BUFFALO, New York – The crown may have been too heavy for Villanova.
One title will have to do.
Saddled with huge expectations and external pressure to repeat as NCAA champions, the Wildcats wilted down the stretch on Saturday and were knocked out of the tournament, 65-62, by eighth-seeded Wisconsin, a team with an even richer March resume.
The end came quickly, but not necessarily unexpectedly for Villanova, which struggled in its opening-round win over Mount St. Mary’s – a game that foreshadowed a quick exit.
It was not meant to be, and with the gap between the Davids and Goliaths in college basketball growing closer and star underclassmen jumping to the NBA more frequently, a team winning back-to-back championships becomes more unlikely.
It’s just hard to do.
While coach Jay Wright and the Wildcats (32-4) did their best to duck any discussions about whether they could win it all again, the possibility hung over them almost from the moment they cut down the nets in Houston last year.
They were attempting to become only the third repeat champion since UCLA’s dynastic run in the 1960s and 1970, joining Duke (1991-92) and Florida (2006-7).
Instead, Villanova became another No. 1 seed toppled by the Badgers, who probably deserved a higher seed and are strolling into the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year.
“I say this every year at Villanova, we can’t take it for granted,” Wright said. “It’s so special to be a part of it. Every time you win and you get a chance to advance, cherish it. You’re playing the best teams in the country. You’re going to come down to games like this. We had a game like this against Kansas last year and we came out of the good side of it. We had a game like this against N.C. State last year, and we had a shot to win it and we missed it.
“To me, there’s no dishonor in losing in this tournament –and we’ve lived through it. You are judged by how you play in this tournament and that’s the reality of it. So, you have to accept it.”