200809 Villanova Wildcats mens basketball team

The 2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team, led by Jay Wright in his eighth year as head coach, finished the season with a record of 30–8 (13–5 in Big East play), placing fourth in the conference. Despite losing to Louisville in the semifinals of the Big East tournament, they earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the East region. The Wildcats advanced to the Final Four by defeating American, UCLA, Duke, and Pittsburgh but fell to eventual national champion North Carolina for the second consecutive year. In the previous season (2007–08), the team had a record of 22–13 (9–9 in Big East play) and finished eighth in the conference. They lost to Georgetown in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament but reached the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament, where they were defeated by Kansas. During the 2008–09 season, Villanova broke a 60-year-old school record with 25 regular-season wins and finished undefeated at home in The Pavilion. Head coach Jay Wright was named Big East Coach of the Year for the second time in four years. Senior forward Dante Cunningham earned Big East Most Improved Player honors and second-team all-conference recognition, while sophomore guard Corey Fisher won the Sixth Man Award. Junior guard Scottie Reynolds received honorable mention on the all-Big East team. The season began with the Wildcats being ranked fifth in the Big East preseason poll despite not being favored to win the conference. The 2008 Hoopsmania event featured hip-hop ...