The 40th Anniversary of Philly March Perfection
This year marks the third consecutive year that the City of Philadelphia won’t be represented in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, known as March Madness.
It seems that Philadelphia College Basketball is at present a long way away from the magical runs of the 2016 and 2018 Villanova National Championship Teams, each of which culminated with a parade down Market Street.
Those two Villanova Teams — both of which won championships, both in incredible fashion. The 2016 championship was won thanks to a last-second 3-point field goal on a pass from Ryan Arcidiacono to Kris Jenkins. The second, in 2018, which was a 31-point offensive breakout by Donte DiVincenzo against Michigan, was even more convincing.
This year is the 40th Anniversary of a team whose NCAA run was as magical as any of those teams.
PHOTO: WikiCommons
In fact, the 1985 Villanova Wildcats nearly missed a bid for the tournament itself. The team in 1985 — complete with Ed Pinckney, Gary McLain, Harold Jenson, Dwayne McClain, and coached by the animated Rollie Massimino — actually entered the NCAA Tournament that year as the #8-seeded team thanks to a loss in the season finale to Pitt.
In each round, the Wildcats prevailed. They defeated Dayton in the first round. Then, it outdueled the Michigan Wolverines, the University of Maryland, and even Kenny Smith’s North Carolina Tar Heels. In one of the few seasons that three Big East teams made the Final Four, with Georgetown and St. John’s also advancing, Villanova won game after game in the Championship Game against Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown. Villanova was deadly accurate from the floor, with a shooting percentage of .786 in a stunning 66–64 win to capture the title.
On a sunny day in Philadelphia in April 1985, which preceded a visit to the White House by President Reagan, the Wildcats had a parade in Philadelphia, culminating at JFK Plaza — the present site of Love Park.
Ed Pinkney would be drafted 10th overall by the Phoenix Suns. The Sacramento Kings would select Gary McLain with the 32nd overall selection. Dwayne McClain would go to the Indiana Pacers (with the 27th overall selection). Between 1986 and 1987, Jensen, Presley, and Everson would join them in the NBA.
The 1985 Villanova Wildcats still have the honor of being the lowest-seeded team ever to win an NCAA National Championship.
For the City of Philadelphia — it was a fitting addition to the championships won by the Flyers (1975) and the 76ers (1983.) Much like the Eagles Super Bowl win in 2018 — it was as unexpected as it was most welcome.
PHOTO: WikiCommons
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.