Full disclosure -- I’m sitting here watching the Villanova vs. Kansas game, and I also happen to be a freshman at Villanova, but I still maintain that the Wildcats are among the strongest teams in the nation, if not the strongest team in the nation. After our crushing loss against Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament, the Nova Nation was hurting. Now, in the Elite 8 and playing against one of the strongest other teams in the nation, Kansas, our hopes are revitalized and our dreams bigger than ever. Three more victories, and we could be the national champions.
By the time this article gets past the fine-toothed combs of my wonderful editors and finally sees the light of day, Villanova will either be in the final four, or out of the tournament entirely. Regardless of which of the two outcomes is the case, the 2015-2016 Wildcats are, and were, one of the best that Villanova has ever seen, and I feel extremely lucky to have seen them play. Here is a list of the reasons the 2015-2016 Wildcats will go down in history.
1. Josh Hart.
Josh Hart is one of the toughest guards I’ve ever watched play. He goes to the board strong on both offense and defense, and is the team's biggest workhouse, with a combined 1149 minutes played thus far this season. He also just dunked while I was writing this.
2. Kris Jenkins.
Kris Jenkins is a forward with some of the softest hands in the game. He averages a massive 13.5 points per game and shoots effectively from all parts of the floor, with an average of over 45 percent from the field.
3. Jalen Brunson.
Jalen Brunson is the team’s future. He is an extremely strong player as a freshman and we look forward to him leading the team over the next three years. Coming in 5th for points per game and fifth in total minutes played for the team, he shows huge promise and is a massive asset today.
4. Daniel Ochefu.
Daniel Ochefu is a steady, reliable and explosive big man, who anyone would be lucky to have on their team. On top of all that, he is among the nicest people that I’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with. Plus, he can throw down one hell of a dunk.
5. Ryan Arcidiacono.
Ryan Arcidiacono is an all around solid player, and a player that any coach would be happy to have. He provided a solid leadership in tandem with Ochefu during his senior year and works effortlessly with his coach to convey an awesome image of composure and determination for the rest of his team.
6. One of the strongest benches in the country.
Among the most important, if not the most important aspect of the Wildcat’s team dynamic is the depth of their bench. In fact, it’s kind of hard to even call it a bench when you get to the tenth player on the team before you see a significant drop off in playing time. With players like Phil Booth and Mikal Bridges the Wildcats’ bench is the strongest in the country
7. Jay Wright.
I’m not even really sure that words can summarize what Jay Wright does for his team. He is the leadership which holds Villanova together. The reason that our bench is so strong, and our starters are so well trained, is because we train harder and play harder than any other team I’ve ever seen. That is thanks to Jay Wright. He is a strong coach and a stronger leader, and that is one of the major keys (#MajorKeyAlert) to Villanova’s success.
