The narrative of Jay Wright and Villanova’s disappointing performances in March will live on at least one more year, as the Wildcats let their No. 1 seed go to waste, losing to No. 8 North Carolina State in the Round of 32 Saturday afternoon.
Wright’s program has not reached the Sweet 16 since 2009, and gave credence to the argument that their soft conference schedule didn’t earn them the right to one of the tournament’s top four overall seeds. The Wildcats finished the year 33-3.
Trevor Lacey led the Wolfpack with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Cat Barber and Abdul-Malik Abu chipped in 13 points each. Abu also pulled down 12 rebounds.
North Carolina State came into the day tested by the ACC schedule, having already beaten both Duke and North Carolina on the year. Still, there were doubts about Mark Gottfried and his group due to their past inconsistencies.
Despite those two signature wins, NCSU lost to Boston College, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State and Wofford on the year, all winnable games for a team with as much talent as the Wolfpack indeed have.
What counts most, though, is how a team plays in March. Right now, it looks like NC State might be playing its best basketball of the year, and they certainly have a chance to extend their NCAA Tournament run beyond just the Sweet 16 and into the Elite Eight.
If they do, it will be on the shoulders of Lacey and Barber, two of the most electric players remaining in this year’s tournament.
