Villanova hoping for another NCAA upset
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - March 20, 2008 He won't know if it sank in until Friday night, when the
12th-seeded Wildcats take the court against No. 5 seed Clemson
(24-9) in the opening round of the tournament's Midwest Regional.
"We want them to understand these opportunities in life only
come up once in a while," Wright said. "Nothing else is
guaranteed. They've got to take advantage of it right now."
The Wildcats (20-12) were one of the last teams to get into the
tournament. They won six of their final nine games, including what
amounted to an elimination game against Syracuse in the opening
round of the Big East tournament.
But they followed that with a 19-point loss to Georgetown that
put the Wildcats back on the bubble and left them waiting anxiously
for the selection show.
When the brackets were revealed, the players were relieved.
Wright, though, started looking for ways to get them focused on the
Tigers.
Even though the Wildcats have played in the last three NCAA
tournaments and reached a regional final two years ago before
losing to eventual champion Florida, Wright was concerned his young
team would be content with just getting in and already looking
toward next season.
No chance.
"We feel privileged to be in this position right now," guard
and leading scorer Scottie Reynolds said. "The great teams that go
on to win and be champions are the ones that are not satisfied. ...
We've got more to go."
History might agree.
No program has recorded more upsets in the NCAA tournament than
Villanova, which has 12 wins as a lower-seeded team since 1979.
"The basketball program means a lot, but also the kind of guys
you get when you get to the NCAA tournament," Wright said. "They
know there's a lot expected of them and they take pride in that
tradition. I hope we can keep that up in this tournament."
Clemson would prefer not to be another victim.
In the NCAA field for the first time since 1998, the Tigers are
hoping to build on their late-season push.
They won seven of their last 10 games and advanced to the
championship game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament
before losing to top-seeded North Carolina 86-81.
Nonetheless, none of Clemson's players knows what it's like to
play in the NCAA's premier basketball event.
"I don't think we're concerned about a lack of experience in
the NCAA tournament because we've played tournament-worthy teams
and teams that are in the tournament," said senior guard Cliff
Hammonds, who pointed to last year's NIT run. "We've been in
tournament atmospheres and tournament situations. ... We're just as
tournament-experienced as any team in the country because of
that."
Teammate K.C. Rivers agreed, saying the only ACC-Big East
matchup in the opening round should come down to something much
less tangible than experience.
"At this point in time in the season, there are no records,"
he said. "The seeds play no factor. It's just a matter of who
wants it more. Who wants to win and advance. It's not about how
long or how many years you've been to the tournament or how many
times you've made it. It's about who wants it the most. That's what
it comes down to."
For Wright and the Wildcats, though, it might come down to
making sure they can avoid a letdown.
"I think what affects your team the most is the mind-set,"
Wright said. "It's not their seed. It's how they're playing coming
into the tournament. I think our guys feel like we're playing
well."