Hi, Chas...I'm glad to see you're still having fun following the story. I'm still enjoying bringing it to life.

It looks like Wayne is a junior at Elder this year. I'll bring him into next year's recruiting class, as a graduate of the Class of 2041. He's 6'10", 236 pounds, and a very good student with a 3.37 GPA and a 1320 test score.

Thanks for being part of the story!

November 23, 2039
@#1 Villanova 82, Valparaiso 71
This is one of the wackiest games Coach Sims has ever seen, and he's coached over a thousand of them.

We break our school record for field goal attempts, firing 87 shots. That's one every 28 seconds. Forty-one of those shots are three-pointers; one more, and we'd have tied that record, too. Only 31 of our shots go in, however, and only 9 of the three-pointers.

John Cannon, one of the few Wildcats to shoot decently, goes 9-for-19 and scores 26 points. Nick Spencer scores 13, but he needs 23 shots to do so. Nick misfires on 13 of the 14 threes he attempts. He does, however, steal the ball 8 times, and he hands out 6 assists.

DeAndre Brown finishes with 17 points, Chris Wilson with 13 and 9 rebounds. Zak Marshall pulls down 11 rebounds.
Record: 5-0.


November 26, 2039
#1 Villanova 91, @Emory 46
We journey to Atlanta and send the Eagles down to their sixth defeat in as many games. The teams of the UAA can hardly wait for conference play.

Zayden Calhoun scores 27 points and snares 8 rebounds. Freshman reserves Forrest Curl and John Cannon add 14 and 12, respectively. Chris Wilson scores 10 points; Nick Spencer scores 9 with 7 assists.

We still shoot poorly, making only 4 of 19 threes. We'll have to fix that before January.
Record: 7-0.


November 30, 2039
The Blue Devils deliver a large dose of reality, routing us in front of our home fans.

We can beat Emory, and even Valpo, when we shoot badly and turn the ball over. When we do that against Duke, we get hammered.

Duke's senior guard Jake Joyce comes within an assist of a triple-double, getting the better of our Nick Spencer at both ends of the floor. Zak Marshall and Chris Wilson play well for us, but it's not enough.
Record: 6-1.

December 1, 2039

Then, on the heels of bad news from last night...

...some very good news from the O'Halloran home. Dan has decided to stay close to home, and he'll play his college basketball at Villanova.

If Dan is as good as we think he is, he'll take his place beside Avery Sullivan and Sebastian Roberts as the best big men ever to play for Villanova. He might be a more complete player than either of them.

Dan and Israel Moody give us two of the five most highly-touted players in their class. They'll almost surely be with us for only three years, but that's to be expected with players this gifted.

December 4, 2039
@#1 Villanova 78, LaSalle 46
When you aren't shooting well, you can still win basketball games if you keep your opponent from shooting well, too. That's the formula we employ against the Explorers, and it works a treat.

Zayden Calhoun (20p/8r, 4-5 from three) does manage to shoot well. Chris Wilson (20p/9r/2b) scores a lot of points, but he takes a lot of shots, too (20 FGA). John Cannon (13p/4r) continues to be a source of instant offense. Zak Marshall (7r/4b) does big man things; Nick Spencer (7p/6a) does guard things.
Record: 7-1.


December 8, 2039
See what I did there?

I should have thought about how the new teams in my world would stock their rosters for their first year: with a motley crew of freshman walk-ons. If I had, I would have never invited them to play Villanova.

Since I can't swap poor Amherst for another opponent, I decide to trust this game to the Villanova reserves and walk-ons.

It goes very well. Jordi Ballester and Forrest Curl operate well inside; Jordi gives off some strong Blue Collar Man vibes, and Forrest creates some offense. Promising first year Kai Smith runs the point with flair and composure. Nick O'Brien struggles a bit, but still finishes with 11 points and 4 assists. And David Lovett absolutely balls out.

We have one more game against newcomers on our schedule, and I'll coach it the same way.
Record: 8-1.


December 12, 2039
@#3 Villanova 84, Northwestern 34
The first string returns to action tonight and spank the visitors from Chicagoland hard.

DeAndre Brown excels with 20 points and 5 steals. Zak Marshall controls the paint, grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking a half dozen shots. John Cannon knocks down 4 of 7 three-pointers and finishes with 18 points. Zayden Calhoun, still enduring a shooting slump, scores 12 and rebounds 5.

We're still not making our threes (11-for-33, which is almost exactly our success rate for the season), and we took a lot of them despite my adjusting down our tendency to shoot them.
Record: 9-1.

December 16, 2039
#4 Villanova 87, @William & Mary 76
Exams are over, so the team can spend a bit more time on its road trip to Virginia. After a team walk in the historic area at Colonial Williamsburg the evening before, the Wildcats take to the court at William & Mary and knock off the Tribe.

Zak Marshall, who's a History major, enjoys both activities very much. His 16 points, 10 boards, and 4 blocks earn him a PotG award. John Cannon (14p), DeAndre Brown (11p/7r), and Chris Wilson (11p/6r/2b) join him in double figures.

Tony Flaherty returns to the court, scoring a basket and grabbing a rebound in two minutes of action.
Record: 10-1.


December 19, 2039
@#3 Villanova 68, Creighton 46
The top four teams in this week's media poll are all Big East teams. Our preparation for the demands of conference play continue, as we smother the Blue Jays back at Wawa Arena.

Chris Wilson (19p/13r/2b), Zayden Calhoun (10p/6a/4r) and John Cannon (11p/4a) distinguish themselves, and everyone plays solid defense.
Record: 11-1.


December 22, 2039
We give the second team some action against Macalester, who enter the game 0-8 for the season. The Scots don't win tonight, either, but they aren't humiliated, either. And, to Macalester's credit, they aren't playing against some dudes from an intramural league.

Forrest Curl is a Green/Green player. Jordi Ballester is Green/Blue. So is David Lovett. David was a five-star recruit; Forrest and Jordi were four-star, Top 100 guys. Even Nick O'Brien is an Orange/Green walk-on. Macalester won't play a better team all year than the Villanova squad they face tonight.

David, Jordi, and Forrest look good again, as do walk-ons Derek Lamb and John Locklear.
Record: 12-1.


December 31, 2039
@#1 Villanova 72, Lafayette 50
Tonight is the last night of the '30s, a decade that has been a very good one for Graham Sims and Villanova basketball. We mark the occasion with a return to the top spot in the media poll, and a victory over the team that gave Coach Sims his start. Tonight's victory gives him a very symmetrical 888 career wins (against 144 losses).

Tony Flaherty celebrates his return to the starting five with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3, blocks, and 2 steals. Tony's fellow starters, Chris Wilson (13p/9r), Nick Spencer (11p), Zayden Calhoun (10p/7r/5a/3s), and Zak Marshall (6p/6r/3b), all do good things.

We still shoot badly: 41 percent from the floor, 24 percent from three. I think this might be more than a slump.
Record: 13-1.

January 2, 2040

Our RPI suffers from my decision to schedule three brand-new Division I teams. I fully expect it to improve now that we're playing against the Big East.


I deliberately tried to keep all the new teams off the bottom of the Prestige list. I wonder if they'll be able to recruit some decent incoming freshmen this year?

The most impressive victory recorded by one of the newbies has to be Amherst's 61-52 victory over local rival Massachusetts. UMass is an Atlantic 10 school with a Prestige of 58. Kenyon beat William & Mary, 63-54, and Haverford came close to upsetting Seton Hall, losing 52-45.

Carleton beat Northwestern, but that's not as impressive as it might seem. The Wildcats are horrible. They're 0-13, and you might remember them losing 84-34 to us.

The newbies' other victories have come at each other's expense, or in matchups against other low-Prestige teams from around the nation.

January 4, 2040
@#1 Villanova 95, #17 Syracuse 64
26 points from Zayden Calhoun and 20 more from Tony Flaherty power us to a victory in our Big East lid-lifter.

John Cannon scores 15 off the bench. Zak Marshall (7p/11r/3b) and backup Forrest Curl (10r) play well against the Orange big men.
Record: 14-1 (1-0).


January 7, 2040
What a delightfully weird, weirdly delightful team this year's Villanova Wildcats are!

We can't shoot threes, which our teams usually do very well. Our .315 percentage from behind the arc is ranked #257 in the nation. Graham Sims, at age 60, could probably shoot that well.

But boy, can we play defense! UConn isn't a great offensive team, but they usually score 20 points more than they do against us tonight.

And we're good at making two-point shots: 28-for-48 tonight. Someone must have told this year's team that it's 1990, not 2040, and the mid-range game is back in vogue.

I like the balanced scoring, and the disruptive defense of Zak Marshall with his steals and blocks.
Record: 15-1 (2-0).


January 9, 2040
This year's formula for success works well against Georgetown tonight, too.

We hold James Sanders, Jr., who has taken his offensive game to a new level this year, to 10 points, just over half his season's average. Josh Medley gets his points, but we force him into 5 turnovers. With the exception of John Cannon, we fling bricks from behind the arc. But we do everything else well, and we end up with a big road win.
Record: 16-1 (3-0).


January 11, 2040
@#1 Villanova 71, #2 Boston College 50
Two nights after we beat the #3 team in the nation, we welcome the #2 team to Wawa Arena. It's a matchup between the two most efficient defenses in college basketball, and ours has the upper hand tonight.

We play at a fast pace, taking 70 shots to UConn's 49. We revert to launching lots of threes (33) and make only 10 of them. Only two Wildcats--Zayden Calhoun (19p/6r) and Nick Spencer (16p) score in double figures. But we win the turnover battle, 22-9, and Chris Wilson turns back 4 shots.

It's been a wild two weeks, but we emerge from them in excellent shape.
Record: 17-1 (4-0).

January 16, 2040
#1 Villanova 79, @Seton Hall 62
We defeat the Pirates and put up 79 points without making a single three-point basket. Our accuracy from the free throw line (11-for-13, almost 85 percent) and on two-point field goal attempts (34-for-59, almost 58 percent) make up for our 0-for-13 performance from long range.

Tony Flaherty leads us with 23 points; Nick Spencer and Zayden Calhoun score 10 each. Playing 28 minutes in relief of a foul-plagued Chris Wilson, Jordi Ballester scores 8 points with 11 boards.
Record: 18-1 (5-0).


January 23, 2040
Tony Flaherty plays the best game of his career to date, and we knock off the Panthers in a high-scoring, exciting contest.

Tony does more than a bit of everything tonight; he scores 33 points, grabs 7 rebounds, hands out 5 assists, and makes 6 steals. No wonder he's expected to hear his name called early on Draft Night this April. (Yes, I'm resigned to the fact Tony will be leaving us this spring.)

Unselfish play (28 assists), active defense (25 forced turnovers) and surprising accuracy from three-point land are important keys to an important victory.
Record: 19-1 (6-0).


January 25, 2040
Now it's time for Chris Wilson and Zayden Calhoun to play the heroes, scoring 27 points each and impacting the game in other ways, too.

We're 23-for-27 from the charity stripe and 30-for-50 on our two-point shots. Toss in a decent number of threes, and we manage to outscore Providence on a night when the Friars' offense is hitting on all cylinders.

We're finding a lot of different ways to win this season.
Record: 20-1 (7-0).

February 1, 2040
#1 Villanova 80, @Connecticut 63
The hapless Huskies remain winless in Big East competition, as we deliver a confident performance up in Hartford.

Zayden Calhoun scores 24 points, with Chris Wilson and Tony Flaherty adding 15 each. Nick Spencer scores 10 with 8 assists, and Zak Marshall finishes with 8 points and 8 boards.
Record: 21-1 (8-0).


February 4, 2040
Zayden Calhoun becomes the tenth player in Villanova history to score at least 1500 career points, leading us to victory over St. John's at Wawa Arena. Z achieves this milestone in only 97 games.

Plenty of Zayden's teammates play well on his special night, especially his friend and classmate Jordi Ballester. No longer unhappy about his situation at Villanova, Jordi is enjoying a fine season; he's making 55 percent of his shots and is our most productive rebounder on a per minute basis, by far.
Record: 22-1 (9-0).


February 6, 2040
#1 Villanova 88, @Syracuse 70
We erase a 2-for-13 nightmare from three-point distance by grabbing 50 rebounds and making most of our other shots.

Tony Flaherty packs 19 points and 3 blocks into 18 minutes before foul trouble catches up with him. Zayden Calhoun (14p/7r/4a), Zak Marshall (11p/11r), Chris Wilson (11p/8r/3b), and Jordi Ballester (6p/9r) also distinguish themselves.
Record: 23-1 (10-0).


February 8, 2040
We complete a sweep of our regular season contests against Georgetown. Those two losses are the only ones the Hoyas have suffered.

Have you noticed how often Zayden Calhoun is the Player of the Game in our most important contests? Not for nothing has he been nicknamed Z-Money. Tonight, he scores 15 points on only 9 shots, making other contributions and turning the ball over only once.

And, on a night when his shot isn't falling, Tony Flaherty finds other ways to help us win.

In other news: Unless Lafayette can win the East Coast Conference tournament, they might fail to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years. The Leopards have a 16-8 record, 7-3 in conference play; Lehigh is right behind them at 6-4.

Villanova last missed the Big Dance in 2024/25.
Record: 24-1 (11-0).

February 13, 2040
It's a very important win for us, at a place where it's very hard for opposing teams to find much happiness. The Eagles entered tonight's game 15-1 at the Conte Forum, and they lead, 41-38, at the half before Zayden Calhoun and Tony Flaherty take control of the game.

Tony buries all 3 of the triples he attempts in the second half, and Zayden goes 5-for-6 from the field, including 3 treys of his own.

The victory is the 900th of Graham Sims' distinguished career; his lifetime record now stands at 900-144.
Record: 25-1 (12-0).


February 15, 2040
@#1 Villanova 101, Seton Hall 56
Tonight belongs to Zayden Calhoun, who scorches the Pirates for 38 points. Z ties a career high, which he set one year and one day ago. Only Mason Reynolds' 52-point masterpiece in 2035 ranks higher. He supplements his scoring with 9 rebounds, too.

Chris Wilson (22p/5a/5r/3b), Tony Flaherty (13p/6a/3s), Zak Marshall (9p/10r/4b), and Nick Spencer (9p/6a) play strong supporting roles.

For the second straight game, we shoot well from long range, making 7 of our 15 three-point tries.
Record: 26-1 (13-0).


February 22, 2040
We clinch the Big East regular season title with a win against our cross-state rival. Such is the caliber of this year's Big East that the #8 team in the country has a 7-6 record in conference play.

We fall behind by as many as eight points in the first half, and trail 48-41 at the intermission. An 8-0 run after the break gives us the lead, and while the Panthers cut that lead to a single point with two minutes remaining, we never relinquish it again.

Tanner McLaughlin, whom we recruited as a high school senior, plays a very good game against us, but we counter with an assertive performance from Tony Flaherty.

The Panthers defend our shooters well, denying us open three-pointers, but we make 4 of the 9 we do take.
Record: 27-1 (14-0).


February 29, 2040
#1 Villanova 70, @St. John's 52
The Johnnies have no answer for Zayden Calhoun, who hits 4 of his 8 three-point tries and scores 30 points, while a spirited team effort on defense holds the home team to 52.

Tony Flaherty (10p/5r/5a/2b) and DeAndre Brown (10 points in 14 minutes) are the only other Wildcats in double figures. Zak Marshall (8r/5b) and Chris Wilson (6r/3b) patrol the paint effectively.
Record: 28-1 (15-0).


March 3, 2040
@#1 Villanova 78, Providence 49
We complete a perfect regular season in the Big East with a Senior Day victory over the Friars.

The team's only senior is walk-on Derek Lamb. Derek starts, and plays 20 minutes; he's a perfect 2-for-2 from the floor and 1-for-1 from the line, he grabs 2 rebounds, and makes a steal. The 6'6" forward also blocks 3 shots.

Zayden Calhoun, almost certainly playing his final game at Wawa Arena, too, picks up where he left off and scores 27 points. Z adds 11 rebounds and 2 steals.

Zak Marshall (11p/12r/3b) and Chris Wilson (12p/4r), who yields his starting spot to Derek, are effective, and so are backcourt pests Nick Spencer (4s), Kai Smith (2s) and DeAndre Brown (3s).
Record: 29-1 (16-0).

March 9, 2040



Connecticut, who beat Seton Hall in the play-in game, will be our first opponent in the Big East tournament.

Big East Tournament, Second Round
(1) #1 Villanova 97, (9) Connecticut 61
We discover some of our old three-point magic, sinking 11 of 22 from behind the arc in a decisive victory.

Zayden Calhoun (21p/6a/4r/5s), Nick Spencer (18p/4a/3r/3s), Nick Flaherty (16p/8r/3b), Chris Wilson (13p/9r), and Zak Marshall (8p/9r/5b) enjoy strong outings.
Record: 30-1.


March 10, 2040
Big East Tournament Semifinal
(1) #1 Villanova 98, (5) Syracuse 73
Zayden Calhoun scores 26 as we advance to the Big East championship game.

Z receives quality help from Nick Spencer, who scores 12 points, makes 6 steals, and hands out a career-high 13 assists; Zak Marshall, who posts a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double with 3 blocks; and Tony Flaherty, who combines 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal.

Meanwhile, it appears Lafayette's ticket to the Big Dance has been snatched away. They lose to Rider, 85-80, in the semifinal of the East Coast Conference tourney. With a 19-10 record and an RPI of 109, they'll almost certainly find themselves NIT-bound.
Record: 31-1.


March 11, 2040
Big East Tournament Championship
Once again, Zayden Calhoun plays his best basketball when the stakes are highest, powering us to the Big East tournament championship. Look carefully at the box score, and you'll see how much he does to help us win, besides scoring those 36 points.

Graham's teams have now won seven Big East tournament championships.
Record: 32-1.

I had to share this Cinderella story from the Midwest Conference, one of the three home-made leagues I added to my game.

Grinnell was one of the two or three worst teams among the 374 in my version of Division I. The Pioneers finished the regular season with a 5-24 record. In the final week of the regular season, they showed signs of life, winning 48-21(!!) at Denison and 70-52 at home against St. Olaf. Even with those victories, Grinnell found themselves in the Midwest tournament play-in game, facing 8th-place Carleton.

The Pioneers won that game, 62-52, behind 16 points from Anibal Hargis and 15 from Tyree Lindholm. That earned them a shot at top-seed Washington-St. Louis, who had rolled to a 13-3 mark in conference play.

Forward Garry Meyer struck for 18 points--almost double his team-high 9.7 PPG--as the Pioneers shocked the Bears, 69-58. Lindholm added 12 points.

Next up was Chicago, led by Reno Dutra, the league's top scorer. Dutra scored his usual 15 points, but the Pioneers controlled the other Maroons and won, 62-52. Meyer and sixth man Lynwood Garner scored 11 points, and Lindholm completed a double-double (10p/10r).

Cinderella had one dance left on her card: a date with Case Western Reserve. The prize would be a trip to the biggest Dance of all.
Case Western led, 45-40, at the half, but Grinnell stormed back to capture the Midwest Conference tournament!

The Pioneers will face Bowdoin, the winner of the New England Conference tourney, in a First Four matchup.

Guess who the winner will play in the first round of the tournament proper...?

March 11, 2040

We're seeded first in the East Region once again, and the other top seeds are Georgetown (West), Duke (Midwest), and Kentucky (South). You'll remember that Duke was the team that handed us our only defeat of the season.

March 13, 2040
NCAA East Region Play-In Game
I wish I'd saved the log of this game. I want so much to know how it ended! In my head-canon, the Pioneers win it with a buzzer-beating three, perhaps by Parker Hood. Parker hasn't had a chance to be a hero yet.

The Cinderella from the Hawkeye State advances into the tournament proper, where they'll meet Graham Sims' mighty Villanova Wildcats.

March 16, 2040
NCAA East Region, First Round
I never considered playing with the depth chart the way I did against the tiny schools I scheduled during the regular season. This is the NCAA tournament. The Grinnell players are champions, men who won their conference tournament against long odds. It would be disrespectful of Graham Sims to approach this game as if it were a scrimmage.

Graham knows the Grinnell coach, Larry Adair, quite well. Coach Adair is no slouch. He's an excellent recruiter, and he has a knack for coaching offense, too. He was a member of James Sweet's staff at Duke, and had the head job at Coppin State for several years. Coach Adair welcomes the chance to match wits with a Hall of Famer like Graham, and his players look forward to opposing the Villanova stars on the court.

One day, Parker Hood can tell his grandchildren that he stole the ball from Zayden Calhoun. Anibal Hargis, a New Jersey guy who grew up rooting for Villanova, might point out that he defended Zak Marshall well enough that Zak only took two shots all game, and he blocked one of them. Kurt Roberts will fondly remember the night he came off the bench and scored 11 points against Villanova in the NCAA tournament.

The handshake line at the end of the game is cordial. "I respect what those guys did to get here," Zayden says after the game. They won four games in their conference tournament and a play-in game. All of them are freshmen. I wished them luck for next season. I hope they make it back here next year."
Record: 33-1.


March 18, 2040
NCAA East Region, Second Round
(1) #1 Villanova 82, (8) California 52
The Golden Bears feature sophomore guard Chris Glassman, who was the #1 recruit in his high school class. Glassman can play--he averaged almost 18 PPG this year--and he scores 16 against us today.

We hold every other Cal player to single digits, however, and Zayden Calhoun stays in form; he hits 29 points for the second straight game.

Tony Flaherty (17p/8r/4s), DeAndre Brown (10p/5r), and Zak Marshall (6p/13r/3b) also play particularly well.
Record: 34-1.


March 23, 2040
NCAA East Region Semifinal: the Sweet Sixteen
(1) #1 Villanova 82, (4) #25 Maryland 60
If this NCAA tournament is Zayden Calhoun's last ride, he's making it a memorable one. The junior wing pours in 27 points to lead us to a place in the East Region final. He adds 5 assists, tying Kai Smith for the team high in that category, too.

His classmate Tony Flaherty, who is also likely to declare for the draft following the tournament, scores 19 with 3 steals. Zac Marshall scores 8 points and grabs 9 boards.
Record: 35-1.


March 25, 2040
NCAA East Region Final: the Elite Eight
(1) #1 Villanova 84, (7) Syracuse 60
The Orange make it to the region final, upsetting two better seeds along the way, but they can't make it past us. We defeat the Orange for the third time this season, and punch our ticket to the Final Four.

Zayden Calhoun faces especially tenacious defense and is held to 10 points, but reserve John Cannon picks up the slack with 24. Fellow second teamer Kai Smith finishes with 10; Chris Wilson scores 12 with 8 rebounds; Zak Marshall scores 8, rebounds 8 and rejects 5.

It's Villanova's eighth trip to the Final Four, and Coach Sims' tenth.
Record: 36-1.

March 31, 2040
Top seeds Kentucky and Villanova are joined in the Final Four by two teams that very few people picked to get there.

Kansas is one of the nation's most successful programs; the Jayhawks' 831 lifetime wins ranks second only to Villanova's 849. However, they're a 9 seed this year; Blaine Boyd has coached as well as he ever has to get this flock of birds to the Final Four. They beat Duke in the second round and sent another Cinderella, Kent State, home before beating South Florida in the Elite Eight. The Jayhawks will face us in the national semifinal.

Kentucky will play Temple, a 10 seed who beat Kansas State, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Utah to get there.

Graham Sims and Blaine Boyd have been friends for years. Decades ago, they were considered among the brightest young coaches in the nation. Coach Boyd took Dayton to the Final Four in 2013, earning himself an offer from Pitt. A decade later, Coach Sims arrived at Villanova, and their friendly rivalry intensified. Coach Boyd surprised many when he left Pitt for Kansas, fresh after leading the Panthers to the 2035 national championship.

Tonight, the two coaches with a combined record of 1623-438 meet for a chance to win another NCAA title, and Graham's Wildcats come out on top.

Zayden Calhoun regains his scoring touch, but the all-round excellence of Tony Flaherty and the tenacity of the 'Nova defense, which forces 28 Kansas turnovers, are the bigger stories tonight.


April 2, 2040
NCAA Championship Game
Philadelphia is the center of the college basketball universe tonight, as two of its storied programs battle for a national crown.

Villanova's overtime victory over Temple gives the Wildcats program its fifth national championship. For their coach, Graham Sims, it's the sixth. Both totals are unmatched in college basketball history.

That outcome doesn't seem likely when Temple takes a 54-44 lead into the first media timeout of the second half. But the Wildcats claw their way back into the game, sparked by the shooting of John Cannon. The freshman wing hits three consecutive baskets, the last one a three-pointer, to erase the Owls' lead.

The Wildcats lead, 83-80, with eight seconds left, but James Santos drills a three-pointer from the left wing to tie the score as the buzzer sounds.

Santos has another chance to extend the game in the closing seconds of the overtime period. Zayden Calhoun slashes to the hoop and scores to give us a 96-94 lead with eight seconds left. These two points give Zayden 23 for the game, and they are, almost certainly, the final two points of his distinguished collegiate career.

The Owls advance into the frontcourt. Santos drives the baseline and misses, but there's a whistle: he's been fouled by Cannon. James is a 70 percent shooter for his three-year career. He's made one of two free throws tonight. If he makes both of these, we're probably headed for another extra period.

Two seconds remain as Santos steps to the line. His first foul shot rims out.

Santos takes a step back from the line, looking up at the ceiling, and places his hands over his face. He takes the ball back, draws a deep breath, and sinks the second. It's a tribute to his resilience, but that's no consolation for him now.

On the other sideline, Graham Sims and his Villanova players do not celebrate when Santos misses. "You don't cheer and act all hyped up when someone misses like that," senior Derek Lamb explains. "You save it for the final buzzer. Then it's time to celebrate. Not before."

When the buzzer sounds, Lamb is the first player to embrace his coach. For everyone else on the Villanova sideline, players and coaches alike, it's their first national championship.

"I'm glad we got the chance to do this again," Graham says to his player.
Record: 38-1.

April 2, 2040

Zayden Calhoun becomes the third player in Villanova history to be selected to the All American first team. It's hard to believe no Wildcat earned that honor until Mason Reynolds in 2036.

I'm delighted to see Tony Flaherty join Z as an All American, lining up besides James Sanders, Jr. in the second team frontcourt.

Maybe Tadgh Phelan realized he'd have a hard time forcing either Calhoun or Flaherty out of our starting lineup, and chose Georgetown for that reason. I'm not sure if the AI for recruits is sensitive enough to evaluate their potential for playing time as freshmen.

To nobody's surprise, Zayden and Tony are chosen for the All-Big East first team, too. We recruited all five of the first team players heavily enough for me to have posted their "hero cards" when they were high school seniors.

It's great to see our sophomores, Zak and Chris, earn post-season honors. For Chris, it's his second mention; he was on the Freshman Team last season. That's where Kai, our backup point guard, ends up this year.

And Graham's undefeated season in conference play earns him the Big East Coach of the Year award.

April 2, 2040


Adjusting our offense to rely less on three-point shooting was the right move. We end up averaging 18.6 three-point attempts per game, almost exactly in the middle of the rankings. That average includes our relatively free-wheeling approach early in the year; by crunch time, we probably averaged several fewer threes per game. And, as we became more selective, our percentage went up.

We finished second in the nation in scoring, first in field goal percentage, and first in assists per game. Those have become hallmarks of the way Villanova plays. We also led the nation in steals per game and turnovers forced, which is a new trend that I'm starting to like.

Our offensive efficiency (113.7) trails only South Dakota State's 115.9. We're also second in defensive efficiency at 83.7; Pepperdine was first at 82.7.


Zayden led the Big East in scoring, passing David Getty late in the season. Tony finished seventh. Nick was third in assists, but Zayden (7th) and Tony (8th) were also in the top ten.

Tony and Nick placed first and second in steals, with Zayden not far back in sixth. Zak was fourth in blocks and seventh in rebounding.

We learn today that Zayden, Tony, and David Lovett are all entering this year's professional draft, so I'll have three Farewells and a Tribute to write.

2039/40 Farewell

DAVID LOVETT

Sometimes, things just don't work out. That's what happened with David Lovett.

David didn't turn out to be quite as good a player as we thought when we scouted him; neither his shooting or his defense graded out as high as we hoped. And, then, he didn't seem to develop his game very much after he arrived.

The David Lovett we thought we were getting would have forced his way into the rotation, at least. The version we got couldn't manage to do so, not with the competition he faced.

David was never happy here, so perhaps it's best that he's going pro. I hope he finds what he wants.

Thanks for the memories, David.

2039/40 Farewell

TONY FLAHERTY

On the other hand, we got exactly the player we hoped we'd get with Tony Flaherty: a scoresheet-filling, all-purpose player who did so many things to help us win basketball games.

The five-star recruit from the Big Apple spent his first two seasons with us as an increasingly important member of our rotation. This season, Tony moved into the starting five, and overcame an early-season injury to emerge as a star.

Tony made his biggest impact on the defensive end of the floor. He could, and did, guard positions one through five. He used his length to lead the conference in steals, a rare feat for a 6'7", 239-pound player. At the same time, however, he was a fine second option that forced teams to concentrate on someone other than Zayden Calhoun.

Professional scouts have grown to like Tony's game more and more over the course of his years on the Main Line. He's almost certain to be a lottery pick, and his basketball future looks bright.

Thanks for the memories, Tony.

2039/40 Farewell

ZAYDEN CALHOUN

And sometimes you expect a lot from a player who delivers all you expect, and more.
A look at Zayden's list of achievements reveals how important he has been to our program. We expected him to start as a freshman, and he turned out to be the National Freshman of the Year. He worked at every aspect of his game, improving steadily every year.

Had Z only been a shooter, his jumper would have made him a valuable player. The fact that he could, and did, do much more made him one of the best players we've ever had.

Zayden departs as our sixth leading scorer, but that's a bit deceiving; with 19 more points--an average game for him this season--he'd move into second. He also ranks fourth in three-pointers made, sixth in steals, and tenth in assists. And, as you saw this year, Zayden lifted his game to match the importance of the contest. He earned the Z-Money nickname.

I would love to see him stay another year, but he's ready for the pros. He's certainly been a legitimate student, making excellent progress on a degree in Accounting.

When I signed Zayden, I wrote of him, "programs are built around recruits like Zayden." He's certainly made our program better than it was.

Thanks for the memories, Zayden.

2039/40 Senior Tribute

DEREK LAMB

Take a look at Derek Lamb's achievement list. Do you notice anything especially noteworthy there?

Three men in the history of my college basketball world have been part of more than two NCAA championship teams. One of them is, of course, Graham Sims, who has six championship rings in his collection, collected over the course of a 29-year coaching career.

The other is Derek Lamb, who has been with us for the past five seasons.

Derek walked on and took a redshirt his freshman year. We usually don't redshirt walk-ons; as often as not, we end up cutting them. Derek was a good student, however, and he had some upside as a player.

That season, we went on to win the national championship; we came back and won it again the next season, with Derek scoring his first career basket. He played very sparingly for the next two years, but this season he got a significant opportunity to show what he was capable of doing. He started four games, averaging over 10 minutes per appearance, and made well over half his shots. And, he earned a third NCAA championship ring.

Derek will graduate in a few weeks with a degree in Cultural Studies. He'll remain with the Villanova basketball program as a graduate assistant; he thinks he'd like to pursue a career in coaching. We'll be very happy to have him on board once again.

Thanks for the memories, Derek.

April 7, 2040

One out of every four lottery picks in this years draft played his college ball at Villanova.

David Getty of Boston College was the first overall pick, as expected. The next name called was Zayden Calhoun's. Tony Flaherty was chosen at #5, and David Lovett at #10.

James Sanders, Jr. left Georgetown after three years, and was chosen right before Tony, at #4. And Kentucky center Mark Rotz, Dane Barlow's old nemesis, was the #3 pick.

Despite having only two incoming recruits, our class ranked second in the nation.

Dan O'Halloran is every bit as good as we hoped he would be, and Israel Moody is, too. Don't be surprised if both players start as freshmen.


Most of the Big East recruited well, as usual. Jon LaFramboise is going to be a very good player, a worthy foe for Dan O'Halloran.

I was shocked by Georgetown's class, until I took a look at their roster. They're still in very good shape, with three dynamic sophomores.

On the other hand, how is Seton Hall going to keep up?

May 1, 2040

The head coach hiring period was remarkably quiet this spring. We'll have to replace our Coaching Assistant, as Greg Seward has been hired to take the top job at Siena.

We hire Erik Bayless, a veteran coach who has spent most of his career at different colleges in Texas: as an assistant at Texas and, most recently, at Texas Tech, and as the big whistle at Texas Southern. Coach Bayless is 53, and he's known as an offensive specialist (Offense 100, Defense 48).

None of the players in the transfer portal appealed to me very much. The best was a shooting guard with a good jumper, but he won't play defense and he's an indifferent student.

July 1, 2040

We begin this year's recruiting season with two available scholarships, although we can free up three more if we cut some walk-ons. I'm very tempted to do that; not because our walk-ons are so terrible, but because we have five of them right now, and two of our junior scholarship players are highly-regarded professional prospects.

Here's how our roster looks right now. I've included the players' year of eligibility, and I included only one walk-on, because he's promising.

C: O'Halloran (1), Marshall (3), Curl (2)
PF: Wilson (3), Ballester (4), Curl (2)
SF: Marshall? (3), Cannon? (2), Moody (1)
SG: Cannon (2) or Brown (3)
PG: Spencer (4), Smith (2), O'Brien (2w)

And here's what it will look like in 2041/42, if the anticipated three-and-dones turn pro at the end of their junior seasons:
C: O'Halloran (2), Curl (3)
PF: Curl (3)
SF: Moody (2), Cannon? (3)
SG: Cannon (3) or Brown (4)
PG: Smith (3), O'Brien (3w)

A year from now, we might have only six scholarship players unless I stock the cupboard.

Our two scholarship seniors are our starting point guard and an increasingly important rotation big man. I'll definitely want to recruit for those two positions. The guard can be a project, because Kai Smith is going to be superb. If there's an excellent big who wants to play for us, we might prioritize him. Forrest Curl seems best suited to be a versatile rotation guy.

I think I'll cut at least one walk-on, perhaps two.

There is one five-star player in Pennsylvania this year: Asaad Richardson, a 6'4" shooting guard. Asaad likes Villanova, so I'm going to pay close attention to him. Point guard Scott McMasters is a four-star point guard from the area, and he's worth looking at, too.

We often do well with players from New Jersey. Zayden Calhoun is the most recent example. This year, there are four New Jersey seniors who merit four stars. Among them is Tyson Lien, the son of former Lafayette standout Joe. Tyson is a shooting guard like his dad.

A player from Maryland, SF Sam Roux, would be the top player in his class if he were academically eligible. His 2.09 GPA and 560 test score don't bode well for his eventual eligibility, do they?

There are no such issues with the #2 player on the list: a big man from Cincinnati named Wayne Bradhold. :)

Here's our initial call list:

We're evaluating a few other bigs, and I'll move them onto the call list if any of them look especially promising.

August 1, 2040

I decided to extend one of our three offers to Asaad Richardson before I advanced to August. After looking at his ratings, I'm glad I did.
Assuming our level 100 scout is evaluating him correctly (I'm wary after what happened with David Lovett), Asaad has the potential to develop into a dangerous three-level scorer at the next level. He's also a good athlete who won't be exposed defensively.

Pitt and Wake Forest have also offered him, but we're still tops on Asaad's list. We'll visit him and bring him to campus this month.

Wayne Bradhold is a Blue Collar Man who's leveled up his offensive game.
It's easy to envision Wayne as an elite rebounder, post defender, and rim protector, who could be a sneaky-good offensive player in the right system. I think he'd be a wonderful fit in *our* system, so I offered him a scholarship last month.

So did North Carolina, and right now, Wayne seems to prefer the Tar Heels. Let's see if a visit to Villanova, plus some quality time with Coaches Sims and Hairston, will change his mind.

There are several other guards in this class who possess skills I like. Scott McMasters is a traditional point guard who plays solid defense. Tyson Lien is a shooter, like his father was. Owen Fleming seems comfortable in either role, with a special emphasis on defense.

This year's assortment of big men isn't as rich. Besides Bradhold, who will take some persuading, the most intriguing among them are two players from Illinois, stretch four Weston Wagner and rugged center Everett Camp.

We'll spend our time and money this month visiting some of these players and bringing them to campus. Perhaps that will make it easier for me to decide whom I'd like to offer.

September 1, 2040

Asaad Richardson has two programs left on his list: Villanova and Georgetown. We've offered him a scholarship, and the Hoyas haven't. My experience tells me we'll sign Asaad if we keep recruiting him actively.

The story is different with Wayne Bradhold. He has offers from Tennessee and North Carolina now, and he lists both those schools above Villanova, even after visiting our campus. Again, I've learned that our chances of signing a player who holds offers from two schools he prefers over us. As much as I hate to do it, I'm pulling Wayne's offer.

I cut another walk-on, so with Bradhold's offer back in my hand, I have three left to award. One of them is going to Tyson Lien.
I envision Tyson as a role player, a defense-stretching shooter who can change the narrative of a game with his ability to put points on the board quickly. At the same time, he looks like he'll develop into a player who won't be terrorized when we don't have the ball.

We have the inside track on Tyson, whose other offers come from A10 schools. He'd probably play a different role at Rutgers or UMass; we'll see how he and his family envision for his ideal career.

We've also offered a scholarship to Weston Wagner.

We don't often reach into the Midwest for recruits, but that 28.7 PPG caught my eye. Weston shoots a lot, but his skills seem to support those gaudy shooting stats.

If Tennessee offers him a scholarship, we might be in trouble. His Average interest level is a bit of a concern. We'll continue recruiting him and see what happens in a month.

I was wondering who else might be worthy of an offer, and suddenly this player caught my eye...
Immanuel Bahr is ranked higher than any recruit in this year's class not named Wayne Bradhold. He's not very athletic and, like many foreign players, his skills are raw. But our scouting team thinks he'll develop into a well-rounded big man, a better shooter than Bradhold, if not quite as dominant in other ways.

I'm intrigued, and I'm going to offer Immanuel a scholarship. Over half our recruiting budget for the month will be devoted to inviting him to campus and sending Coach Sims to Munich to visit him and his family.

October 1, 2040

The situation with Asaad Richardson remains the same. With Decision Day approaching, and Asaad still saying he'd prefer to attend Villanova than anywhere else, I think we'll have good news about him in a month.

Tyson Lien has removed every school but Villanova from his list. I feel good about our chances to land him next month, too.

Weston Wagner is still holding out for an offer from Tennessee, and he still expresses only Average interest in playing for us. However, I did some investigating. Tennessee has 11 scholarship players, none of which are seniors, and two walk-ons. That means they have two schollies to offer. One is going to Wayne Bradhold. The other is currently in the hands of Dane Taylor, a 6'11" center from West Virginia. Dane has taken every other school off his list. If I'm reasoning correctly, the Volunteers don't have a scholarship to offer Weston. I'm going to make sure he knows how much we'd like to have him in Villanova blue.

Immanuel Bahr must have enjoyed his visit, and Coach Sims must have said all the right things when he visited the Bahr home. Immanuel isn't interested in playing anywhere but Villanova now.

I went ahead and cut the last expendable walk-on before I advanced the game. That meant I had a scholarship to offer to Scott McMasters.
A local player who has always listed Villanova first among his Top Schools, Scott is a solid point guard who will probably stay for four seasons, maximize his potential, play a meaningful role for us, graduate, and represent us well. I'll take that anytime. Wouldn't you?

November 1, 2040
Decision Day!

Three recruits, including two five-star players, announce their intention to play their college ball at Villanova today!

The first is Asaad Richardson. Asaad was our top target from Day One. "Shooting guard" is a perfect description for this sharpshooter from suburban Montgomery County. He's not as good a shooter as Reed Weisberg was in high school, but we think he could be that good by the time he's through.

Next, we hear good news from Munich. Immanuel Bahr has chosen to pursue his basketball dreams with us. Immanuel's surname is derived from the German word for "bear," and it fits the 6'8", 265-pound forward very well. Immanuel might not be ready for Big East play right away, but we think there's a reason why he's rated so highly.

And, then, we learn that Scott McMasters has committed to us, too. Scott didn't feel like being coy; when he and his family got the offer they wanted from us, they didn't hesitate to accept. He'll have the opportunity to understudy Kai Smith before we need him to take over as our #1 point guard.

Tyson Lien's enthusiasm for Villanova hasn't changed, but he's apparently waiting to make his commitment. And Weston Wagner seems to be holding out for an offer he can't have; Tennessee announces today that they've signed Wayne Bradhold and Dane Taylor.

Today, though, it's all about Asaad, Immanuel, and Scott, the three newest future Wildcats.

November 11, 2040

It's time to meet the 2040/41 Villanova Wildcats, coached for the 15th season by Graham Sims.


Let's see how the Wildcats did in training camp:

The Wildcats return three starters from the team that won the national championship in April, but it's possible that only one of them might be a starter this year.

The Player Most Likely to Return to the Starting Lineup is power forward Chris Wilson. Chris averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds as a sophomore last year, earning second team All-Big East recognition. He emerges from camp as an elite defender and rim protector, and he can be counted on to produce points as an inside scorer.

Redshirt senior Nick Spencer was our starting point guard last season. He averaged 9.3 points and 4.6 assists in 2039/40. However, his shooting percentages weren't as high as they had been when he was a rotation player, and perhaps that's the role he's best suited to play. It's the one I envisioned for Nick when I recruited him.

Kai Smith appears ready to take the point in his second season. Last year, he was named to the Big East freshman team, averaging 4.0 points and 3.0 assists while playing just under 14 minutes per game. Kai and Nick are both secure ballhandlers and creative passers, and both play superb defense. Nick is slightly better on defense, while Kai is the more skilled distributor.

Last season, Zak Marshall started 37 games, mostly at center, and earned a spot on the Big East second team. The 6'10" junior was a productive, low volume scorer last year, averaging 7.5 PPG and making 50 percent of his shots. He also led us in rebounding (8.2 RPG) and blocked shots (2.6 BPG).

Still, the arrival of dynamic, five-star freshman wing Israel Moody makes Zak's role this season a bit unclear. Moody can slash to the hoop and score from midrange, and he's an eager defender. He is the best natural three on the roster, although he'd prefer to guard big men than perimeter players. Israel impressed the coaching staff with his commitment to conditioning during camp.

And then, there's Dan O'Halloran. Dan's arrival has been anticipated as eagerly as that of any player Graham Sims has signed since Asher Wise. The #1 player in last year's recruiting class, Dan looks like he's every bit as good as advertised, and he is ready to start at center for us. He worked as hard as anyone in camp, adding muscle and developing his skills.

The fifth starter will be junior DeAndre Brown or sophomore John Cannon. Last year, Brown averaged 5.3 points in just under 15 minutes per game, while Cannon recorded 7.7 PPG in just under 14 MPG. John can change the narrative of a game with his instant offense. DeAndre is a slightly better defender, and both are quick and smart enough to rack up lots of steals. I can envision them sharing the position, with both players seeing considerable action.

Our starting five will be taken from those eight players. We can run a "big" set, with O'Halloran, Marshall, and Wilson; Chris is comfortable enough guarding wings to play the 3. If Moody and Smith start, we can field a second unit that features Marshall and Spencer, with either Brown or Cannon. I'll match that group up against anyone in the Big East.

Two big men round out our roster of ten scholarship players: senior Jordi Ballester and sophomore Forrest Curl. I wouldn't hesitate to put either of them into any situation in any game.

We begin the season ranked #1 in the media poll. Honestly, I'd vote for them at #1, too. If the freshmen come close to what their ratings suggest they can achieve, we should be carrying a top seed into the tournaments come March, a team nobody wants to face in an elimination game.

November 18, 2040
Paradise Shootout, First Round
(1) #1 Villanova 105, (8) Rice 56
We open our season in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where we run out to a comfortable victory over Rice in the opening round of the Paradise Shootout. We're up 64-29 at halftime.

I'm posting the box score so you can see how today's rotation works. I'd say it works well, wouldn't you? :)

Our 22 steals are a new program record. John Cannon contributes 6 of these, along with the career-high 28 points he scores off the bench.
Record: 1-0.


November 20, 2040
Paradise Shootout Semifinal
(1) #1 Villanova 76, (5) Florida State 51
This game looks a lot different from the Rice game, but the result's still very pleasant. Again, we keep our opponent from doing the things they want to do.

John Cannon leads us in scoring again, finishing with 24 points and 4 assists. Israel Moody adds 18 with 4 steals and 3 blocks; Chris Wilson scores 14, takes down 9 rebounds, and blocks another 5 shots. Kai Smith finishes with 7 assists, Nick Spencer 5 with 3 steals.
Record: 2-0.


November 22, 2040
Paradise Shootout Championship
Washington State upset Wake Forest and Mississippi State to earn a spot in the Shootout final. At halftime, we lead by only three points (40-37), but we play much better during the second 20 minutes and win the tournament trophy.

Chris Wilson and Israel Moody have no problems scoring against the WSU players who try to guard them.

On the other hand, we shoot threes like it's last year; our 3-for-14 includes a pair from walk-on Nick O'Brien. I might have to restrict our players' tendency to jack up three-pointers again this season.
Record: 3-0.

November 25, 2040
@#1 Villanova 90, Richmond 51
The Spiders are a decent Atlantic 10 team who won 23 games last year, including their first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament. They return four starters from last year, including their three top scorers. So, beating them by 39 points is a significant feat.

Our offense is a group project; Chris Wilson (14p/9r), Nick Spencer (13p/6r/4a), and Israel Moody (13p) are our only double-figure scorers, but four other Wildcats finish with 9 points apiece. Among them are Kai Smith, who also hands out 8 assists, and Nick O'Brien.

We block 10 Richmond shots. Chris rejects 5, Zak Marshall 3, and Dan O'Halloran 2.
Record: 4-0.


November 28, 2040
@#1 Villanova 89, Creighton 60
Freshman Israel Moody scores 20 points to lead us to victory over the Blue Jays at Wawa Arena.

He's joined in double figures by Nick Spencer (14p), DeAndre Brown (12p), and John Cannon (11p). Moody, Dan O'Halloran (5p/8r/2b), and Chris Wilson (7p/9r/2b) all block 2 shots each.
Record: 5-0.

December 1, 2040

We complete our five-man recruiting class today, with good news from Weston Wagner and Tyson Lien.

Weston and Tyson are both exceptionally good shooters; there is probably not a big man anywhere in the country who can shoot like Weston can. Both are four-star recruits and All-State players. Weston is Illinois' Mr. Basketball and an All American.

Welcome to the Villanova family!

Here's where some of our other recruits will be playing their college ball:

• Wayne Bradhold: Tennessee
• Everett Camp: Purdue
• David Hage: West Virginia
• Joe Morrissette: Duke
• Mark Gile and Kim Francis: St. John's
• Rob Arceneaux: Georgetown
• Joshua Revell: Seton Hall
• Henry Darcy: Connecticut

December 7, 2040
@#1 Villanova 75, Xavier 50
"Israel Moody" sounds like the name of a regimental officer in the Continental Army. It's also the name of a freshman forward who is our team's leading scorer this season, a player who scores 18 points and grabs 6 rebounds as we beat the Musketeers tonight.

Sixth man John Cannon (16p/6r), Kai Smith (10p/7a/4s), and Dan O'Halloran (9p/9r) also play well. Nick O'Brien sinks a three and scores 6 points in 4 minutes.
Record: 6-0.


December 12, 2040
@#1 Villanova 87, Marquette 38[/b]
It's 50-13 at halftime, as we can't miss and Marquette can't score. Our defense limits the Golden Eagles' scoring opportunities, and they can't seem to make shots when they're open.

We record assists on 26 of our 37 made baskets, with Kai Smith recording 9 and leading scorer John Cannon (22p/2b) collecting 6. Nick Spencer (15p) Israel Moody (14p/4s), Zak Marshall (7p/10r/3b), and Chris Wilson (10p) score or rebound in double figures.

We attempt 10 threes and make 9 of them; Cannon goes 4-for-4 from behind the arc.
Record: 7-0.


December 16, 2040
More of the same, as we hold the Red Foxes under 40 points, force 25 turnovers, make 63 percent of our shots with 24 assists on 33 baskets, and make over half of a limited number of three-pointers.

We're third in the nation in scoring and also in points allowed.

Record: 8-0.

December 22, 2040
@#1 Villanova 88, Emory 55
We play the second half of a home-and-home with Emory tonight, and the UAA team hangs in against a Villanova lineup that features several reserves.

Forrest Curl leads us with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Walk-on freshman forward Brian Cioffi makes 6 of 7 points, scores 15, makes 2 steals, and grabs 6 rebounds in 18 very productive minutes...and tears his MCL. He'll miss the remainder of the season. Nick Spencer (9p/7a/5r) displays his well-rounded set of skills.
Record: 9-0.


December 26, 2040
#1 Villanova 77, @Rider 61
A Boxing Day contest at Rider ends up being a competitive game; we lead 36-30 at halftime, and the Broncs twice cut our lead to three points.

John Cannon scores 18 points to lead us, with Kai Smith contributing a career-high 15. Israel Moody scores 10; Dan O'Halloran and Zak Marshall grab 10 rebounds each, and Zak blocks 3 shots.
Record: 10-0.


December 30, 2040
The Cardinal have struggled a bit this year, so this game doesn't end up being the stern test I anticipated when I put them on our schedule last spring.

We enjoy a dominant performance from Dan O'Halloran, the first of his young career. Those 14 blocks are the fourth highest total for a Villanova team during Graham's tenure. All in all, it's a very satisfying performance with contributions from a number of players.

The calendar year will end with us riding a 43-game winning streak.
Record: 11-0.

January 4, 2041
@#1 Villanova 96, Lafayette 60
An unranked Lafayette team with a 10-3 record comes to Wawa Arena, falls behind 58-34 at halftime, and never poses much of a threat.

The Leopards can't handle our big men. Chris Wilson (22p/5b) and Dan O'Halloran (12p/12r/4b) hold Lafayette big men to a total of 7 points and 11 rebounds. Israel Moody adds 13 points, and reserves Nick Spencer and John Cannon score 15 and 11, respectively.

Lafayette's prestige, which rose as high as 95 in 2030, has dropped back to 74. I notice we and they almost never recruit the same players anymore.
Record: 12-0.



After 23-15 and 23-12 seasons, including 7-9 and 8-8 marks in Big East play that were not up to their usual standards, Pitt seems to be back with a vengeance this year. Down in DC, the Hoyas undoubtedly feel like they have something to prove after exiting the NCAA tournament on the first day last March. And St. John's is off to their best start in years.


January 7, 2041
@#1 Villanova 88, Seton Hall 56
Israel Moody leads all Big East freshmen in scoring, averaging 14.7 PPG. He pours in 23 tonight as we open our conference campaign with a win over the Pirates.

Classmate Dan O'Halloran scores 13 points with 8 rebounds. Kai Smith dishes out 11 assists, Zak Marshall nets 12 points, and DeAndre Brown scores 11 with 5 steals.
Record: 13-0 (1-0).


January 14, 2041
#1 Villanova 60, @Syracuse 36
The scoreline looks like that of a poorly played high school game, doesn't it? We play good defense and shoot terribly, but not as terribly as the Orange, who are 16-for-57 on the night. They attempt 15 threes and make one of them.

One reason why Syracuse misses so many shots: we reject 14 of them. Chris Wilson (5), Zak Marshall (4), Dan O'Halloran (3), and Israel Moody (2) attend our block party.

Moody leads us with 15 points. Kai Smith has 8 assists, and O'Halloran ends up with 8 points and 11 boards.
Record: 14-0 (2-0).


January 16, 2041
This year's St. John's team is the best they've ever had, and I entered this one thinking we might be ripe for an upset. Chris Wilson had other ideas.

I have to commend Zak Marshall and Nick Spencer for the mature way in which they've adjusted to their new roles as reserves. Neither of them have complained, and they allow us to manage our players' fatigue without suffering much, if any, dropoff in effectiveness. Eight of our players average at least 18 minutes per game, and nobody averages more than 29.
Record: 15-0 (3-0).

January 23, 2041
As a fan of college basketball, you want a game between the nation's top two teams to be a good one. This game does not disappoint. The atmosphere in Pitt's arena is electric, and the contest isn't decided until the final ninety seconds or so of the game.

We lead, 46-45, at halftime. We're down two, 86-84, with 1:38 remaining, when the Panthers' outstanding junior center, Amir Kirk converts an and-one. If I had one more scholarship to offer when Amir was a high school senior, it would have gone to him.

Another guy I really wanted, Tanner McLaughlin, is enjoying a fine senior season at Pitt. And Kenneth McGee, who would have also been a great fit for our program (if he'd liked us), carves us up with 6 threes.

Roland Goodnight, Pitt's excellent point guard, is serving an academic suspension. Broderick Boone plays so well tonight they barely miss him.

Chris Wilson makes his presence felt inside once again, but this time it's in a losing effort.
Record: 15-1 (3-1).


January 26, 2041
@#1 Villanova 92, Connecticut 63
Back at Wawa Arena, we hand the Huskies a lopsided defeat.

The six Wildcats who play the most all score at least 11 points, led by Dan O'Halloran's first 20-point game. Kai Smith also records a new career high with 11 assist, to go with 12 points. And Chris Wilson (15p/9r) blocks 8 shots, the second-most by a Graham Sims-coached Wildcat.

There were some crazy good shot blockers at Villanova back in the day, such as Kenneth Bankston, Gerald Eubanks, and the grand master, Larry Vanegas. Charlie Lambert is our all-time leading shot blocker, but Charlie got his five at a time, rather than exploding for 10 at a time like LV did.
Record: 16-1 (4-1).


January 30, 2041
@#1 Villanova 99, #23 Boston College 54
Israel Moody drops a career-best 28 points and Chris Wilson adds 24 more as we lay the wood to a ranked Eagles team at Wawa Arena.

Chris also grabs 12 rebounds and blocks 3 shots. Kai Smith, the Big East's assist leader (6.5 APG), dishes out 11 for the second straight game.

Pitt has to feel hard done by. They're undefeated at 20-0, they lead the Big East standings, they beat us, and they're still ranked #2 behind us.
Record: 17-1 (5-1).

February 2, 2041
#1 Villanova 90, @Providence 52
The Cannon is firing tonight, as we rout the Friars up in Providence.

John Cannon scores a career-best 32 points in 20 minutes of reserve duty, adding 6 steals for good measure. He's 8-for-12 from three-point range.
Fellow backup Nick Spencer pitches in 14 points and 7 assists, and Chris Wilson contributes 15 points and 4 blocks.
Record: 18-1 (6-1).


February 4, 2041
Remember when I messed up and didn't invite Tadgh Phelan to campus early enough in his recruiting cycle? I pay the price for that mistake tonight, as he scorches us for a career-best 38 points.

I intend no offense to any of our current players, but Phelan is a star. He's leading the Big East in scoring, and he'll almost certainly score his 1000th career point later this month, in less than two seasons. He'd look great in Villanova colors.

With our loss, we drop to third in the Big East standings.
Record: 18-2 (6-2).


February 6, 2041
One last look at "#1 Villanova" before the new polls are released. :)

Truthfully, I'm posting this box score because I like our balance so much. Zak Marshall is the star, with an outstanding effort in a reserve role.

Chris Wilson blocks 6 more shots. His average of 3.7 rejections per game ranks him first in the Big East, and ninth in the nation.
Record: 19-2 (7-2).


February 9, 2041
@#1 Villanova 86, Bowdoin 41
I redistributed our playing time a bit for this game, and a good time was had by all (except our visitors from Maine).

John Cannon (20p/3s), Zak Marshall (14p/2b), Nick Spencer (13p/5a/2s), and Israel Moody (11p) all score in double digits. Forrest Curl grabs 11 rebounds.
Record: 20-2 (7-2).

February 16, 2041
@#1 Villanova 73, St. Francis (PA) 63
The Red Flash hang tough, giving us a competitive game for 40 minutes tonight.

Our balanced attack features five double-figure scorers, led by Israel Moody (14p/7r) and Chris Wilson (13p/6r). Kai Smith supplements his 11 points with 3 steals and another 8 assists.

I'm especially proud of the fact we commit only 6 turnovers.
Record: 22-2 (8-2).


February 20, 2041
#1 Villanova 81, @Connecticut 38
We remain at #1; despite our two losses, we're still ranked ahead of undefeated Pitt. And we play like the best team in the nation in Hartford tonight, doubling up on the Huskies.

Israel Moody (21p/5r), Dan O'Halloran (17p/8r), DeAndre Brown (11p), and Kai Sims (10p/5a) all score at least 10 points, and Nick Spencer dishes out 7 assists.

But the real story is the plunderous nature of our defense. We steal the ball from the Huskies 21 times, one theft short of the school record we set in November. The leading bandits are DeAndre (6), Nick (4), Dan, Kai, and Israel (3 each). Chris Wilson blocks 3 shots.

We've added some real swagger to our defense lately. We lead the nation in blocks, steals, and turnovers forced.
Record: 23-2 (11-2).


February 23, 2041
Chris Wilson protects the rim as if it were his prized possession, turning back 10 Johnnies shots as we beat St. John's on the road. The 6'11" junior misses a triple-double by 2 rebounds.

DeAndre Brown leads a balanced attack with 18 points.
Record: 24-2 (10-2).


February 27, 2041
@#1 Villanova 88, Providence 60
Chris Wilson wins the PotG nod, scoring 14 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and rejecting 5 shots. It could have gone to DeAndre Brown, who scored 13 points with 8 rebounds and 7 steals.

Israel Moody wouldn't have been a bad choice (18p/5r). Same for Nick Spencer (11p/7a/2s). It's a nice problem to have.

We'll close out our month a game behind Georgetown and Pitt in the Big East standings. The Hoyas and Panthers are both 12-1.
Record: 25-2 (11-2).

March 2, 2041
We honor our seniors, Nick Spencer and Jordi Ballester, in the best way possible with an important victory over the visiting Panthers.

Jordi, in particular, rises to the occasion. He pulls in a career-high 13 rebounds and makes 2 steals.

Chris Wilson, who is also almost certainly playing his final game at Wawa Arena, makes a big impact. So does Zak Marshall, who also might be taking his final bow tonight. Chris has been predicted to be a lottery pick since he was in high school, and Zak is forecast to go in the first round if he enters the draft.

We're now tied with Pitt for second place in the league, but we're still listed third in the table.
Record: 26-2 (12-2).


March 6, 2041
Our chances of an eighth consecutive Big East regular season championship expire at the hands of the Hoyas tonight. They sink us with a barrage of three-pointers and the shot-blocking talents of Adam Webb..

Adam was the top recruit in his high school class. He's a Pennsylvania guy, so we hated to lose him, and tonight he reminds us why he's so highly regarded.
Record: 26-3 (12-3).


March 9, 2041
#1 Villanova 55, @Boston College 52
This is an old-fashioned game, largely played in the paint at both ends of the floor. The teams combine to attempt only 21 threes and make only 7 of them. Meanwhile, we combine to block 20 shots; Abe Gunderson records 7 for the Eagles, Chris Wilson 6 for us.

Nick Spencer leads us with 13 points, and Wilson scores 12. Nick's second basket of the game makes him the newest member of our 1000-point club.
Record: 27-3 (13-3).

March 14, 2041

The polls still believe we're the best team in the nation, but the Big East standings say we're the third best team in our conference. We'll face sixth-seeded Boston College in the first round proper.


March 15, 2041
Big East Tournament, First Round
(1) #1 Villanova 96, (6) Boston College 62
We advance to the semifinal with an easy win over the Eagles, but the big story from today's game is a serious injury suffered by dynamic freshman Israel Moody.

His ruptured Achilles tendon will keep him out of action for at least nine months. We'll hopefully have him back in time for the start of Big East play next season.

Dan O'Halloran leads us in scoring with 19 points, winning tonight's battle of the nation's top freshman centers with BC's Jon LaFramboise. Reserves John Cannon and Jordi Ballester score 16 and 14 respectively; fellow bench guy Zak Marshall produces a pair of nines (9p/9r).

John Cannon will have the first opportunity to fill Israel's spot in the starting lineup. If we want more size, we'll use Zak Marshall instead.

Providence upsets second-seeded Pitt, so we'll face the Friars next. And top seed Georgetown is knocked out by 8-seed UConn.
Record: 28-3.


March 16, 2041
Big East Tournament Semifinal
Saddened and motivated by the injury of their teammate, the Wildcats eliminate the Friars in a magisterial performance.

We don't shoot well from distance, but we do almost everything else superbly: preventing turnovers, drawing fouls and making free throws, shooting two-point field goals, and harassing Providence ballhandlers.

One more bucket from DeAndre Brown, and we'd have had seven men in double figures.

Fun fact: Providence's roster contains three Germans, an Aussie, an Alaskan, and a dude who spells "Jimmmy" with three Ms. I include the Alaskan here because he's playing a lot farther from home than his German teammates are.
Record: 29-3.


March 17, 2041
Big East Tournament Championship
We defeat the Orange, and Graham Sims and his players cut down the nets at Madison Square Garden for the ninth time. It's our fourth consecutive Big East tournament victory.

It's a good example of what Coach Sims calls "Villanova basketball." We We feature balanced scoring. We shoot the ball well (with the exception of a so-so day at the free throw line). We take care of the ball. We record 27 assists on 36 made baskets. We block 11 shots and make 11 steals.

Now it's time to see if we can defend our NCAA tournament championship, too.
Record: 30-3.

March 18, 2041

The Wildcats are used to holding the top seed in the nearby East Region. We're one of three Big East teams to secure 1 seeds; Pitt, Georgetown, and North Carolina round out the group.


March 21, 2041
NCAA East Region, First Round
(1) #1 Villanova 61, (16) Belmont 44
Belmont plays at a leisurely pace; they rank 331st in this category nationwide. Of course, they're going to take the air out of the ball today. Although it drives us crazy to play this slowly, we grind out a comfortable win against this year's Cinderella aspirant.

Kai Smith and Chris Wilson lead us in scoring with 11 points each. Kai adds 6 assists and 5 steals to earn Player of the Game recognition.
Record: 31-3.


March 23, 2041
NCAA East Region, Second Round
(1) #1 Villanova 93, (8) Mississippi State 62
Older fans can remember when Mississippi State was one of the most feared and accomplished teams in the nation. From 2018 to 2020, gifted coach James Berube led the Bulldogs to two NCAA championships and made it to the Final Four a third time.

Coach Kermit Faulk is trying to bring the 'Dogs back to national prominence, and he viewed this game as a possible launchpad. We ruin his plans with a complete performance.

John Cannon (23p/2s) leads us in scoring, with Nick Spencer (18p/4a/3s), Chris Wilson (12p/10r/3b), and Dan O'Halloran (12p/6r) backing him up.

Our victory sends us to the Sweet Sixteen. It's our 19th trip, one more than runner-up Georgetown.
Record: 32-3.


March 28, 2041
East Region Semifinal: the Sweet Sixteen
It's great to see another Philadelphia team in the top echelon of college basketball, but it's also great to see Villanova assert its right to remain at the very top.

We have DeAndre Brown's sharpshooting to thank, along with the rugged inside play of Dan O'Halloran, the playmaking of Kai Smith, the scoresheet-filling contributions of Chris Wilson, and the extended relief work of Zak Marshall.

The game was close (VU 49, TU 43) at halftime, but not thereafter.
Record: 33-3.


March 30, 2041
NCAA East Region Final: the Elite Eight
(1) #1 Villanova 77, (6) #11 West Virginia 41
Behind especially strong performances from John Cannon (20p/2s) and Zak Marshall (15p/7r/2b) we secure the East Region title and a trip to the Final Four. We become the first team to make it that far ten times.

DeAndre Brown adds 13 points and 5 of our team's 15 steals.
Record: 34-3.

April 6, 2041
NCAA Tournament Semifinal: the Final Four
We move another step closer to another national championship with a neat victory over the Cougars, the pride of the Southwest Conference.

John Cannon continues to demonstrate his ability to produce as a starter as well as a sixth man. Four of his teammates join him as double-figure scorers, among them Dan O'Halloran, who adds a career-best 16 rebounds. Kai Smith hands out 8 assists without a single turnover.
Record: 35-3.


April 8, 2041
NCAA Tournament Championship
We become the second team in NCAA history to win back-to-back national championships, matching the feat we accomplished in 2036 and 2037.

John Cannon, who is clearly the tournament's Most Valuable Player, forever removes himself from the status of "player we signed because we lost Tadgh Phelan." We're all glad you're a Wildcat, John.

After the game, we learn that it was the final collegiate appearance for three of our players: Chris Wilson, Zak Marshall, and DeAndre Brown. We're not surprised by the decisions of Chris and Zak, who are both almost certainly first round picks. But nobody had guessed DeAndre was considering going pro. He's not listed in anyone's mock drafts.

Still, you can't blame a man for wanting to leave on such a high note. Perhaps that's why a young reporter asks Graham Sims if he's thinking about retirement.

Coach Sims, still fit at 61, smiles. "Not this year."
Record: 36-3.

April 8, 2041

Chris Wilson earns a well-deserved honor; he and UNLV's John White are clearly the two best big men in college basketball. I'll point out that while the Runnin' Ramblers are a good team, Chris's supporting cast is much deeper, and he has to share the ball a lot more.

Dan O'Halloran and Israel Moody live up to their billing as top recruits, earning the national recognition predicted for them. Again, while I intend no disrespect to Jose Slate, he was his team's alpha dog from Day One. Dan and Israel were part of a ferocious pack with four or five snarling bosses who could take the lead at any time.


Tadgh Phelan had a great year, and he's a great pick for Big East POY.

As predicted, all our national honorees reprise their roles at the Big East level, and then some. Dan takes home a very nice first-year player trifecta; Israel presents his credentials as the second-best newcomer in the league; Chris makes his last ride one to remember. And I'm especially delighted to see our 5'5" playmaker, Kai Smith, move up to the Big East first team!

The longer I look at this table, the more I am impressed with our season. I really like the brand of basketball we're playing at Villanova.

This season, we played 25 of our 39 games against teams in the top 50 on the RPI chart, and only 3 against the bottom-dwellers. Last year, we faced top opponents 19 times (18-1) and low-ranked teams 13 times (13-0).

Our offensive efficiency of 114.5 ranked third (Temple 117.0, Georgetown 115.4). Our defensive efficiency (79.0!!) ranked first, with Georgetown second at 86.2.




We end the season with three of the Big East's top scorers, its fifth-leading rebounder, its leading assist man (Kai Smith) and shot blocker (Chris Wilson). Kai's assist/turnover ratio (5.38) is the best in the nation among regular players.

However, the category in which we are most dominant is steals. DeAndre Brown is first. Kai Smith is second. John Cannon is fourth; he comes within a tenth of a steal of completing a podium sweep for us. Nick Spencer is sixth. And Israel Moody is tenth. Our season average is third all-time, pushing last year's Wildcats down to fifth.

We have to bid Farewell to all three of our juniors, and pay Tribute to our seniors.

2040/41 Farewell

DeANDRE BROWN

From boyhood, DeAndre Brown wanted to be a Villanova basketball player. The more we saw of him, the more we wanted him to be one, too.


DeAndre grew into a quick, powerful athlete who lettered nine times in three different sports in high school, and he was the valedictorian of his class at Pen Argyl High. He was crowned Pennsylvania's Mr. Basketball, beating out a big kid named Chris Wilson, and played in the high school All-America Game.

When he arrived on campus, he discovered playing time was hard to come by; future pro draft picks Dane Barlow and Zayden Calhoun were the starting guards, and Nick Spencer was also available. Patience paid off for DeAndre, however, and he became a more valuable member of our team with each successive year. He earned a starting position this year, and he grabbed it with both of his lightning-quick hands.

Those quick hands produced lots of steals. The three thefts DeAndre committed in the national championship game gave him 88 for the season, a new Villanova record.

I would have welcomed DeAndre back for a fourth season with open arms. He's decided to go pro, and I wish him well. He's been an excellent student, and there's a bright future ahead of him even if his basketball dreams don't continue to come true.

Thanks for the memories, DeAndre.

2040/41 Farewell

ZAK MARSHALL

Unlike his classmate DeAndre Brown, Zak Marshall was predicted to be a "three-and-flee" player from the beginning of the season. After all, he'd started and played 27 minutes per game as a sophomore. His junior season deviated a bit from the direct path to the pros Zak might have envisioned, but he handled the situation with class.

The product of little Newcomerstown, Ohio was a top-ten player coming out of high school. He played almost 20 minutes per game as a freshman, like most top recruits do, and even more as a sophomore; he won Big East honors that year, too. It looked like he was on a glide path to even more accolades as a junior.

Then we signed center Dan O'Halloran and big wing Israel Moody, making our frontcourt very crowded with star players. Zak's ability to play multiple roles made him the most likely forward to be used in a reserve capacity. Zak didn't complain; instead, he continued to rebound, play defense, and block shots with regularity and scored enough to force opponents to respect him.

Zak exits with the fifth-most blocks in school history, second among three-year players. He's widely regarded as a first round pick in the draft, with a promising future ahead of him in professional basketball. Zak kept it classy to the end.

Thanks for the memories, Zak.

2040/41 Farewell

CHRIS WILSON

I have a friend whose parents grew up in England. Charlie's dad, now in his seventies, sometimes describes a thing as being "exactly what it says on the tin." I remember being a bit bemused by this expression when I was a kid, but I've since figured it out; it simply means that a thing is exactly what you think it's going to be. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is, in fact, a rhapsody. Agatha Christie wrote about a murder on the Orient Express in Murder on the Orient Express. The title of the state song of Maine is The State Song of Maine.

In a slightly less straightforward manner, this phrase can apply to a basketball player who turns out to be precisely the player we thought he'd be when we recruited him.

Chris Wilson was exactly what it says on the tin.

When you sign the #2 player in his high school class, a high school All American, you expect to get a star. You figure he'll start the first game of his collegiate career, and almost every one that follows. You can reasonably expect him to turn out to be one of the very best players in a top conference, and you're not surprised if he's one of the best in the nation. And, you don't project him as being part of your team beyond three years, after which he leaves school with the expectation of being picked early in the first round of the pro draft.

That's a valid description of Chris's career.

What's more, he did well the things we thought he'd do well: being strong, scoring points, blocking shots, defending other big men. He was never great at the things we didn't think he'd be great at doing: rebounding, outside shooting, passing. We thought he'd be a good student, but we were wrong about that. He turned out to be an exceptional one, a man who will complete his degree in Economics, with honors, this summer.

Chris's offensive totals, like those of most of his teammates, aren't as high as they might be if he weren't surrounded by other good scorers. Basketball is played with only one ball. Still, he scored well over 1000 points, making well over half his shots. And he was really good at blocking the shots of other players. He's the one three-year guy ahead of Zak Marshall on our honor roll of rim protectors, and he led the Big East in that category this year.

A 6'11" forward with that skill set can look forward to a productive career in professional basketball. We hope he continues to be exactly what it says on the tin.

Thanks for the memories, Chris.

2040/41 Senior Tribute

JORDI BALLESTER

In summer 2036, we had our recruiting eyes on James Sanders, Jr., the son and namesake of the Lafayette star of the 'teens. You might remember young James choosing to play at Georgetown instead. By the time the leaves began to turn in southeastern Pennsylvania, we had discovered Jordi Ballester, a big, wide, 6'7" player from Spain.

James Sanders, Sr. had a teammate who was a big, wide 6'8" player from Spain: the Good King, Venceslás Castillo. While Jordi didn't turn out to play the same pivotal role for us that the Good King did on Coach Sims' early Lafayette teams, he still wore the uniform with pride.

Jordi B was an incredibly strong inside player with the ability to score in the post. He was an especially willing rebounder; he grabbed 70 percent as many rebounds as Chris Wilson did in his career, while playing half as many minutes. That says more about Jordi than it does about Chris.

I honestly recruited Jordi as a rotation player, and he filled that role quite well. His Awards & Achievements list contains only two entries about his collegiate career, but they're the ones Jordi would value most.

Jordi likes playing basketball, and there's a spot for him on a team in the Spanish professional league. He'll return home with a degree in International Business from Villanova, which might serve him well in his future endeavors.

Thanks for the memories, Jordi.

2040/41 Senior Tribute

NICK SPENCER

We don't usually recruit three-star players at Villanova, unless it's midwinter and we've missed on our early targets. Nick Spencer was different. We recruited him alongside the players whom we coveted most. He was on our original call list in summer 2036, along with Dane Barlow and Demetrius Reed. (Yes, that's how long ago we recruited Nick.) Nick wanted to play for Villanova worse than anything, and we gave him that chance. I'm glad we did.
Rather than languish deep on the bench as a first year player, Nick took a redshirt year, and it turned out to be a perfect decision for him. Nick emerged at the end of that season as a player who could play a lot for a very good team, a Big East Freshman Team member. As a junior, he was the starting point guard on an NCAA championship team, good enough to keep a five-star freshman recruit on the bench.

This year, Kai Smith became too good to hold in reserve. While Kai went on to lead the conference in assists, Nick returned to the role of super-sub. He was super enough to rank sixth in the Big East in steals.

Over five years of hard work, Nick developed into a premier defensive player. Boston College's venerable coach, Larry Ramirez, calls Nick the best on-ball defender he's ever coached against.

Nick wants to impart the value of hard work to young basketball players. He graduated in the Class of '40 with a degree in Secondary Education, and he's well on his way to completing his MA. He's been hired to teach World History by Salesianum School, the alma mater of Villanova teammates Dane Barlow and Erick Sullivan. There, he'll join Erick on the coaching staff.

Thanks for the memories, Nick.

April 13, 2041

Two former Wildcats heard their names called on Draft Night. Chris Wilson didn't waste his trip to the Green Room; he was taken with the #3 pick. Zak Marshall also was picked in the first round, at #17.

California shooting guard Chris Glassman was the first overall pick, followed by Pitt pivotman Amir Kirk. UConn's Tony Craighead made a total of three Big East big men in the first eight picks.

The recruiting class rankings come out today, too.
Our class is both big and deep, so I'm not surprised we're ranked very high. Immanuel Bahr, the #3 player in his class, is our headliner, but he doesn't look like he's ready for immediate stardom. His fellow five-star guy, Asaad Richardson, seems more likely to step right in.

Tennessee's Wayne Bradhold, this season's top recruit, looks like he's going to be a Blue Collar Man extraordinaire.
The Big East had a good recruiting season, in general. Georgetown's fine class is headed by JUCO star Andrew Quesenberry, who was the #5 player in his class before he failed to qualify. We took long looks at Mark Gile and Henry Darcy, both of whom I think could be sleepers.