CSNPhilly.com's printable bracket.
Brackets: East | Midwest | South | West
VILLANOVA, Pa. — As Jay Wright looked up at the big-screen TV after Villanova’s name appeared during Selection Sunday, he noticed a few of his players didn’t even clap.
“They’re getting used to this,” the Villanova head coach told the crowd of supporters on hand for the team’s Selection Show party. “And I never want any of us to take this for granted.”
Perhaps the upperclassmen are getting used to it. But when the NCAA Tournament begins for Villanova, the No. 2 seed in the South Region, with a matchup against 15th-seeded UNC Asheville on Friday in Brooklyn (12:40 p.m., TruTV), it will be a brand new experience for at least two key players: freshman Jalen Brunson and redshirt freshman Mikal Bridges.
What did they think of all of the fans that spilled into the banquet room at the Connelly Center just to get a peek at where the Wildcats will be headed?
“It’s a very cool environment,” Brunson said. “I’m enjoying the time with my teammates and coaches. And I’m excited for the journey.”
A highly touted recruit, Brunson has been an important player for the ’Cats this season, averaging a tick under 10 points per game — fourth on the team behind juniors Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins and senior Ryan Arcidiacono.
He played a season-low nine minutes in Saturday’s loss to Seton Hall in the Big East title game, but Wright told reporters Sunday that was simply because the team got “caught in matchup problems” with Pirates star Isaiah Whitehead and opted to go big.
It seems likely Brunson will return to his regular role Friday — and he’s ready for it.
“I’m excited,” Brunson said. “I’m not necessarily nervous. I know our coaching staff and upperclassmen are really gonna prepare us so we’ll be ready.”
A less-hyped prospect coming out of high school, Bridges has also emerged as a valuable cog in Villanova’s rotation this season, averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per contest. He’s especially lethal on the defensive end where he’s used his long arms to average one steal per game.
He believes redshirting last season has allowed him to blossom into that important reserve role and help Villanova remain one of the nation’s best teams despite losing three big players.
“Last year I wish I was out there with them but me, Coach and my family talked about redshirting and I liked the idea,” he said. “It feels good to be out there now with my brothers who I’m always with every day.”
Although he didn’t play in games, Bridges was still part of last year's team that earned a No. 1 seed, so the NCAA Tournament experience isn’t an entirely new experience. But he knows it will feel different when he puts on his uniform and steps on the Barclay’s Center floor Friday afternoon.
“Growing up, you always want to play in the NCAA Tournament,” Bridges said. “It’s a great feeling knowing I’m gonna play in the NCAA Tournament with my guys, my brothers out there.”
Although this will be their first Big Dance, both Bridges and Brunson naturally know all about Villanova’s recent NCAA Tournament failures. And they can feel the pressure that’s on the upperclassmen, particularly seniors Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu, to get to at least the Sweet 16 for the first time.
If anything, that will simply ratchet up their own intensity and hunger when the tourney begins later this week.
“We’re gonna play for one another harder than we usually do,” Bridges said. “We always play hard but we gotta step it up for [the seniors]. It’s my first season but it’s their last season. We’re gonna try our best to see how far we can get with them and make sure they have a great senior season.”
Brunson said playing with the seniors has “meant a lot” to him as he’s adjusted to college basketball this season. And while he may not take for granted getting the chance to play with those guys in the postseason, it is something he’s long envisioned for himself as he watched March Madness games on TV growing up.
“I always thought I’d play in the NCAA Tournament,” the freshman said. “Now it’s here.”