It has been a week since the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. A week since the country witnessed the nail-biting battle between UNC and Villanova. It has been seven days since Nova Nation rejoiced at the sound of the buzzer as Kris Jenkins' amazing 3 pointer won them the national championship for the first time since 1985. It has been a whole week, but victory has never tasted so sweet.
Is it the fact that we were considered the underdogs throughout the entire season, and that everyone predicted us to choke in the second round? Or the fact that it has been 31 years since Villanova won a national championship? The truth is, Villanova's win was created by the perfect storm of talent and heart.
Every year, Villanova fans religiously gather at the Pavilion to support their favorite wildcats. They are present for wins and losses, and no matter the outcome of the game, the support of their fans is something they can count on regardless of the final score. Villanova fans are like no other. They are passionate and their dedication to Villanova and its basketball program is unwavering. Villanova fans have high hopes for its team each year, and this year was no different. Since Hoops Mania, Nova Nation has been energized and ready to take home a national title.
There were those who doubted us along the way, but their hopes of seeing us fail only made us more determined to prove them wrong. As we successfully dominated other teams throughout the tournament, Villanova's campus continued to buzz and in the back of everyone's mind was the national championship. The last few seconds of the national championship game are moments that we will replay in our minds for years to come, and the excitement that erupted over the Pavilion that night is indescribable and unforgettable.
Winning the national title was not only a big deal for Villanova's students and staff, the alumni were just as proud to be a part of the big moment. Proud alumni flooded the campus after Monday night's win and shared stories and laughter with current students. Seeing generations of students come together to support their alma mater was something that we will continue to treasure for years to come. It is a year that no Villanova fans will forget and a night that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. Villanova didn't need a national title to convince the fans of the talent harvested in the Villanova Basketball program. It was simply a title needed to show others what Nova Nation is made of. A title to show the country that a small school in Pennsylvania has enough heart and soul to defeat the nation's largest, most well known programs. This championship, 31 years in the making, was for all of Nova Nation, past, present, and future. 2016 is the year of the perfect storm, that shocked the world and that will keep people talking about Villanova for years to come.
