random one for ya, what was your old signature? The one that was something along the lines of "the best response to fools is silence"? Also, where is that quote from? Thank you sir.

Their average seed faced is 11.6 over 12 games.

Northern Iowa up 12 with 44 seconds to go, turn it over four times to give up the tying bucket with 2 seconds left, now going to OT.

All the player had to do was throw it down the court and the game is over...taking the last SEC team with it.

amazing game. Aggies come back from 11 in last mi ute including a 10-2 run in last 22 seconds to send it to OT.

Did critics now see why Jay sent starters back in today with 90 seconds left. ANYTHING can happen in the tourney!

Nova -4.5

He is the key to beating Miami. BTW wasn't he at Kansas State when Beasley was there? He's gotta be 24 years old by now.

I used to prefer the 1 3 2 1 set up where you had a game at non, 3 at 2ish, 2 at 4 30 ish and one evening game. Is it really better to have all these games at night? I am hooped out

I have softened over the year's and their is no need to hate on Phil and Joe Lunardi anymore...Both have said good things about us lately !!

Hoping for the second game like we had in Boston

I thought they automatically had the two highest scorers?

Kris is playing at a high level and makes this team much tougher than last year to guard with how he can stretch the court compared to Pinkston.

He also has a great floor game and is an adept passer.

But my biggest concern was his D. And today, he did a great job battling Uthoff. He got in his grill and showed great mobility to offset his length disadvantage.

I know adp and others were on Jenkins' bandwagon. I always loved Jenkins as a heat check guy. But he is way more than that. He looks even more fit now than at the beginning of the year.

He is a really, really good college player.

but I'll take a 9 pt lead

I like this kid. Big game player. Stud alert for next year when he is handed the keys.

... it is quite amazing how much resiliency the Villanova program has shown over the last four years - rebuilding from the barren wasteland of that awful 2012 season.

First bouncing back from a bad start during Arch and Ochefu's freshman season to grab that string of impressive wins over top ranked teams at the WFC to help secure a 9 Seed in 2014.

Then, coming back the next season and dominating the BE season (with the exception of Creighton) to grab a BE Championship and a #2 Seed. After the disappointing loss to UConn ...

The program bounced back with a chip on their shoulder to put together an even more impressive regular season to win both BE Titles and finish ranked #2 in the AP Poll and grab a #1 Seed. After the heartbreaking loss to NC State ...

the team showed great resiliency to replace three key players in the rotation (including AA Darrun Hilliard) and once again dominate the BE regular season, grab the #1 ranking in the country for 3 weeks and earn a #2 Seed.

All that hard work.

Answering all those questions over the last calendar year - the questions that belittled the regular season and focused only on the NCAA shortcomings

Great resiliency, focus and work ethic ... an amazing ability to block out the distractions and focus at the task at hand - game after game.

Tomorrow is going to be gut wrenching for the fans ... but I fully expect that Jay Wright and his staff will have this team expertly prepared ... and I fully expect that the players will be focused and composed - that they will play every possession hard, that they will value the ball, that they will be physical and tough, that they will play with confidence and pride and give it their all ...

that is all they can do and that is all the fans can ask.

This team is a joy to watch ... it took a TON of hard work and a great attitude to get back to this position again ... the season must continue ...

Go Cats !!!

I'm not a frequent visitor to other teams' boards after Nova wins but I'd like to know how the Hawkeye board is responding today. My guess is they now hate VU more than ever.

Temple stinks. Let me start by saying that. Iowa was a team reeling, but had built up a good enough resume that they didn't have enough time to blow getting a bid (I think that was the case last year?). They were so lucky to play a Temple team who I think was the worst "at-large" team to make the Dance. Yet, there it was, Iowa on several occasions trying to give the game away to the Owls. Somehow, a shove-in-the-back later, Iowa wins.

I was not impressed by them. I was genuinely nervous to face UConn and NCST the past two years. I'm not nearly as nervous this year after watching that game up close at Barclay's and how loose and well we played vs Asheville. Asheville is much better than Leigh. They had quality wins. They had two guys, 22 and 24, who I think could get minutes on our team. They had some talent, but we played really well. Our guys looked loose and confident. Hoping that carries over to tomorrow.

Iowa ran so many bad sets down the stretch and won only bc Temple had no business being in the field. The last possession of the game, #10 PG, Gesell, pounded the ball for 20 seconds while Utoff didn't come close to the ball. I thought to myself, " why does the weakest scoring threat on the floor dominating the basketball????" He ends up throwing up a fadeaway baseline jumper that was an air ball, but bailed out by the push and follow by Woodbury.

So I've concluded, McCaffery is an average coach at best, Iowa is not that good, and we couldn't have asked for a better draw. Iowa got lucky playing Temple. Dunphy is too passive on the sidelines for my liking, but he got Temple to play hard and never quite, but that team lacks scoring power after DeCosey.

So, yes, I am confident about our chances tomorrow. I expect us to win and to cover the 6.5. We will break through and Louisville will be awesome!!!! Let's go Cats!!!!!