Villanova Owns the Most Wins in College Basketball over the Last Four Years
Villanova Is Performing Like a Blueblood
SAN ANTONIO -- One of the terms for the college basketball elite is Blueblood. Only a handful of programs are considered Bluebloods and it’s not easy to get into that neighborhood. But Villanova has put up some amazing numbers over the last several years. As the Wildcats prepare to face Kansas -- yes, most consider the Jayhawks a Blueblood – Villanova has earned the Blueblood label, at least for the last decade.
Consider their Final Four appearances. Saturday’s battle in the Alamodome against Kansas will be Villanova’s third Final Four trip in the last decade. The only other schools to appear three times in the last 10 years? Kentucky (with 5), North Carolina, Michigan State and Connecticut.
Win a national championship? The Wildcats took care of that two years ago in Houston with their 77-74 victory against North Carolina. Villanova has appeared in 13 of the last 14 NCAA Tournaments and coach Jay Wright has a 25-11 (.694) record in NCAA competition.
Just plain winning? Villanova has that box checked as well. Over the last four years, the Wildcats have won 134 games. That’s the most wins of any college basketball team over a four-year period in the history of the sport.
Villanova coach Jay Wright and his players usually shy away from talking about their success, so let’s let Kansas coach Bill Self, the Wildcats’ Saturday opponent, address the topic.
“Well, I think that Jay’s always been a terrific coach," Self said in his press conference on Thursday. "I mean, there is no doubt about that. But in the last five years they’ve lost 21 games. That’s 4.2 a year. I mean, think about that. And think about the league they play in and think about the non-conference schedule…I certainly think they have maximized their potential and got as close against their ceiling over time as anyone has.”
The Wildcats have been the top program in the BIG EAST in the current 10-team alignment. They have won four regular-season titles in five seasons and have amassed a 77-13 (.856) conference record. Villanova has won three of the last four BIG EAST Tournaments, including the last two.
Oh, and the Wildcats look the part of a Blueblood. They wear blue.