Stupor 'Nova

So I guess it's time to ask the UConn Question, only this time about the Villanova men's team:

Are the Wildcats bad for college basketball?

Because, listen, when you turn the Final Four into your own personal throw rug, you kinda ruin it for those of us who didn't grow up eating cheesesteaks from Pat's and worshipping at the shrine of Saint Rollie of Massimino.  Some of us wanted some drama, like the drama the women provided in their Final Four (Two overtime games in the semis, two buzzer-beating game winners, including one in the title game). Instead ...

Instead, Villanova was just too good, too smart, too impeccable. And so we got a blowout win in the semis (over Kansas) and a drama-less 79-62 working over of Michigan in the title game. Good luck finding One Shining Moment in all of that, except for the obligatory shot of the Wildcats cutting down the nets.

Mind you, most of this is tongue-in-cheek. Truth is, with two national titles in three years, 'Nova is one of the nation's premier programs now, and Jay Wright has ascended to the same high shelf where Bill Self and Tom Izzo and Roy Williams and Coach K live, not to mention John Calipari and Jim Boeheim and Sean Miller. For some unaccountable reason Wright has always been mentioned down the line from all of those names; now his name should be the first that springs to anyone's lips.

So, hooray for that correction. And hooray for Villanova, which plays the game the right way and is a thorough joy to watch.

Although next time, fellas, you might want to miss a shot here or there and make it a jot more interesting. There's nothing wrong with suspense, you know.