Reflecting on the 2018-19 Season

The 2018-19 Villanova Wildcats entered their season with a whole lot of questions, anomalously young after losing four players from 2018’s national championship team to the NBA draft, and the season reflected that uncertainty as the ‘Cats rode a roller coaster from November to March.

Things started out comfortably enough, with easy wins over inferior competition, but it didn’t take long for the growing pains to kick in.

After suffering an embarrassing blowout loss to Michigan, the ‘Cats stumbled at home against Furman, losing consecutive games for the first time in forever, with both defeats coming at home no less.

‘Nova got back on track by winning yet another early-season tournament, this time the AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando, taking down #14 Florida State on the way and restoring a sense of normalcy.

The good vibes continued as the ‘Cats dispatched their first three Big 5 opponents, but more trouble was around the corner as ‘Nova stumbled against Penn, ending its incredible run of Big 5 dominance.

Doom started to creep back in with a date with top-ranked Kansas looming, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Villanova acquitted itself well against the Jayhawks, pushing them to the very end before coming up short in a 74-71 loss. Despite having now lost consecutive games for a second time this season, confidence remained high following the showing against Kansas.

A dominant win over UCONN closed the non-conference schedule and sparked an impressive 10-0 start to Big East play as the ‘Cats suddenly looked like a team that could threaten come March.

A tough-to-swallow one-point loss at Marquette put a halt to the Wildcats’ streak and was the start of a stretch in which they lost four of five, suddenly displaying a lot of the issues that plagued them early in the season and raising serious doubts about their March prospects.

A revenge win over Marquette at home stopped the bleeding and helped send the Golden Eagles on a skid of their own which ultimately allowed ‘Nova to pull out the outright Big East title despite losing to Seton Hall on the final day of the regular season.

The ‘Cats followed that up with a three-game run to the Big East tournament championship, ultimately avenging that final loss to the Pirates in the title game.

After being awarded a six seed in the NCAA tournament, the ‘Cats dispatched Saint Mary’s before falling to a red-hot Purdue team, ending the season in disappointing fashion.

A blowout loss in the Round of 32 wasn’t an ideal way for things to end, and the season produced some unfamiliar moments for Nova Nation while serving as a reminder of just how special the previous five years have been on the Main Line.

Despite the frustrating end, it’s hard to be upset with the 2018-19 results. While expectations at Villanova have risen sky high in light of the incredible run of success recently, what the 2018-19 ‘Cats accomplished would be a banner season for a whole lot of programs. The fact that last season constitutes a down year speaks volumes about where the program is at.

In addition, the progress of Jermaine Samuel and the performance of Saddiq Bey helped to paint a bright picture of the future. Expected growth from Collin Gillespie, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, and Cole Swider should add to a solid foundation, while Brandon Slater remains a tantalizing prospect.

Adding to the optimism is the impending arrival of what is arguably the best recruiting class of Jay Wright’s tenure, a group that will look to help maintain the program’s status among the nation’s elite and put its own mark on the tradition of Villanova basketball.