BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – The crown may have been too heavy for Villanova.
One title will have to do.
Saddled with huge expectations and external pressure to repeat as NCAA champions, the Wildcats wilted down the stretch on Saturday and were knocked out of the tournament 65-62 by eighth-seeded Wisconsin, a team with an even richer March resume.
The end came quickly, but not necessarily unexpectedly for Villanova, which struggled in its opening-round win over Mount St. Mary’s – a game that foreshadowed a quick exit.
It was not meant to be, and with the gap between the Davids and Goliaths in college basketball growing closer and star underclassmen jumping to the NBA more frequently, a team winning back-to-back championships becomes more unlikely.