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Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats look like the underdogs in the Final Four.
Although ranked sixth and a No. 2 seed, Villanova (30-7) doesn't have star power, and they lost starting guard Justin Moore to an Achilles tendon injury.
Even so, Wright, who is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is one of college basketball's top coaches. His teams are scrappy and disciplined, taking pride in team basketball.
So, it's no surprise to see the Wildcats just one win away from another national championship. This is Wright's fourth Final Four appearance with Villanova, and he led them to the crown in the last two appearances (2016 and 2018).
But the Wildcats continue to defy all odds when the cards are stacked against them.
Villanova will play Kansas (31-6), a school that has also won three national championships and also has an elite, Hall of Fame coach (Bill Self).
If Villanova is going to have a chance to pull off an upset in the national semifinal Saturday, the team is going to need someone to step up.
On Siriux XM Radio, former Villanova star and NBA veteran Ed Pinckney expressed optimism in the Final Four matchup. Pinckney and Villanova pulled off one of the greatest March Madness runs ever. The Wildcats beat two No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds on their way to the 1985 national title. In the title game, they took down Big East rival Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing, 66-64.
Pinckney said Wildcat Nation has full faith in Wright:
“We all trust in Jay Wright.”
Jay Wright and Villanova looking to move on to national championship game
The Villanova Wildcats will be the underdogs against the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, but the team isn't afraid of any challenge. With Wright being one of the top coaches in college basketball, he will have his troops ready.
Villanova won the South by beating Delaware, Ohio State, Michigan and Houston. The Wildcats now find themselves one game away from a spot in the national championship game.
If Villanova is going to pull off an upset, they will need to lean on their veteran players like senior guard Collin Gillespie and forward Jermaine Samuels. Samuels has averaged 17.5 points per game in the tournament.
