Tag: villanova wildcats

New York Knicks trade for Mikal Bridges, recreate 2017 Villanova team that lost to the Wisconsin Badgers

The Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges on Tuesday night, recreating the team that lost to the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2017 NCAA Tournament:

The New York Knicks made a blockbuster trade on Tuesday night, acquiring star forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets for a deal highlighted by five first-round picks.

The trade, in essence, makes the Knicks the Villanova Wildcats of the NBA. The team is now led by former Villanova stars Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.

Related: Big Ten basketball teams ranked by returning production entering 2024-25 season

The reaction to the trade on X mostly revolved around the Knicks ‘recreating Villanova’s 2016 national championship-winning team.’ Many point to that title win as the last time these four players shared a court.

But that is not the case.

The Knicks’ blockbuster trade actually recreated the 2016-17 Villanova Wildcats team that was a No. 1 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, but lost 65-62 to the Wisconsin Badgers.

That day saw Nigel Hayes lead the 8-seed Badgers with 19 points, 8 rebounds and the game’s deciding basket:

He was guarded by Villanova’s Mikal Bridges, the newest member of the New York Knicks.

Wisconsin handed Villanova its only NCAA Tournament loss in a three-year period, as the Wildcats went on to win the national championship again in 2018. Another note: this game punched the Badgers’ ticket to the Sweet Sixteen, a round the program has been unable to reach since that date.

Here is a full look back at Wisconsin’s big win over the Wildcats — or, now the Knicks:

Jay Wright is so delighted after Mikal Bridges trade unites his 4 Villanova players on the Knicks

Jay Wright is so happy to see his Villanova players together again.

Obviously, the jokes about the Villanova Knicks have reached a crescendo after the Mikal Bridges trade brought a fourth Wildcat to Madison Square Garden.

But then there’s also some chatter: what if the Knicks could somehow hire former Villanova coach Jay Wright to complete the recreation of a title-winning team?

Obviously, it’s not happening as the assumption is that they’ll hand Tom Thibodeau the bag he deserves to coach this contender. But here’s something delightful: Wright posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday morning to address the trade and he talked about how it’s “blessed” that they’re together again, which is wonderful.

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Wooga Poplar commits to Villanova, can he help turn Wildcats around?

Miami transfer guard Wooga Poplar committed to the Villanova Wildcats, is he the spark coach Kyle Neptune needs for this program?

The Villanova Wildcats shored up a huge area of need on Wednesday with the announcement that Philadelphia native and former Miami guard Wooga Poplar committed to coach Kyle Neptune’s program.

Poplar’s commitment becomes the second big piece of good news in the past week for Villanova, following Eric Dixon’s decision to withdraw from the NBA draft process and return to school.

Villanova’s offseason took a huge turn when prized portal addition Max Shulga opted to return to VCU rather than play for the Wildcats, leaving coach Neptune’s team in serious trouble.

The return of Dixon and the addition of Poplar – who averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists last year at Miami – should help keep Nova in contention for an at-large bid, something that has eluded Neptune his first two seasons after replacing the legendary Jay Wright.

Poplar posted a 38.5% mark from beyond the three point line last season, on 5.6 attempts, while also hitting 47% of his two pointers and converting 86.4% of the time from the free throw line.

Poplar chose Villanova over Oregon, whom he visited over the weekend, and the 6’5 guard should step into a lead role right away for the Wildcats. While Poplar has never been a true facilitator – as evidenced by his career 1.3 assists and 1.1 turnovers per game – his ability to score in multiple ways will be crucial for Villanova’s offensive attack.

Max Shulga withdraws commitment to Villanova, will return to VCU

Villanova lost a commitment from Max Shulga, who decided to stay at VCU after initially entering the NCAA transfer portal.

Less than three weeks after pledging to play for the Villanova Wildcats, guard Max Shulga announced he will instead return to VCU for his fifth and final season of college basketball eligibility.

Shulga reportedly never wanted to leave VCU in the first place, having played all four college seasons under coach Ryan Odom – three at Utah State and last season with the Rams in the A10. When VCU was able to up their NIL offer, the 6’4 Ukrainian guard opted to return instead – leaving Villanova coach Kyle Neptune without his projected lead guard.

Shulga averaged 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last year for the Rams, shooting 41.5% from three on nearly six attempts per game. His return should help VCU compete for the top seed in the A10 and an NCAA Tournament berth.

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For Villanova, they are now looking at a roster with only one returner who averaged more than one point per game last year in Jordan Longino (6.6) unless Eric Dixon opts to return from the NBA draft process.

Neptune landed a pair of local transfer guards in Tyler Perkins from Penn and Jhamir Brickus from La Salle, but for this team to even finish in the top half of the Big East they’ll need to make a big splash – potentially in the form of former Miami guard Wooga Poplar, a Philadelphia native who was on campus recently.

Report: Villanova sophomore Mark Armstrong worked out with Hawks

Villanova guard Mark Armstrong will forgo his remaining college eligibility and remain in the 2024 NBA draft.

Villanova guard Mark Armstrong will forgo his remaining college eligibility and remain in the 2024 NBA draft, the sophomore announced Monday on Instagram.

Armstrong averaged 8.4 points, 2.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds on 41.7% shooting from the field in 34 games this past season. He led the Wildcats in assists (83) and scored in double figures 12 times, including a season-high 24 points on Jan. 15 a loss to Marquette.

The 20-year-old will leave the program after appearing in 68 over two seasons. He was voted to the Big East All-Freshmen team last year by the league coaches after averaging 5.3 points, two rebounds and one assist in 34 games.

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Armstrong was among the 45 players invited to the 2024 NBA G League Elite Camp May 11-12 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. He will have the opportunity to showcase himself in front of executives and scouts in scrimmages, measurements and other related drills.

The 20-year-old also reportedly participated in a predraft workout with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Armstrong is expected to resume private workouts with teams after the G League Elite Camp.

The 2024 NBA draft will take place June 26-27 in New York City.

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Furious comeback comes up short as Penn State Lady Lions fall to Villanova in WBIT semifinal

The Penn State women’s basketball team saw its season end with a hard-fought loss to Villanova in the WBIT semifinal round.

Despite a heroic effort by [autotag]Leilani Kapinus[/autotag], Penn State was unable to keep its women’s basketball season going for one more game. The Lady Lions fell to Villanova in a seminal matchup in the Women’s Basketball Invitational tournament in Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Monday afternoon. Penn State’s 58-53 loss to the Wildcats brought a tough ending to a season in which the program took some big steps forward overall.

Kapinus led the Lady Lions with 18 points in a defensive battle with Villanova. The Wildcats had three players score in double figures for a much more balanced offensive attack, led by a 21-point effort by Lucy Olsen. Kapinus nearly brought Penn State all the way back in the fourth quarter alone, but she received a helping hand from [autotag]Ashley Owusu[/autotag] as well. Owusu hit a three-point shot with five seconds remaining in the game to bring the Nittany Lions to within three points.

Villanova outscored Penn State by one point in each of the first two quarters of the semifinal matchup to hold a two-point lead at halftime. The Wildcats created some separation after halftime with a 17-9 advantage on the scoreboard in the third quarter. Penn State chipped away in the fourth quarter and outscored Villanova by five points, but it was just enough of a hole that was too big to climb out of for the Lady Lions.

Penn State’s season ends with a 22-13 record, an improvement of 8 wins from the previous season. ending the season with a loss will be tough to take, but the Lady Lions have improved their win total each of the last few seasons and the program does appear to be heading in a positive direction once again, which should bring some sense of optimism for the 2024-25 season.

Villanova will now get a chance to play for the first WBIT championship in NCAA history. The Wildcats will face the winner of Monday’s other semifinal matchup between Illinois and Washington State. The WBIT championship will be played on Wednesday evening. There is no third-place game.

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Villanova misses the men’s tournament in back-to-back seasons

It’s another Villanova-less Selection Sunday

The post-Jay Wright era at Villanova has gotten off to a rocky start under head coach Kyle Neptune and things did not get much better on Selection Sunday.

For the second consecutive season, the Wildcats will not participate in the NCAA men’s tournament.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize

Wright’s tenure started in 2001-02 with three consecutive trips to the NIT before he got his program back to the NCAA tournament, so Neptune isn’t completely off track yet, however this is the first time the Wildcats have missed out on an opportunity to play for a championship in back-to-back seasons since then.

 

The three-time NCAA champions were among the most notable names on a particularly strong bubble this year, which kept the Wildcats’ tournament dreams on edge over the last two months. While early season victories over No. 14 North Carolina, Texas Tech, Maryland and No. 12 Creighton bolstered the Wildcats’ resume, the team really struggled against ranked opponents, going 2-5 with two losses each to Marquette, UConn and St. John’s.

Villanova wasn’t even among the first four out.

One year after going 17-17 (10-10 Big East) with a first round exit in the 2023 NIT, Neptune’s second year on the job didn’t yield much better results as the program went 18-15 (10-10 Big East).

Duke softball sweeps Sunday doubleheader to finish off unbeaten weekend at home

The Blue Devils extended their win streak to 13 games after beating Villanova and Elon by 20 combined runs to finish the Duke Invitational unbeaten.

The Blue Devils finished the Duke Invitational with back-to-back wins on Sunday, first defeating Villanova 11-5 earlier in the afternoon before shutting out Elon for a 14-0 run.

The Wildcats, whom Duke beat on Friday to begin the weekend in Durham, actually got off to a decent start offensively. Each of Villanova’s first three batters reached base safely, including an RBI double from catcher Ally Jones to open the scoring.

With two outs in the second, Villanova chased Duke starter Sophie Garner-Mackinnon from the mound with a two-out homer from leadoff hitter Tess Cities.

Despite the three runs in the first two innings, though, the Wildcats still weren’t leading. The Blue Devils put up four runs in the bottom of the first, including a two-run shot of their own from junior Ana Gold.

The bomb was Gold’s sixth of the year and her third of the weekend, and she has a team-leading 22 RBIs through the Blue Devils’ first 14 games.

Senior Claire Davidson scored the third run almost single-handedly, singling and stealing second before racing all the way home after a fielding error.

The third inning and the top of the fourth passed without any runs, with Duke reliever Lillie Walker holding the line to keep the Blue Devils’ lead intact. No team has been able to hold the Duke offense down very long, however, and it scored multiple runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to cement the final margins. Davidson and Aminah Vega added the final two runs with solo home runs at the buzzer, the final two hits of the game.

If you track the trend of “Duke scored seven runs in the final three innings of its first game,” the Blue Devils’ offensive performance against Elon won’t shock you in the slightest. Duke scored 14 runs in the first three innings against the Phoenix powered by a seven-run explosion in the first.

Three of the first four Blue Devils at the plate reached base after a single and two walks before Kelly Torres drew another walk for the game’s first run. Gisele Tapia and Francesca Frelick immediately followed that with back-to-back base hits, each bringing home two runs.

Frelick’s two-RBI single capped off one of the best weekends you’ll ever see on the diamond. Frelick entered the home tournament with one hit, a solo home run against Army, in her first 12 at-bats of the season. Over her four games in Durham this weekend, she went 6/9 at the plate with another home run and nine RBIs.

The real star of the Elon blowout win was shortstop Jada Baker, who ended every at-bat with a run on the board. First, she batted Frelick home in the first with a single into left field. In the next inning, she had runners on first and second and again laced a base hit into the outfield to bring home another run.

With two runners in scoring position in the third inning, Baker roped one up the middle to bring both Blue Devils around to score and end her three-hit, four-RBI day.

Those two runs were Duke’s last of a productive afternoon, and pitcher Dani Drogemuller never let the Phoenix off the mat offensively. The graduate student surrendered just four hits in her five-inning performance, striking out six batters in the shutout.

After a five-game weekend, Duke gets a full workweek off. They’ll take the diamond again on Friday against Syracuse, the start of a three-game weekend series.

Blue Devils only need five innings to beat Villanova in Duke Invitational opener

The Blue Devils needed just five innings for a weekend-opening victory over Villanova powered by a shutout performance from Jala Wright in the circle.

Duke softball had a long break this past week, getting five full days off after Sunday’s game against FIU was called due to weather.

The extended rest didn’t slow down the surging Blue Devils, however, as Duke dismantled Villanova for an 8-0 victory in just five innings on Friday night to open the Duke Invitational

The Blue Devils welcomed a handful of teams to Durham for the weekend, taking on the Wildcats on Friday night to kick their games off.

Star pitcher Jala Wright, who was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week after opening weekend, continued her remarkable start to the season. She went all five innings in the circle, allowing just four hits and striking out five batters.

Wright sent 11 of Villanova’s first 13 batters straight back to the dugout, a spell only briefly interrupted by a one-out single in the first and a two-out single in the third. She produced a 1-2-3 inning on just 10 pitches in the second.

The only spot somewhat close to trouble the entire night came in the top of the fourth when the Wildcats laced back-to-back singles with two outs. Wright struck the next batter out on three pitches to halt the charge.

Villanova never produced another baserunner.

Through 22.2 innings pitched so far this season, Wright has allowed two runs. She’s given up 10 hits and a single walk, and she has retired 24 batters via strikeout. Friday was her third complete game of the young season, and her ERA is an eye-popping 0.62 through five appearances.

On the offensive end, it took Duke a second to get warmed up. The Blue Devils’ first four batters all struck out, and they didn’t get anyone on base until the third inning. Leadoff hitter D’Auna Jennings singled home Amiah Burgess, who led off with a walk, to finally open the scoring.

The game broke open during Duke’s seven-run fourth inning. Kelly Torres smacked a double, her 100th career hit as a Blue Devil, to put two runners on base. A walk loaded the bases before Burgess brought them all home with a double to the outfield.

Kelsey Zampa brought Burgess home with a bunt, and after a walk and a fielder’s choice, Duke slugger Ana Gold stepped into the batter’s box with runners on first and second.

She did exactly what she’s done her entire career in Durham, blasting one over the left-center wall for a three-run shot to cement the 8-0 advantage.

The home run was Gold’s fourth of the season, the most on the team, and she also leads the Blue Devils with 17 RBIs thus far.

The Blue Devils return with a doubleheader on Saturday, first taking on Boston University at 5 p.m. before a 7:30 p.m. game against Michigan State.

James Franklin responds to strength of schedule criticism following win over Delaware

James Franklin had no apologies to issue for Penn State dominating Delaware, an FCS opponent, in Week 2.

Penn State easily dispatched of Delaware in a Week 2 matchup in Beaver Stadium on Saturday, and head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] is not about to apologize for the mismatch. Delaware may be among the 25 best FCS programs this season, but the Blue Hens do little to provide any boost to the overall strength of schedule for the Nittany Lions. As far as Franklin is concerned, that is a bit of a necessary evil and the reality of the landscape of college football.

“I think if you look at the model of teams that have been in the championship, teams that have been in the playoffs, teams that have won conference championships, I think there’s pretty good data and evidence on what’s the right thing to do,” Franklin said when asked for his thoughts to criticisms over Penn State scheduling a game against an FCS program like Delaware.

Of course, Franklin has a case to be made here. Take last year’s four College Football Playoff participants, for example. Georgia, last year’s national champion, hosted Samford and won 33-0 in their second game of the season after opening against a power conference opponent (Oregon). The season before, when Georgia won its first of back-to-back national titles, the Bulldogs opened with a game against Clemson and hosted Charleston Southern late in the regular season, as a handful of SEC teams tend to do with their schedules.

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TCU, who lost in the national championship game to Georgia, also hosted an FCS team in Week 2 last season. The Horned Frogs blew out Tarlton State a week after facing Colorado. Ohio State and Michigan, to their credit, did not face any FCS opponents last season, but the Wolverines were hardly tested with their non-conference slate of Colorado State, Hawaii, and UConn.

The scheduling of FCS schools has been a talking point for a number of years. Penn State avoided it for a long time but a game against an FCS school on a regular basis is probably here to stay, whether Franklin agrees with it or not. When nine games are locked in for conference matchups, a school like Penn State will do what it feels is necessary to ensure getting as many home games as possible. A one-off game against an FCS school is the easiest way to go about filling a vacancy on the schedule in a sport where schedules can be booked years, if not decades in advance.

“And again, like we talked about before, nine [conference] games factors into that as well,” Franklin explained. “Those things have kind of changed college football more than anything back when you used to play the kickoff classic games and things like that, but with eight conference games it was different.”

“So, I think at the end of the day, you’re trying to do what you think is right for your university and your program,” Franklin said. “That’s myself and the athletic director, but you’re also doing studies and studying the data and seeing what the data says. So, this could be a long discussion.”

Penn State’s last non-conference game in the 2023 schedule will not be played until Oct. 14, against UMass. The Nittany Lions will host Villanova in 2025 after hosting the Wildcats in 2022. Delaware will return to Penn State’s schedule again in 2027.