It was 2009 when the Villanova Wildcats last made it to the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. The team was led by junior guard Scottie Reynolds and senior forward Dante Cunningham, and of course head coach Jay Wright. The team lost to the eventual champions, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Seven years later, with Wright still leading the team, along with senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono and senior Daniel Ochefu, the Wildcats have clawed and scratched their way into the National Championship game after a sound win against Kansas to put them into the Final Four last weekend, and a blowout of Oklahoma on Saturday. Out of the three Philadelphia-based schools that made it into the tournament (Temple, Saint Joseph’s, and Villanova), Villanova has shown their true strength and team chemistry, which has resulted in them making it this far, and this deep in the tournament.

 
The success hasn’t come overnight though. Wright has put a team together that can play together and win together. That is the big difference between Villanova and the other three teams in the tournament. Villanova doesn’t have just one star player that causes other teams to just double team, they have a collection of very capable players that play the game unselfishly. It starts with Ryan Arcidiacono bringing the ball upcourt and making smart passes to find the best shot available. The Wildcats resemble the play of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. Spread the ball around and take the best shot. Basketball is a team sport and when the team plays together, like a team, the amount of success, and ultimately wins, are endless.

 
The key to their win on Saturday was exceptional ball movement that led to taking high percentage shots. Because of this, they set a Final Four record with the largest margin of victory in a Final Four game (44 points), and the second highest field goal percentage resulting in a win (71.4%). Honestly, with Villanova’s style of play, they should come out on top against North Carolina. Their unselfish, tenacious play has gotten them this far in the tournament, and it can be the reason they win a championship.

 
With the Villanova Wildcats touching down in Houston last week, their minds are set and focused for their showdown tonight at 9:19pm on TBS. Look forward to Villanova making Philadelphia proud by giving the North Carolina Tar heels all they can handle for 40 minutes. The stage is set and the time has come for Villanova to capture an NCAA Championship.