HOUSTON — A handful of months had passed after Villanova had lost — quite excruciatingly — to North Carolina State in the NCAA tournament’s Round of 32.
And, as it turned out, a brainstorming session that would have a direct impact on this year’s team.Rollie Massimino had just finished speaking at a Villanova basketball camp when he, current coach Jay Wright and two members of the Wildcats’ 1985 championship team, Chuck Everson and Marty Marbach, headed to Wright’s office for some coffee.
“Sugar packets were the offense; creamers were the defense,” Everson told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. “ ‘This is where they double here, this is where that guy goes, this is where that guy is going to step.’ Jay and Coach Mass are working this out like two maestros on the desk. I’m just sitting there in awe. I’m watching them put together a defensive scheme, not knowing Jay was going to actually use it this year. I was watching them put it together from the infant stages.”
The defensive principles discussed that day have been on display all season. It’s notable that, after Saturday’s national semifinal game in which the Wildcats shot Oklahoma out of the gym, the Villanova players said they were proudest of their defense, which stifled the vaunted Sooners attack and its star, Buddy Hield.
“The defense was spectacular,” Massimino told USA TODAY Sports. “The offense, obviously, was good, shooting 71%. But the defense, the way they played it — they played five or six different ways. That’s really, really an important piece of his repertoire on defense.”
Massimino couldn’t be happier that Wright is taking a Villanova team to the title game against North Carolina on Monday night, the program’s first trip back since Massimino’s squad played the so-called Perfect Game to upset Georgetown and win a championship.
“He deserves this opportunity to win one because of his hard work and the way he started his coaching experience,” Massimino said. “Roy Williams has already won (two). To see Jay win it because of all his efforts and those kids — those kids are great kids, wonderful kids — they really play as a team. He taught that philosophy of, it’s all about ‘we.’ ”
That “we” extends beyond the current roster. Since Wright was hired 15 seasons ago, he’s made a conscious effort to include former players in whatever activities he could, from any team and any era of Villanova’s past. The ’85 guys, in particular, feel a deep connection to Wright and this team.
“I can’t say enough about being able to come back and feel like you’re sitting on your living room couch,” Everson said. “You’re home again. It wasn’t always that way. …
“He put his finger on the program, and it just completely changed.”
Senior forward Daniel Ochefu said he receives texts full of well wishes and advice from the ’85 guys throughout the season.
“It’s a big part of what we're doing because we play for those guys that played before us here,” Ochefu said. “It’s always great to be able to represent those guys in the way we're doing it this year.”
No one understands that better than Wright, who has become so synonymous with Villanova it’s easy to forget he didn’t play there himself. But he grew up in the Philly suburbs, married a former Villanova cheerleader and always was simply enamored with Villanova basketball. He worked under Massimino from 1987-1992 at Villanova, then followed him to UNLV before taking his first head coaching job, at Hofstra.\
When Villanova needed a coach, in 2001 after a string of disappointing postseasons under then-coach Steve Lappas, Massimino remembers the directive he gave: Hire Wright.
“I said, ‘That’s the guy,” Massimino recalled. “He’ll bring this whole thing into perspective, and he’ll win a lot of games. You will be proud of him.’ ”
Three promises, three promises fulfilled. He’s won big — these Wildcats have won three consecutive Big East regular-season titles — and reached two Final Fours. Monday will be his first title game. Massimino, who is in contact with Wright daily and will be in attendance, said he has no advice to give Wright. “He’s too good to offer any words of wisdom,” he said.
But so much of Massimino is part of Wright. Certainly, as both a mentor and boss, Massimino’s mind for the game rubbed off on Wright. His interest in building a network, an extended family of former players and coaches, too. Finding players who commit themselves to personal development, academics and off-court growth instead of just what it takes to reach the NBA quickly. Thare are even some on-court stylistic similarities.
“They’re both tremendous Xs and Os coaches and in-game operators, making adjustments and moving guys around,” said Harold Jensen, also part of the ’85 team and someone who spends time around the current team. “They’re both, quite frankly, brilliant from that standpoint.”
They believe a lot in team defense and their approach to that is pretty similar. Jay has really adapted and built how our team plays to the modern-day player and the game, the way it’s evolved. He’s embraced that and done a tremendous job.”
As each of his 15 years have passed at Villanova, Wright has confronted various challenges and obstacles while winning more than 350 games. He’s been on the proverbial hot seat. He’s been criticized relentlessly for early NCAA tournament exits in recent years. But he’s stayed at Villanova, despite the occasional temptation to leave.
“One thing you just realize the longer you're in this, it's not just you,” Wright said. “Someone told me the other day, (Oklahoma coach) Lon Kruger has taken five different schools to the NCAA tournament. I don't think the way we do it would fit at other schools. So we're very happy. We love the school. We love living there.
“I think our coaching style fits Villanova's culture. So to quote the great Jimmy Valvano, ‘Don't mess with happy.’ That's kind of the way we look at it.”
It’s fortuitous when happy coincides with winning — winning big. For Wright to win a national championship and etch his name next to Massimino’s in Villanova basketball history, well, it’s kind of the stuff of fairy tales.
“There’s something in me that those guys are so special, I don't want that team to ever lose their magic,” Wright said. “But I'd love our team to do it.”
