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Villanova basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 first-look preview

By Mike Phillips

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats signals to his players during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats signals to his players during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Villanova Wildcats celebrate after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Villanova Wildcats celebrate after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Memorable Moments

Jermaine Samuels stuns Kansas

The biggest game on Villanova’s non-conference schedule came right before Christmas when Kansas came to town. The Jayhawks were ranked no. 1 at the time, but that didn’t bother the young Wildcats, who went toe-to-toe with them for the full 40 minutes. Jermaine Samuels‘ three-pointer with 20.5 seconds left would go down as the game-winner for Villanova, giving them one of the best non-conference wins in the country.

Villanova knocks off Butler early in Big East play

Few pundits expected Butler to be a factor in the Big East this season but the Bulldogs put their critics on notice by winning at a torrid pace in the non-conference season. One of the Big East’s early litmus tests came in late January when Butler came to Philadelphia for a showdown with the Wildcats. The contest turned into a laugher with Villanova winning by 15 to improve to 5-1 in Big East play.

Seton Hall hands Villanova a third straight loss

It wasn’t all sunshine and daisies for Villanova, which hit the skids in early February. The Wildcats suffered a three-game skid with the worst defeat coming at home to Seton Hall, which hadn’t won in Philadelphia since 1994. The Pirates knocked Villanova back to 7-4 in Big East play, delivering a seemingly fatal blow to the Wildcats’ hopes of winning the regular-season title.

Villanova gets revenge on the Pirates

The tables were turned for Villanova’s rematch with the Pirates, which came in early March in Newark. Seton Hall needed a win over Villanova to secure the Big East’s regular-season title but the Wildcats denied their bid with a 79-77 win. Bey scored 20 points for Villanova which followed up on that effort with a win over Georgetown to secure a share of the Big East crown.