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Patrick Zeng Villanova Athletics  Much of Villanova's season has been derailed through the injuries of key players on both sides of the ball, but that was not the case on Saturday afternoon. "We played with emotion" and "we kept the Battle of the Blue where it belongs" stated an exuberant Mark Ferrante after the Wildcats victory over the rival Blue Hens. Yesterday's victory made it 6 in a row for the Cats over Delaware and 11 wins in their last 12 games. Villanova was led by a stout defense that held strong whenever they were called upon. Junior linebacker Jeff Steeb set the tone for the Cats with a 38 yard interception return for  a touchdown just 7 minutes into the game. Steeb also added 13 total tackles to go along with some bone crushing hits to lead the Wildcat defense. Senior middle linebacker Ed Shockley played his final game on the Main Line and made sure that his impact was to be felt. Shockley pressured Blue Hen quarterback J.P. Caruso...

Patrick Zeng USA Today  Even after the 15 point win on Friday night, the Wildcats poor shooting was a reason for concern. That was not the case on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Villanova shot 58% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc on their way to 117 points, a Wells Fargo Center record for the Cats. Mikal Bridges showed why he is projected as a first round NBA talent with a career high 23 points while lighting it up from three. Bridges also pitched in 6 rebounds and 4 blocks as he also made sure his presence was felt on the defensive end. Jalen Brunson also had a fantastic game with 17 points of his own while shooting 78%. His efficiency and poise used in running this offense cannot be understated. Eric Paschall and Omari Spellman's athleticism were both on full display throughout the game with the two combining for some high flying dunks of their own. Paschall again was able to have his way inside using his strength to shrug off any defenders the Colonels ...

Patrick Zeng NBC Sports The day we've all been waiting for is finally here. Villanova basketball is back. The Wildcats returned to action with a 75-60 victory over the Columbia Lions of the Ivy League on Friday night. Villanova played their first of twelve games at the Wells Fargo Center, their home for the season until the Finneran Pavilion is completed on campus. And just like the student turnout, the play from the Wildcats did not disappoint. This is a different Villanova team. Gone are the familiar faces of Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds, but the new additions should be more than enough to replace those three icons. Jay Wright likes to play small ball, often using four guards on the court at the same time. But this Nova team allows a different style of play and it was fun to watch. Wright set the tone with a starting five that included Mikal Bridges, Eric Paschall and Omari Spellman. The Dobbs Ferry, New York product in Paschall thrived in his expand...

Patrick Zeng 247 Sports It was a sunny afternoon at Villanova Stadium for homecoming weekend as the Villanova Wildcats welcomed in the 6-1 Elon Phoenix. Last year, the Wildcats defeated Elon 42-7 in North Carolina, however led by a strong freshman class, this Phoenix team was very different. Freshman quarterback Kyle McCloskey was welcomed home for his first career start in front of the Villanova faithful. And while the team performance was not up to par in the 19-14 loss, the freshman signal caller displayed a load of promise. The Wildcats had the ball first and they were sure to establish their gameplan early. Aaron Forbes featured heavily throughout the game with 11 carries for 44 yards as well as another 5 receptions for 74 yards. One of those receptions was a beautifully thrown touch pass from McCloskey on a wheel route down the sideline for a 42 yard score. McCloskey was also able to find the endzone on a 24 yard touchdown pass to star wide receiver Taurus Phillips a...

Patrick Zeng & Luke Lynch CSN Philly Coach Ferrante preached passion, toughness and grit in his post game press conference following the Wildcats 16-13 loss to Temple. He said he was proud of his team, but is not a believer in moral victories. While he is right that in the end this game will end up in the loss column for the 2017 Villanova squad, on a different day this could have ended in victory. The Wildcats entered the game as a sixteen point underdog against FBS foe Temple. Combine that with the predominant sea of Owl supporters flocked throughout Lincoln Financial Field(though Nova Nation was also present) and it adds up to everyone knowing this was going to be a tough one for the Cats. Temple needed to try and build momentum after a 10 win season that saw the Owls grab their first ever major conference title. And they surely needed to do so after the drubbing they were handed at the hands of Notre Dame last week. But as the final whistle blew, you couldn't h...

Patrick Zeng @Roundtripper891 Philly.com For the first time since 1985, a new man was calling the shots on the sideline for Villanova football. Mark Ferrante made his debut as the head coach of Wildcats on Saturday afternoon as Nova made the trip to Lehigh. And it certainly felt like a new era with the style in which the Cats used to secure their first victory of the season. Last year, Villanova relied heavily on its top tier defense to carry them to their 9-4 record. Things felt a little different on a chilly afternoon in Bethlehem, PA. It was Villanova's offense that led the charge to the thrilling 38-35 victory. Junior Quarterback Zach Bednarczyk led the way for Nova with 281 yards of total offense along with three touchdowns. The veteran was a threat all day, completing 74% of his passes to keep the offense humming. His elusiveness continually frustrated the Lehigh defense as they were not able to sack him and kept the positive gains coming. In total Villanova put...

Patrick Zeng @Roundtripper891 SI Jalen Brunson said it best in his tweet that today "heaven gained a legend". This afternoon at age 82, coach Massimino passed away after a long standing battle with lung cancer. His legacy, especially at Villanova cannot be understated. Without coach Mass, Villanova basketball would not be as we know it today. In 1973, when Rollie Massimino was hired, he started to lay the groundwork for what would be one of the greatest upsets to ever occur 12 years later. It only took two years of building for Massimino to turn the program around from the 11-14 season it had suffered the year before Massimino's arrival to a point where the Wildcats ripped off 11 consecutive winning seasons. Coach Mass helped establish Villanova for what it is now. He was famous for having his players over for Italian family dinners to create a bond and togetherness that is now so often referenced as a part of Villanovan culture. He was a star member of th...

Patrick Zeng @Roundtripper891 UVA There are definitely easier ways to start a season. The University of Virginia has appeared in the collegiate postseason tournament for 34 consecutive years(!!) and has produced talents such as Kyle Martino, Claudio Reyna as well as USMNT coach Bruce Arena. Yet coach Tom Carlin's bunch rode the momentum of last season's maiden trip into the NCAA soccer tournament all the way to Charlottesville for their first match-up of the new season. The Wildcats even struck first against UVA less than ten minutes in. A curling effort from southern California native Lucas Hodges beat UVA's Jeff Caldwell at his far post in the seventh minute to get the ball rolling. Virginia instantly replied just two minutes later through forward Edward Opoku. After some great saves by Nova's Will Steiner and UVA's Caldwell, the sides were deadlocked at one headed into the half. Virginia went ahead in the fifty third minute through Faris Abdi only...

Patrick Zeng @Roundtripper891 Fast Philly Sports Booth is back! Jon Rothstein( @JonRothstein ) has reported that Villanova guard Phil Booth has finally been cleared to resume basketball activity. Booth only played three games his junior season due to lingering knee pain that had him shut down for the season. His last game came on November 17th against Western Michigan. Booth only took part in 72 minutes this past season averaging 5.7 points, 2 assist and 1.6 rebounds. Booth's return should be seen as great news as he adds experience and a solid skill set to the current crop of Nova guards. Booth will join Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo as well as newcomer Collin Gillespie in the backcourt for the 2017/2018 season.  Phil was a starter at the beginning of this season so it will be interesting to see where he fits in after the rise of DiVincenzo. Jay Wright may be inclined to form a veteran backcourt of Booth with Brunson as the starters to keep Donte in the role he excelled...

By Patrick Zeng @ Roundtripper891  📸: Bleacher Report With the draft having happened and NBA free agency being in full swing, a few Villanova Wildcats have been in the news of late. Having already discussed Josh Hart's arrival to Hollywood( Here ), it's time to take a look at what's happened to fellow Nova alums so far this summer. The man that hit possibly the most iconic shot in college basketball history is heading home. Kris Jenkins, a product of Gonzaga high school in the nation's capital, signed with the Washington Wizards last week as an undrafted free agent. Jenkins is coming off a season where he didn't quite hit expectations for the Cats after his unbelievable play in the 2016 postseason tournaments. Jenkins averaged 13.1 ppg and 4.1 rpg as well as 36% from three during his senior season. He'll have an outside chance at making the roster along with fellow 2016 national champion Daniel Ochefu with a strong showing in the summer league. Jenkin...

By Patrick Zeng  @Roundtripper891 📸: @coleswider21 "It's a great day to be a wildcat" is often uttered by Jay Wright through his awesome twitter account(@ vucoachjwright ) and while that sentiment is always true, it has extra meaning today. The Wildcats got their man in 6'8"  combo forward Cole Swider out of Rhode Island on Friday afternoon. Swider is Villanova's second commitment for the incoming class of 2018 following Brandon Slater's commitment a month prior. Swider is a fantastic grab for Jay Wright's squad as he was able to beat the likes of Duke, Syracuse and fellow big east rival Xavier for his commitment. Cole comes in at #48 on the ESPN top 100 with fellow commit Slater edging him at #47. Swider will fit nicely into a projected core of Omari Spellman, Jermaine Samuels, Donte Divincenzo and Eric Paschall as well as possibly Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges depending in their NBA decisions. 📸: Business Insider In Swider, No...

By Patrick Zeng @ Roundtripper891 For the first time since 2006 Villanova basketball has produced a first round NBA draft pick. That year, Nova's Randy Foye and Kyle Lowery both were taken at picks seven and twenty four, but in 2017 it's all about Hart. With the 30th pick, Josh Hart's wait was over and the Main Line mainstay is off to the Los Angeles Lakers. Hart joins Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Thomas Bryant as Magic Johnson's first crop of draft picks as the new president of basketball operations in LA. Hart is coming off a stellar senior season in which he averaged 18.7 points per game, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists while also taking home hardware as the Big East player of the year as well as the Big East co-defensive player of the year. Hart brings a winning pedigree to the Lakers as a member of the most successful class in Villanova history with two big east tournament victories as well as a national championship. Magic Johnson identified Hart's winning att...