Villanova Wildcats face extra pressure to defeat Michigan to become next dynasty
By Dan Parzych
With a win over the Michigan Wolverines during Monday’s championship game, it’s safe to say Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats would officially earn the rights to be labeled a dynasty.
In a matter of hours, the Villanova Wildcats will square off against the Michigan Wolverines with the winner earning bragging rights for becoming the champion during a year filled with plenty of crazy upsets in the tournament. From UMBC becoming the first No. 16 seed to win a game to an entire country falling in love with Sister Jean’s Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, both the Wildcats and Wolverines realize how fortunate they are to be in this position of being one win away from the ultimate goal of being crowned champions.
While Michigan’s journey to the championship game was a little more interesting as a No. 3 seed with numerous close calls along the way against teams like the Houston Cougars and Florida State Seminoles, Villanova was one of those teams that many expected to see in Monday’s game. All season, the Wildcats have been considered one of the most dangerous teams in the country with their 3-point shooting playing a key factor, and when seeing how effective they were in the Final Four against the Kansas Jayhawks, the Wolverines better be prepared on defense.
Without question, experience seems to have given Villanova an extra advantage over some of their opponents during this year’s tournament when seeing how guys like Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges were fortunate enough to be part of the historic team that won it all two years ago when the Wildcats took down the North Carolina Tar Heels. During that run, Brunson and Bridges were both freshman with smaller roles on the team, but gaining that early experience of knowing what kind of pressure is involved with these meaningful games has paid off in a big way over the last couple of weeks.
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Of course, Brunson, Bridges, and the rest of their Villanova teammates face a whole new level of pressure heading into the championship game since a second title in three seasons would make Jay Wright‘s team worthy of earning the dynasty label. This kind of achievement never comes easy in the college basketball world, but when seeing the amazing journey Wright and the Wildcats have experienced so far, there’s plenty of reasons to feel confident over their chances of taking down the Wolverines to begin the dynasty conversation.