24 Years Later, April Fool's Day - Reflections on HBO's "The Perfect Upset" - Villanova over Georgetown in 1985

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

To put myself in the proper perspective for April Fool's Day, 2009, I re-watched the outstanding HBO documentary, The Perfect Upset, to immerse myself in the atmosphere of the stunning Villanova victory over Georgetown, 24 years ago, today... It is but one of the greatest ironies that it took place on April Fool's Day....

Simply put, The Perfect Upset is outstanding. I highly recommend it, for anyone who wants to dive deeply not only into the game itself, but Villanova's entire NCAA tournament run, as well as the social atmosphere and upheavals that were convulsing American life and society in the 1980s.

I had previously seen it, but of course, it has particular resonance in light of the highly unexpected Final Four run by the 2009 Wildcats... here are some observations, on the game that took place two dozen years ago...

Villanova - as a #8 seed - winning the NCAA tournament in 1985, is probably the second-greatest upset in the history of North American sports.

(The only one that I believe is clearly greater, was the U.S. hockey team capturing the gold medal against the Soviet Union in 1980.) Nor does that primarily stem from my being a Villanova alumnus and fan. For sports enthusiasts of any partisan stripe, Villanova/Georgetown is a magnificent story, enormously entertaining, filled with unique, memorable, flamboyant characters, richly textured, with a thrilling plot and spectacular ending. It's so great that no fiction writer could ever have contrived it.

No other team seeded that low has ever come close to repeating the feat. Granted, Villanova is not the lowest seed to advance to the Final Four - George Mason in 2006, and LSU two decades earlier - both made it as #11 seeds. But neither won a game in the Final Four. And even if they had, they would not have to face an opponent as formidable as the 1985 Georgetown Hoyas.

Perhaps the most astonishing element of the story of the 1985 Villanova Wildcats, is the fact that the entire story is true and genuine. One interviewee in The Perfect Upset notes that "you can't script the stuff," and he's absolutely right. (His line parallels the slogan Fox Sports used once for its October baseball coverage - "You Can't Script October".)

All of the following classic dramatic elements were present:

• The metaphor of David vs. Goliath;
• Clear villains in John Thompson and the Hoyas;
• Clear heroes in Rollie Massimino and the Wildcats;
• Not one, but two ailing Villanova fixtures - the first being Jake Nevin (who features prominently in The Perfect Upset) and also Alexander Severance, the founding father of Villanova basketball, who died during the Final Four but before the championship game (surprisingly, his passing is not mentioned during The Perfect Upset)...
• A small, private, academically prominent school winning the national championship;
• The first time that school had ever won the national championship;
• An astoundingly high level of play in the game itself - shooting 78.6% from the floor (22/28 overall), including 9/10 in the second half;
• the end of an era - it was the last tournament without a shot clock;
• the beginning of an era - it was the first year of the 64-team field.

That's only a partial list... Had Hollywood come up with a script for a basketball film, that incorporated all of the above elements, it clearly would have been rejected, as too unrealistic and sentimental - the audience would be unable to suspend its disbelief for a story like Villanova's.

But truth is indeed stranger than fiction, and the story really did take place according to the legend. It's all true...

If you haven't seen the outstanding1986 film Hoosiers (or if you haven't seen it recently), you really should go see it. Although its story stems from the true tale of a high school team in 1950s Indiana, the parallels between its plot and the saga of the Villanova Wildcats of 1985 are unmistakable. (I speculate that the script had probably already been written before the 1985 tournament, but it's possible that elements of it might have slipped in.) When telling the story of the 1985 Wildcats to those who are not familiar with it, it's often illustrative to liken it to Hoosiers.

Another aspect to keep in mind, is the distortion of retrospection. We all know the happy ending, about the eventual Villanova victory. In order to truly appreciate the stunning nature, though, we have to put ourselves in the frame of mind of those players, coaches, reporters, broadcasters, fans, etc., who were watching the events as they unfolded. It has to be remembered how improbable it was that Villanova had even reached the Final Four, let alone winning the entire tournament. Moreover, it had been highly improbable, that the Wildcats even reached the Sweet 16, having to play #9 Dayton on its home floor, and then top seed Michigan in the second round.

And as great as this year's team has been - and even if it does capture Villanova's second national crown - it can never match 1985. This year's team is a #3 seed, that had the further advantage of playing two rounds at home. And while North Carolina and either UConn/Michigan State are fine teams, they are not the juggernauts that the 1985 Hoyas were.

Villanova's 1985 championship is too difficult of an act to follow.

In the 24 tournaments since then (including this one), no lower seed has won the championship, or reached the title game. In 2006, as I (along with virtually all of America) rooted for George Mason to further shock the world by winning the national championship, I recognized that there would be one downside to the miracle - it would partially eclipse Villanova's feat. George Mason was an even bigger underdog, from a far less prominent conference, with a lower seed.

But of course, I was pulling for them, because it would have been a great feat on behalf of all the little schools in America, those who don't have the good fortune to play in power conferences or in great facilities or frequently on television. It would have underscored Villanova's triumph, not replaced it.

Although the 1985 team's accomplishment was certainly fully recognized at the time, the legend has only grown in the last two dozen years. As the big public schools, concentrated in the power conferences, continue to gobble up national titles, Final Four appearances, (and most alarmingly) an even greater share of NCAA tournament invitations, the achievement of the 1985 Wildcats has only glimmered that much brighter. Every year that goes by, without the miraculous event being repeated, simply adds to its luster.

So those are my thoughts on this April Fool's Day...

Of course there will be more content, both on Villanova's 1985 tournament run in general and the Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History as well...

Over the course of the week, I'll be writing up previous games in the all-time Villanova/North Carolina series, culminating the complete Villanova/North Carolina Rivalry History. And of course, there will be a comprehensive preview of Saturday's Final Four clash - so please check back for more...

In the meantime...

You can also take a look at the other Villanova blogs included in Various Viewpoints on the right sidebar, for their takes...

Go Wildcats! Beat North Carolina!

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

'CATS GONE WILD: Villanova, Lowry KO #2 KU in Stunning, Lopsided Upset - Jayhawks Fall by 21 Points, 83-62

By a misfortune of the calendar and the elements, Villanova had a lot of competition for public attention this weekend in Greater Philadelphia, due to the imminent arrival of a foot of snow and the impending NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field, a stone's throw from the Wachovia Center, between the Atlanta Falcons and the hometown Eagles. But the Wildcats succeeded in commanding not only local, but national media attention, by flattening the Kansas Jayhawks, 83-62, on Saturday, in a game in which Villanova led by as many as 32 points. A sampling of headlines included: "Whiteout" and "Gain Through Pain" from ESPN.com, while Yahoo! Sports (not just NCAA Hoops) proclaimed on its front page: "Kansas Slammed by Super Nova" while showing a photo of gleeful 'Nova fans storming the court in celebration.

As it turned out, Mother Nature wasn't the only one packing a wallop this weekend in Philadelphia. The Jayhawks moved more slowly than the sparse traffic on the nearby Schuylkill Expressway, while the foot of snow fell during the game. And KU paid the price, totalling their gleaming undefeated season and requiring a tow all the way back to Lawrence. The Jayhawks were simply steamrolled, flatter than the Kansas prairie. Legendary coach Phog Allen, the namesake of the Jayhawks' venue, Allen Field House, was undoubtedly spinning in his grave. It was the Jayhawks' first-ever trip to the Philadelphia region to face Villanova, and this experience would seem to militate against their coming back for another visit.

It seemed only fitting that in a building which has the statue of Rocky Balboa just a block away at the old Spectrum, that Villanova would do its home city proud and emulate the timeless Sylvester Stallone character's heart and tenacity. One Wildcat actually went a little too far and literally emulated Balboa, as freshman Kyle Lowry was ejected soon before halftime, for delivering a left jab to the gut of a Jayhawk. (Clubber Lang would have been impressed, though.)

And just like a movie, it had a lot of scenes that seemed ridiculous. Such as Jay Wright chivalrously sending in Baker Dunleavy with over two minutes to play, and his walk-ons in the final minute, to avoid running up the score on KANSAS, in a game where he wouldn't have Jason Fraser available. And Kansas coach Bill Self taking all of his starters out, at one point early in the second half - out of frustration (even a walk-on was sent out in place of a starter). And Villanova fans rooting passionately at the end - but not for the usual reasons. Instead of beseeching the Almighty for steady 'Nova nerves at the foul line - instead, simply that nobody would get hurt during garbage time, and that Kansas wouldn't get the final margin under 20, thus masking the true dimensions of the annihilation. (KU did make an unfortunate three-pointer in the final minute, getting them above 60 points, but that's OK.)

Some superlatives:

It was - FAR AND AWAY - Villanova's most significant victory in over a decade. The last time 'Nova won a game this big, was on February 15, 1994, when Kerry Kittles, Jason Lawson and Eric Eberz shocked #1 Connecticut at the Pavilion. Villanova was coming off a 8-19 season and would swiftly revive its program, going on to win the NIT that year. (Villanova also defeated #1 Connecticut the following year, at Gampel Pavilion, but that Wildcat team was a lot better so it wasn't as significant an upset. That team would ultimately receive a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament, before meeting its notorious, premature first-round demise in triple overtime at the hands of Petey Sessoms and Old Dominion, a game which still haunts the program to this day.)

It was Villanova's first victory over a Top 10 team since defeating Michigan State in November 2002, just after the arrival of the Fab Four.

It was Villanova's first victory over a team ranked #1 or #2, since stunning #1 Connecticut in 1994.

It was Villanova's first-ever victory against Kansas, although that is not that impressive in light of the fact that the teams have only played three times. In the 1968 NIT, Kansas won 55-49 at Madison Square Garden, and last season Villanova lost at Allen Field House, 86-79.

It was Villanova's first victory over a Big 12 (or, if we must, Big XII) opponent since 1998-99, when 'Nova topped Nebraska, 75-60, on November 19, 1998, in Alaska. ('Nova doesn't face these prairie teams often.)

It was unquestionably Villanova's finest game EVER at the Wachovia Center/First Union Center/CoreStates Center, since the building's grand opening for the 1996-97 season. The only game which could be better was the January 30, 1999, 93-90 double overtime victory over Georgetown, when the Hoyas led by three, with two free throws coming in the final seconds:

Georgetown missed them both, Howard Brown nailed a three from the corner to tie the game, and Jermaine Medley, with an assist from Brooks Sales, hit a miraculous three off a steal to WIN the game. (The most exciting ending I've ever personally witnessed.) But obviously, this game was a much stronger overall performance against a much formidable opponent - it just didn't have the dramatic ending that one did.

Kansas, wearing red jerseys which didn't make them seem like KU (and their subsequent play obviously made it seem even less so), fell to 14-1 overall and will undoubtedly make life very unpleasant for Baylor, who has the misfortune of being its next opponent. Villanova improved to 10-4 overall and will remain on the NCAA bubble through Selection Sunday, thanks to this signature victory.

Allan Ray lit up Kansas for a game-high 27 points on 9-16 shooting, including 4-7 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Curtis Sumpter had one of the finest games of his career. Sumpter had a monster game, rocking Kansas for 25 points, chalking up six boards, hitting five of his six three-point attempts and going 8-8 from the line. Mike Nardi ran the point smoothly, committing just a pair of turnovers, and also chipped in 11 points. Randy Foye struggled with his shot, but contributed in other ways: six rebounds, a blocked shot, four assists and four steals. Chris Charles was effective off the bench filling in for Fraser, even blocking a couple of Kansas shots. Overall, 'Nova shot the lights out from beyond the arc, an incredible 63% (12-19) and were deadly accurate from the line (15-16, a 94% clip).

Kansas committed 22 turnovers against 24 field goals, including seven miscues in the first eight minutes alone. For the Jayhawks, Wayne Simien was tops with 15 points, with J.R. Giddens and Sasha Kaun also scoring 11 points. Only two Jayhawks played more than 25 minutes, as Self vainly tried to come up with a combination that would stem the Villanova tide. It wasn't going to happen, although Self ultimately used 13 players, all of whom played at least four minutes and none more than 30.

It was surprisingly close in the first half, with Kansas trailing by just four near the end of the half, despite the early turnovers. While 'Nova led by as much as 11, the Wildcats led by "only" seven at halftime over the #2 team in the nation, without their starting center. KU had actually gotten it down to four in the final minute of the half, before Nardi helped restore the momentum by hitting a HUGE three in the final seconds.

Villanova blew open the game early in the second half, resuming play with a 31-6 run which left the score an incredible 70-40 after consecutive threes by Ray and Sumpter with 8:36 to play. The stunned Jayhawks called yet another timeout, and to no avail. It was over. The only issue was whether the defeat would be by an historic margin or just a wide one. The rest of the game was garbage time. As it turned out, it would be Kansas' worst defeat in four years.

It was a far more pleasant game than Villanova's last tangle with Kansas, in a rare Friday night game on January 2, 2004. Villanova put up a fine effort, battling to a 38-38 draw at intermission before running out of steam and succumbing to the notorious Allen home court advantage, falling by seven.

The crowd was surprisingly large and vocal, in spite of the adverse weather. If you're going to have a heavy snowstorm for a home game, you're often OK if it's on-campus (at least if the students aren't on break) because snowbound students can usually be motivated to attend the local hardwood action a few yards from their dorms. Usually off-campus, though, you're in trouble - but not today. And of course, they stormed the court afterwards, and if ever a victory warranted a court-storming, it was this one. (It was Villanova's first court-storming since the February 9, 2002 upset of #16 UCLA at the Pavilion, and its first-ever at the Center.)

The single discouraging word that could be uttered about today's contest, was the ejection of Kyle Lowry for throwing a punch. The game was stopped for a while while the officials pored over the game monitor, which revealed that Lowry did in fact punch a Kansas player. The freshman was dismissed from the remaining 21 minutes or so of game action and headed for the locker room, waving to the crowd, which naturally disliked the officials' verdict, just though it was. Although Lowry's presence today obviously didn't matter, NCAA rules stipulate that he will miss the Notre Dame game as a result of the ejection. Also, he will need to watch his behavior carefully for the remainder of the year, as the penalty for a second fight in the same season is suspension for the rest of the season, a la the NBA's punishment issued to the odious Ron Artest for the notorious fiasco in Detroit a few weeks ago. Opponents, knowing this, will likely goad Lowry, knowing that he can't afford to lose his temper. (Villanova last experienced this constant vigilance in the 1990s with Jason Lawson, after he was involved in a fight against Bradley. The schools wisely waited until all the players involved in the fight graduated before scheduling the return game, which Bradley promptly won.)

Aside from having to watch his back the whole year, Lowry's presence will be missed against ND on Wednesday. He actually could have helped 'Nova win TODAY, had his talents been necessary. Lowry scored seven points in the 11 first-half minutes that he DID get to play and was a big reason why 'Nova had an early lead.

Foye Watch: Foye entered today's game with 983 career points. After finishing with seven today, putting him at 990, he will probably take the milestone against Notre Dame on Wednesday at the Wachovia Center. He will be just the 47th Wildcat to achieve the mark, following in the immediate footsteps of Allan Ray and Ricky Wright.

Unfortunately, the cruel realities of college basketball dictate that Villanova doesn't automatically take home the national title to the Main Line after today's glorious victory, although it was obvious that they were the best team in America, at least for two hours this afternoon. Instead, the Wildcats will have to play some more games to make that happen - and today's outcome assures that they'll all be meaningful, right up till Selection Sunday. Notre Dame will arrive at the Wachovia Center, weather permitting, for a rematch on Wednesday, in a game whose attendance will likely be swelled by a lot of bandwagoners. ND triumphed on Jan. 9 in South Bend.

What a '70s Show!!! - Villanova Wallops #21 West Virginia At Pavilion, 84-46

The Afros and leisure suits were out at the Pavilion last night, and the ESPN Classic crew opted to televise the game with 1979-era graphics. Even former long-time VU coach Rollie Massimino was there - but behind the bench, broadcasting the game, rather than in front of it, gesticulating to the officials. If there were any Main Line Rip Van Winkles out there, asleep after a quarter-century's nap, they could be forgiven for thinking they had just nodded off for a moment if they had come to the Pavilion last night. Accordingly, tonight's article will stay consistent with the theme:

On Wednesday night, Villanova took a giant step toward returning to the NCAA tournament, by walloping undefeated, #21 West Virginia, 84-46, in the Big East opener for both teams in "Turn Back the Clock Night" at the Pavilion. The Wildcats relied heavily on that one major post-1979 innovation, the three-point shot, in leveling the Mountaineers, connecting on 10 triples.

Villanova is now hotter than Studio 54 in its heyday, having won seven straight contests. The Wildcats are now 8-1 overall, 1-0 Big East. After experiencing a Three Mile Island-esque genuine meltdown, West Virginia dropped to 10-1 overall, 0-1 Big East.

Allan Ray hit the Mountaineers harder than Sugar Ray Leonard, dropping 26 points on 10-16 shooting, including five three-pointers. The most pleasant surprise came from Mike Nardi, who had been struggling with his shot all season. Nardi exploded for 18 points and canned four triples. Curtis Sumpter, ordinarily in the spotlight, took third place with "just" 13 points and seven rebounds. Randy Foye chipped in with 11 points and four assists. And Jason Fraser was a monster in the lane, pulling down nine boards and swatting three shots, in just 25 minutes of action. Finally, Kyle Lowry followed up his solid New Year's Eve debut with six points and six boards in just 19 minutes.

There really weren't any bright spots for West Virginia, but D'Or Fischer led the Mountaineers with 14 points.

The Wildcats' offensive statistics zoomed upwards as if it really WERE the era of sky-high inflation, as 'Nova hung 84 points on a Big East opponent, after a few days of hostile murmuring about Villanova's cupcake-laden December. The Wildcats shot 54% overall, and 42% from beyond the arc. It was an even more impressive feat in light of West Virginia's formidable defense. Prior to West Virginia's victory over fellow ranked team George Washington, the Mountaineers had yielded 55 or fewer points in their previous five games, including four occasions in which the opponents scored 48 or fewer.

West Virginia entered the night as one of just six undefeated teams remaining in Division I, with three of those coming from the Big East: aside from WVU- #9 Connecticut and Boston College, who played each other last night as well. But West Virginia's unblemished season record fell more swiftly than the Shah of Iran, as Villanova sprinted to a 36-16 lead at the 1:36 mark in the first half, culminating by an "and-one" from Sumpter. The Wildcats took a 38-18 advantage into the locker room and never looked back. The lead actually peaked at 41, when Baker Dunleavy scored in the final minute to give 'Nova a 84-43 lead.

It seemed only fitting that on 1979 night, West Virginia sank into a "malaise", to borrow a term President Jimmy Carter made famous in that era. The Mountaineers had made only 20% of their shots by halftime.

Villanova's defense was more tyrannical than J.R. Ewing, after a day when several oil gushers had run dry - and stingier than the Steel Curtain in Pittsburgh. WVU had a potent offense thus far this year, averaging over 76 points a game. The 46 points tonight, matches the fewest Villanova has ever allowed in Big East play, in a conference which coincidentally dates back to 1979. The previous low had been 48 surrendered against Pittsburgh in 1983, a game markedly lacking both a shot clock and a three-point shot. In 2003 and 2002, Georgetown and Connecticut, respectively, both scored exactly 46 points in VICTORIES over Villanova. And the 38 point differential also represented the largest victory margin ever for 'Nova over a Big East opponent. West Virginia finished the game shooting a pitiful 27% from the floor and 20% from beyond the arc, and the numbers would have been even worse if the Mountaineers hadn't scored a meaningless three in the final seconds. WVU had ten turnovers in the first half alone, leading to ten Villanova points - a damning statistic when one considers that WVU averaged fewer than 10 turnovers a game entering the contest.

As for the inside game, I doubt that even Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins - whose famous backboard-shattering feat for the 76ers observed its silver anniversary just a couple of weeks ago - could have been effective in the paint for the Mountaineers tonight. Fraser had eight rebounds in the first half. And there were a lot of rebounds to get, as WVU was shooting just 22% nearly halfway through the second half.

On both ends of the court, the Mountaineers experienced an "energy crisis", of their own. At the same time, Villanova's performance continued to IMPROVE as the game went on, eventually reaching heights previously reserved solely for Barry Gibb's voice pitch.

Fortunately for Villanova, this game advanced their NCAA hopes considerably further, than it would have if the game had been played during the Carter administration. Back then, there were just 40 teams in the tournament, and a great regular-season performance did not mean as much without today's abundance of available at-large bids (there were just a handful then). Plus, the 2004-05 Wildcats don't have to worry about facing Magic Johnson's Michigan State or Larry Bird's Indiana State, who squared off in the 1979 national title game.

Worth noting: In 1979, Villanova meandered to a 15-13 record with the likes of Alex Bradley, Marty Caron, Tom Sienkiewicz, Rory Sparrow, and Aaron Howard. 'Nova was rebuilding, however, after an Elite Eight appearance the previous year. Jay Wright was a senior at Council Rock High School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, playing point guard before leaving for Bucknell in the fall of 1979. And none of the current Wildcats had yet been born.

Around the 4 minute mark, the Pavilion crowd began chanting "Overrated". Undoubtedly, the outcome must have come as a profound shock to the WVU faithful. These have been some lean years for Mountaineer basketball. Before cracking the Top 25 this week, the Mountaineers hadn't been ranked since the conclusion of the 1997-98 season, when they finished ranked #23 after a Sweet 16 run and an upset victory over Temple. Although the Mountaineers haven't qualified for the NCAA tournament since that same year, 1998, they had generated a lot of under-the-radar buzz thanks to the early success. This was West Virginia's first 10-0 start since 1959-60, when Jerry West led the squad.

Looking back even further in history, Villanova now leads the all-time series against West Virginia, 19-14. The series actually dates back significantly further than 1979, going all the way back to 1955-56. As members of the Big East, Villanova now leads 10-5, since WVU left the Atlantic Ten in time for the 1995-96 season. WVU is now just 4-10 at Villanova. The Wildcats have done well in recent years, winning seven of the last ten contests.

Villanova will advance 25 years into the future as they prepare to clash with Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday, in a game that will be televised in Philadelphia with normal graphics and presumably without Rollie's august presence.