Throughout the season we'll look at bubble teams and assess whether they have a better chance of ending up in the NIT or NCAA Tournament.
Team: Villanova Wildcats
Record: 17-9 (7-7 Big East)
Good Wins: Pitt, UConn
Bad Losses: At Rutgers, at DePaul
Comments: The Wildcats seemed to be cruising to another NCAA berth in January. They were in the top-25 and had beaten Pitt and then a solid road win over Syracuse. Then they lost to Rutgers which was the start of a 5 game slide and losing 6 of 7. They looked to be completely out of the discussion by then. They suffered a controversial loss to Georgetown -- the second such loss on a foul call in the final seconds this season.
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Since then, they won 3 straight including a big win over UConn to get back into the discussion.
Other Views: They are 50th in RPI, 56th on Basketball State, 59th by the Sagarin Ratings.
Verdict: No chance at the NCAA right now. Their non-con was devoid of any notable wins despite a 10-2 record. The loss at Rutgers really hurts them.
The good news for the Wildcats is that they still have a chance. They have to close the season 3-1 which would include beating either Marquette or Louisville. They'd be at 21 wins, 10-8 in the Big East and 7-3 in their final 10 games. Then they need at least one win in the Big East Tournament to make it a lock.
