That doesnt sound so hard, but it was a lot better than they did the year before, or two years before, or three. The 14 Villanova players who dressed in blue that night in Lexington, Ky., are immortalized in a 150-foot-long mural just inside the main entrance to The Pavilion, where present-day Wildcats play their home games and are measured against the images in tight shorts on the wall, usually falling short (including this year's edition of the Wildcats, who were awarded a No. Planksy called me, seeking relief. But after he won the title, more people were watching., Plansky, who played three years for Massimino after the 85 title, says, All of a sudden Rollies got people giving him tens of thousands of dollars to make motivational speeches, and a lot of people want to shake his hand. Despite long-tenured NBA playing and coaching careers, the main story that Villanova critics quickly recall is the admission by Gary McLain that he played the National Semifinal game against Memphis high on cocaine. We were very confident they would have trouble. The Villanova players then sat in the stands to watch what many observers viewed as the de facto national championship game; the Wildcats silently rooted like hell for Georgetown to defeat St. Johns, which had beaten Villanova in two competitive regular season games, but had bounced the Wildcats from the Big East Tournament in an 89-74 blowout. (Well, it briefly got a little better. That incident just swept the whole team into the locker room on a wave, says Marty Marbach, one of the assistant coaches. The Villanova Wildcats football program represents Villanova University in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA). (The one we missed, Patrick blocked, and I was actually passing to Ed, says McClain. ), (Jensen stands by that, 11 years later. Planksy called me, seeking relief. Looking back on them. Day 3 | Saturday, Apr. We dont talk every day or anything like that, but were fine.). 6-ranked Nittany Lions, it will complete a 40-year journey. Won National Semifinal (52-45) versus #2 Memphis He says he wants to write a book about his life and perhaps to deliver his cautionary tale to kids. The sense of family. 1984-85 Georgetown Hoyas Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 35-3 (14-2, 2nd in Big East MBB ) Rank: 1st in the Final AP Poll Coach: John Thompson More School Info Big East Tourney Champ Georgetown (Men's) School History Roster & Stats Polls, Schedule & Results On this page: Roster Per Game Team and Opponent Stats Per Game Print. It also is Dick Ebersols final episode as executive producer. And I slept fine that night.), Ewing says, One turnover cost us the game, but I dont blame anybody. The seniors reported to preseason conditioning in the fall of 1984 with 67 wins on their rsum, yet no trophies in the case. I took two dribbles and laid it up. "It was painful," says Thompson, but I would be disappointed as hell if the sum total of any of our guys lives was that loss to Villanova. And yet the memory lingers for them, as well. Some of his former players have made a tradition of visiting Massimino on Super Bowl weekend and attending a Northwood game. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Just say today. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. And they were going to the Final Four. Massimino calls it one of the most memorable experiences my wife and I will ever have. Harold Pressley, a starting forward on the championship team, says, From the time I got off the plane until the time I got back on, it was nonstop laughs. I should have stayed at Villanova, Massimino says. After losing to St. Johns in the Big East semifinals, Villanova was made the No. If its that important to them, its that important to the university., At the alumni office, Capone, the former coach who recruited Raider end Howie Long for Villanova, said: Compared to the total budget at any college, the football budget isnt that bad.. Reserves played the last 17 minutes and Pitt won, 85-62. Coach Mass cared about us a lot, wrote McLain. Intense, glowering and, at 6' 10", truly larger-than-life, John Thompson cut a very different figure than Massimino. ), (This section of the original story caused problems 11 years ago. It was reported that Villanova took a day trip to Calumet Farm to watch stallions gambol in their paddocks. The game was a 13,400 sellout in the schools small stadium. I saw him a few years ago at a Georgetown function. Have they ever talked about the turnover? But he is hoping for the best. You lose two of those, youre in trouble and you might not make the tournament. His last Villanova team, in 91-92, was 14-15. But not in a way that I could take action. Several hours later Villanova players sprinted onto the floor of Rupp Arena, filled to its capacity of more than 23,000 fans, raucous in their support of Villanova. All Drafted Players. On Sunday mornings he plays pickup basketball on a West Palm Beach playground. One of their big guys swatted at it, but he missed and it went in. Dayton couldnt answer and Villanova advanced. After all these years? Pinckney has loaned McLain money on several occasions. For years, havent the Wildcats been a national power in both track and basketball? Villanova fans turned out en masse to greet the new champions upon their return to Philadelphia. Even on the road Rollie never wanted to be alone in hotel suite, says Mitch Buonaguro, his top assistant in 85. (Eleven years later, Maker says, I was still very angry then. Get the best deals on Villanova Wildcats NCAA Rings when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. His reputation had suffered so badly that at the Villanova press conference announcing Massiminos resignationhe was not presentstudents cheered his departure. Hes just guarding a superstar. Bias, who would be dead of a cocaine overdose 17 months later, finished with 30 points, and that defeat sent Villanova into a regular-season-ending tailspin that included six losses in its last 11 games. Ultimately the Wildcats would average 55.2 points in the tournament, the lowest for a champion since Oklahoma A&Ms 46.3 in 1946. Massimino says, I never had any big problems with Lap., Lappas, who was fired at UMass after the 2004-05 season and now works as a broadcaster for CBS, says, Were cordial. As the elevator hummed upward, Riley, a master motivator, turned to Pinckney and said, Someday youve got to tell me what Massimino said at halftime of that game.), (In 2013, Everson attended the NCAA Tournament games at Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. It was a sales pitch, wrapped in genuine emotion. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Pressley and Everson in 1986, and Jensen in 1987. There is a pause, and Massiminos eyes dance like old. Marbach says, I did not set out with a master plan. He went to Albany, where Denise was a partner at Coopers & Lybrand. By Tim Layden. Eleven years later, Plansky says, Those things happened. With the NCAA still permitting teams to play in their home arenas during the tournament, Villanova was shipped out to play in Dayton. The 2009 Villanova Wildcats football team represented Villanova University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. 1986-87 Villanova Wildcats Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 15-16 (6-10, 6th in Big East MBB ) Coach: Rollie Massimino PS/G: 72.3 (150th of 289) PA/G: 72.2 (148th of 288) SRS: 7.36 (59th of 290) SOS: 7.33 (31st of 290) Villanova (Men's) School History Roster & Stats Polls, Schedule & Results On this page: Roster Im clean today. (He told AP in 2014 that he was using drugs up until 2005.) $17.09. The lack of a clock played to Massiminos strength, and he used slow tempo like a billy club, mixing up the 55 defensive sets in the Villanova scheme (Massimino still has them at home in a playbookmultiples, he called them) and working each offensive possession as if a missed shot would lead to incarceration. But the NCAA Tournament expanded from 53 to 64 . These were heavy days in the Big East, and among Villanovas nine regular-season defeats were two each to Georgetown (both close, a fact that would be widely overlooked at the Final Four in Lexington) and St. Johns, teams that volleyed the No. However, he won just two NCAA tournament games and left under fire after the 2000-01 season. The game was NBCs featured Sunday-afternoon telecast with the fabled announcing team of Dick Enberg and Al McGuire, and the Terps beat Villanova 77-74. Massimino doesnt deny it. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The ups and downs. Ill bet [Tigers point guard] Andre Turner is still confused, says McClain. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? I called him to gauge his interest in my son playing for him at Savannah State. Broadnax has been head coach at Division I Savannah State since 2005. Nobody wants to talk about how Im recovered and helping people., His 85 brothers consider McLain back in the fold, and for this, theyre happy. It is home to the office of the Athletic Director, coach's offices, Ticketing, Marketing and Promotions, Media Relations, The Block V Club, Athletic Training and Equipment. His family atmosphere was absolutely key, says Harold Pressley, who in 1982 as a senior at St. Bernard High in Uncasville, Conn., was an All-America. In the wake of Villanovas 1985 championship, Massiminos assistant coaches were hot properties. Won Southeast Second Round (59-55) versus #1 Michigan His teams have a 245-61 record in nine years. Father John Driscoll, the Villanova president who made the two decisions to eliminate and restore football, remains concerned by the price of the most expensive of campus sports. You cant be friends with everybody., Stack says, People say Rollie changed when he won the title. McLains story remains one of the longest single pieces published in SIand one of the most incendiary. Future NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long was a senior nose guard on the team. BIG EAST Conference/Collegiate Images/Getty Images. All rights reserved. ), (Chuck Daly died five years later at age 79), (As always, McLain was the complex exception. Not a day passes when somebody doesnt ask him about 1985, and just last month a security guard gave him a yellowed copy of the Philadelphia Daily News from April 2, 1985. But they had experience, says Steve Pinone, a sophomore reserve on the 85 team who later became an assistant coach under Massimino and Lappas. Nineteen (Thirty) years have passed since Villanovas 66-64 victory over Georgetown on April Fools night in 1985 thrust the Wildcats into underdog lore as a team that played the perfect game on the biggest stage against an unbeatable opponent. Just talking about it, right now, the hair is standing up on the back of my neck, says Wyatt Maker, a reserve sophomore center on the championship team, who sat on the bench during the title game, clutching the hand of junior teammate Chuck Everson, twin seven-footers willing balls into the basket like schoolgirl cheerleaders. Football is a rallying point for them, too, Boda said. So we stuck with what we did, and added a couple of little wrinkles. The Wildcats would play their array of zone defenses and, on Georgetowns first pass, would often switch to a matchup or man-to-man. ; and Pinckney, a solid big man from Adlai Stevenson High in the Bronx who was under-recruited. The Wildcats had 17 turnovers (to Georgetowns 11). Its a nice icebreaker around Philadelphia.), (Eleven years later, Maker says, I was still very angry then. On the Saturday of Final Four weekend Villanovas befuddling array of defenses humbled Memphis State, and the Wildcats advanced to the title game with a 52-45 win. I should never have gone. His teams went 49-94 in five seasons, and he was fired after the 91-92 season. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Thats where I belonged, and thats where I should have finished my coaching career. Worse yet, he was accused of pulling Villanova out of the annual Big Five round robin with LaSalle, Penn, Saint Josephs and Temple. Locker room is closed! An interview could end in mid-question, or answer. Two days later, he called me and invited me to come to Florida). Won National Final (66-64) versus #1 Georgetown, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 12:49AM. They all want to talk about the bad stuff. What follows is an expanded and annotated version of my original story, with additional material from my 2004 reporting and updates on the lives of those who were playing and coaching on that evening in 1985. Trailing 28-27 with 1:58 left in the first half, Villanova took possession off a Georgetown miss and went into a four-corners delay. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). (This is still true.) Theyre adults. He came in, lounged around with my mother, seemed real comfortable. Time heals all wounds. Several of McLains teammates used that expression in describing their relationship with their point guard. On the telecast CBSs Brent Musburger observed the momentary stall and, referring to the impending introduction of the shot clock, intoned, What you are seeing is a relic. Pressley scored over Ewing with four seconds left in the half to give Villanova a 29-28 lead, and the Hoyas raced upcourt for one last shot. Shapland died at age 57 in April of 2013.). 1. Massiminos three top assistants would quickly become head coaches. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. McLain says SI paid $35,000 for his words in 1987, but after hed shared the fee with Marx and paid off some debts, he had $6,000. Expressing a view held by many professors east or west of his campus, Villanovas Dr. Michael Burke said: The football players are taking up 50 to 100 (dormitory) beds and classroom seats that might better be filled by students chosen on an academic basis.. After a late-season loss to Boston College Jensen was so upset that he hyperventilated in the postgame locker room and needed treatment from the Villanova medical staff. He still yells, says Everson. In Divisions I-A and I-AA, scholarships eat up much of the football budget. [1] It was the program's first season since 1980, as the team had been discontinued for four years due to perceived lack of financial resources to compete at the Major College (now Football Bowl Subdivision) level. Its a nice icebreaker around Philadelphia.), Lappas was the last to leave Villanova. Next year, says Stack, a banner will be raised to the rafters in his honor, long overdue. Maybe some of the major football programs are self-sustaining, said Villanovas President Driscoll, naming Ohio State, Penn State and Nebraska. Nineteen years. 1 ranking all season. Everybody can see now that football is a universitys No. We even have pregame pasta meals. Massimino had a pacemaker installed a few years ago, but remains the last member of the 85 team still actively involved in college basketball. And it was real. Jensen says, I was recruited by Providence, Syracuse, UCLA and South Carolina. Nineteen (Thirty) years are gone since Villanova senior forward Dwayne McClain stumbled to his knees and elbows on the floor of Rupp Arena, then cradled the last precious inbounds pass in his right arm and shot his left fist skyward as time expired. Record: 6-5 (59th of 138) (Schedule & Results). Of course, you never know. It gets the old grads back and keeps them interested.. Villanova elected to make it black players versus white players, seven-on-seven. Villanova had 58 possessions in the game and only four times held the ball more than 45 seconds (the duration of the first college shot clock, in 1985-86), including a nearly two-minute possession at the end of the first half, when Georgetown refused to come out of a passive zone. Everson called on my behalf and says, We had a great talk, for like 30 minutes. Come to Villanova to play basketball, and youll be part of a family. He came to the November reunion and asked to sing the National Anthem (teammates say McLain has a beautiful voice, but they talked him out of performing that night), and arrived at the Villanova-Northwood game wearing a black velour tuxedo and sneakers. Numerous members of the Cinderella squad were at Novas trip to the Final Four in 2009, at the 2016 National Championship in Houston, and in San Antonio for Villanovas third National Championship in 2018. We could not beat St. Johns, says Pinckney. Im a good example of what coaching is all about, he says. At Fratellos urging, Massimino took over at Cleveland State in 1996 and coached seven seasons. Daly, who as the head coach at Penn once hired Massimino as an assistant, needles his old protg, saying hell sign on any day with Palm Beach Community College. The 1980 Villanova Wildcats football team represented the Villanova University during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season.The head coach was Dick Bedesem, coaching his sixth season with the Wildcats.The team played their home games at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pennsylvania. 21 Richmond and No. At the same time, an average of nearly three colleges have been adding or resuming each year. It was real. [1] It was the program's first season since 1980, as the team had been discontinued for four years due to perceived lack of financial resources to compete at the Major College (now Football Bowl Subdivision) level. The Villanova Programs mantra of We play for those who came before us is passed down from class to class. He wished he hadnt said those things about Buonaguro and he wished I hadnt written them. horror novel thinner, by Richard Bachman (the pseudonym of Stephen King), reaches No. Visit ESPN to view the Villanova Wildcats team roster for the current season The meal was customarily a time for family fun. On Dec. 28, at Wrights urging, Massimino and his extended family attended Villanovas game against North Carolina-Greensboro at The Pavilion. Massiminos former players remain disappointed that he hasnt been elected into the Hall of Fame, like his Big East brethren Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, Lou Carnesecca and John Thompson. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The Family atmosphere that Massimino created in the 1980s is the bedrock of Jay Wrights team in the 2020s. At halftime Villanova trailed 22-17. (#10 seed in Southeast)Won Southeast First Round (71-62) versus #7 Virginia Tech coca-cola debuts new cokeand everyone hates it. He wanted to be a member of the family again, and of course I accepted that, Massimino said in mid-March. [2] They were led by first-year head coach Andy Talley. Villanova advanced to the Elite Eight with wins over Dayton (51-49), No. In a game that was tight and tense throughout, Ewing and the Hoyas played toughand roughbut Villanovas deliberate tempo and sensational shooting put the underdog in position to win. Its possible that Massimino could have survived all of this. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Trea Turner mightve stayed in L.A., but Dodgers never made him an offer, Chargers were supposed to draft a tight end. A rhythm shot, says Jensen. As freshmen and sophomores, the big three played on good teams that were beaten in the Sweet 16, in 1982 by Jordans North Carolina team and in 83 by Houstons Phi Slamma Jamma. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. Ferrante led the Wildcats to a 7-1 record against a challenging CAA Football schedule to mark the fifth season since 1988 in which the team had no more than one loss in conference play. The top-5 players of all time for Villanova football *Villanova joined the FCS in 1985. (In the summer of 2014, Marbachs older daughter, Michelle, was married to Jon Yost in the Villanova chapel. Jimmy Valvano warned me that would happen, says Massimino. We had 667 four-year colleges playing intercollegiate football last year, NCAA spokesman Steve Boda said. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. And he carried the hurt with him for a long time. Villanova players from 85 publicly disputed the details of McLains account and claimed they knew nothing of McLains drug use. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. That day was about our daughter. Massimino and Lappas spoke. But Gary is a family member and hes had problems. Along the way he lost his marriage and his naivet, yet continues to live the life of a bench soldier. Of course people outside the program believed, with Hoya Paranoia and all that s---, that we were a bunch of thugs. Youre good enough. Find out more. Close your eyes and picture yourself playing this game to win. Hes still one of our brothers, and we love him dearly. Yet McLain often drops off their collective grid for long periods and when this happens, they worry together. The others were small schools without much of a following among sports-page readers: St. Peters of New Jersey, Worcester State of Massachusetts, New York Maritime, MacMurray of Illinois, and Ferrum of Virginia. Join our linker program. Talk about a standout: The lanky Ed Pinckney would finish the championship game with 16 points, six rebounds, and a new status heading into the NBA draft. McLain has yet to attend. It was Villanova's first national . The 1985 Villanova Wildcats football team represented Villanova University in the 1985 NCAA Division III football season. Massimino cinderella team relied on a tight-knit group of players. Since the program was reborn in 1985, none of Villanova's professional football players were big-time recruits, but they became stars on the Main Line and made it to the professional ranks. I wear the ring and the watch from 85, he says. Im sure his story was largely accurate.. Bill Martin, the power forward whose pass bounced off teammate Horace Broadnaxs shin while the Hoyas were holding the ball and a lead late in the second half, can sit in his office outside Chicago and describe the critical play as if it had just been on SportsCenter.
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