Villanova dodged a head-on train in the first round of the Big East Tournament — a train that would've likely knocked it out of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats pulled off a 58-57 victory over the DePaul Blue Demons late Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Villanova closed as a 24.5-point favorite against DePaul before the matchup. The Wildcats were the biggest favorite on the college basketball board Wednesday.
They needed a 3-pointer from Justin Moore with 10 seconds left in the game to go up 58-57. Mark Armstrong then forced a turnover to ice the game.
What a wild ending and big win for @NovaMBB! pic.twitter.com/WWaq3Lw7BU
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 14, 2024
Villanova was already on the bubble heading into the game and a first-round exit would have likely ended the Wildcats' NCAA Tournament hopes completely. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently has Villanova as one of the first four out of the tournament.
On Wednesday morning, sportsbooks still believed in Villanova's chances to make the tournament, with the Wildcats missing the tournament as the slight favorite. Villanova was -105 to make the tournament and -125 to not make the tournament at DraftKings.
Villanova will surely need to keep impressing the committee, and the Wildcats are lucky they still have at least one more opportunity.
