This tournament shows how legit Villanova was last season

[NineOneSeven]

Won every game by 10+ in the tournament

Edit: 12+!

 

[bpo57]

And the team that probably played them the toughest was texas tech.

 

[nnyorange]

Strong experienced lead guard play is the key to this tournament. Duke and Kentucky did not have it and it caught up to them despite multiple top 40 players on each roster

 

[syrBossHogg]

Didn’t UNC win by double digits every game in 09 too?

 

[General20]

Won every game by 10+ in the tournament

Edit: 12+!

I believe they should be in the conversation for best college basketball team of all time. Most of those games it felt like they could have chosen the number of points they wanted to win by. Including both in the final 4.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Didn’t UNC win by double digits every game in 09 too?

Yes

 

[longtimefan]

I believe they should be in the conversation for best college basketball team of all time. Most of those games it felt like they could have chosen the number of points they wanted to win by. Including both in the final 4.

I nominate Michigan St., 1979 (Magic Johnson). They only needed to win 5 games to win a title, but get this... they gave each of their 5 opponents their worst loss of the year.

 

[General20]

I nominate Michigan St., 1979 (Magic Johnson). They only needed to win 5 games to win a title, but get this... they gave each of their 5 opponents their worst loss of the year.

That's crazy. Great stat! I was 1 year old at the time so I don't have a personal opinion about them. UConn 1999 and UNC 2009 also stick out to me.

 

[Alsacs]

And the team that probably played them the toughest was texas tech.

West Virginia played Nova the best last year.
That game was tight late into the second half and then Carter for WVU got into foul trouble and Nova pulled away.
Tech played them hard but WVU was leading in the second half at points.

 

[MikeSU02]

I believe they should be in the conversation for best college basketball team of all time. Most of those games it felt like they could have chosen the number of points they wanted to win by. Including both in the final 4.

Come on. Best team of all time? Are you time-boxing it to 2004 and onwards?

 

[bpo57]

I nominate Michigan St., 1979 (Magic Johnson). They only needed to win 5 games to win a title, but get this... they gave each of their 5 opponents their worst loss of the year.

Def one of the best teams of all time. They were beating Penn (who ousted SU that year) by something like 50 to 8 at halftime in the national semifinals.

 

[bpo57]

West Virginia played Nova the best last year.
That game was tight late into the second half and then Carter for WVU got into foul trouble and Nova pulled away.
Tech played them hard but WVU was leading in the second half at points.

Texas Tech was within six with less than two minutes to go. WVU played Nova tough early but were essentially down double digits from the seven minute mark to the end.

 

[Alsacs]

Texas Tech was within six with less than two minutes to go. WVU played Nova tough early but were essentially down double digits from the seven minute mark to the end.

WVU was leading by 5 with 15 minute left.
Was Texas Tech ever ahead?
WVU was down 2 at halftime.
West Virginia vs. Villanova - Play-By-Play - March 23, 2018 - ESPN
Nova pulled away but I thought WVU played them tougher than Tech.

 

[HoustonCuse]

Won every game by 10+ in the tournament

Edit: 12+!

I haven’t done the research but from things I remember hearing throughout the years, I thought this was not all that uncommon in NCAA champions.

 

[OttoMets]

I haven’t done the research but from things I remember hearing throughout the years, I thought this was not all that uncommon in NCAA champions.

Kentucky crushed teams in the first four rounds in 1996, I remember.

 

[CaptainJ]

That's crazy. Great stat! I was 1 year old at the time so I don't have a personal opinion about them. UConn 1999 and UNC 2009 also stick out to me.

That's why the OP deserves more credit. Everything else being mentioned is at least a decade old!

 

[cuseincincy]

Def one of the best teams of all time. They were beating Penn (who ousted SU that year) by something like 50 to 8 at halftime in the national semifinals.

Since you bring up the Penn loss, I feel the need to remind everyone that SU actually beat that Michigan St team with Magic that season in the Carrier Classic. I was there and I believe Magic was the MVP despite SU beating MSU in the final.

 

[longtimefan]

Since you bring up the Penn loss, I feel the need to remind everyone that SU actually beat that Michigan St team with Magic that season in the Carrier Classic. I was there and I believe Magic was the MVP despite SU beating MSU in the final.

You are mixing up your seasons. We beat Magic's MSU team his freshman year. It was his third game in college.

The Spartans won the championship Magic's soph year.

 

[JAXCUSE]

As I recall, Marty Byrnes had a heck of a game.
And deserved the MVP of the Carrier Classic over Magic...

 

[longtimefan]

As I recall, Marty Byrnes had a heck of a game.
And deserved the MVP of the Carrier Classic over Magic...

Boeheim thought so, and, goes the story, ranted in the press room postgame. This may have been an early indication of the bad blood with the local media. Well, that and Roger Springfield.
To make matters worse, later that season the Orange went west and won the Lobo Classic at the Pit, no mean feat; only to have a member of the local, losing team get the MVP. (I think it was Michael Cooper.)

 

[longtimefan]

That's crazy. Great stat! I was 1 year old at the time so I don't have a personal opinion about them. UConn 1999 and UNC 2009 also stick out to me.

Did a bit more research on this. The scores:

vs. Lamar 95-64
vs. LSU 87-71
vs. ND 80-68
vs. Penn 101-67
vs Ind. St 75-64
All double figures.

Interesting tidbit--MSU was not the No. 1 seed in what was then called the Mideast Region--Notre Dame was.

 

[bpo57]

WVU was leading by 5 with 15 minute left.
Was Texas Tech ever ahead?
WVU was down 2 at halftime.
West Virginia vs. Villanova - Play-By-Play - March 23, 2018 - ESPN
Nova pulled away but I thought WVU played them tougher than Tech.

Not trying to be a wise guy but that's why it's a 40 minute game. I thought Texas Tech hung with them longer but in any event the results were fairly similar.

 

[bpo57]

Did a bit more research on this. The scores:

vs. Lamar 95-64
vs. LSU 87-71
vs. ND 80-68
vs. Penn 101-67
vs Ind. St 75-64
All double figures.

Interesting tidbit--MSU was not the No. 1 seed in what was then called the Mideast Region--Notre Dame was.

Yeah that ND team was loaded with guys that had decent to very good NBA careers. Kelly Tripucka, Tracy Jackson, Orlando Woolridge, Bill Laimbeer, Billy Hanzlik. They had gone to the Final Four the previous year.

 

[JAXCUSE]

Boeheim thought so, and, goes the story, ranted in the press room postgame. This may have been an early indication of the bad blood with the local media. Well, that and Roger Springfield.
To make matters worse, later that season the Orange went west and won the Lobo Classic at the Pit, no mean feat; only to have a member of the local, losing team get the MVP. (I think it was Michael Cooper.)

To this day, I believe that win over New Mexico in the Pit is still one of JB’s best regular season victories...
Ended a 50 + home court win streak or something like that ( if memory recalls).
Ahhh the days of listening to Joel on the play by play...

 

[SUFan44]

Strong experienced lead guard play is the key to this tournament. Duke and Kentucky did not have it and it caught up to them despite multiple top 40 players on each roster

Really bodes well for us next year.