Nova Loss Could Cost Them Tournament Bid

                Villanova who had been making a solid case for an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament suffered a bit of a setback in last night's loss to Seton Hall.  The Wildcats were leading when Fuquan Edwin hit a 3-pointer with 8.9 seconds left in the game to take the lead for the Pirates.
The Pirates won by a final score of 66-65, in a game that the Wildcats simply could not afford to lose.  The loss dropped Villanova to 18-11 and while this is not a bad record for a team that boasts wins over the number 3, 5 and 17 ranked squads this season, the loss came against a struggling Pirates squad that is 14-15 and was on a 9 game losing streak.  This slip-up could prove costly for Villanova as they had been in a good position to receive an at-large bid to go dancing in March.  The Wildcats were led in the game by Mouphtaou Yarou who had 14 points and pulled in 15 rebounds as well.  This effort proved to not be enough however as the Pirates stole the lead in the final seconds of the game and took a win against a solid Villanova squad.  Villanova could not afford to let Seton Hall keep this game close in a must-win contest and in the end it came back to haunt them.  This bad loss may not completely crush Villanova's tournament hopes but it certainly doesn't help.
                 While a win against the Pirates would have most likely sealed the Wildcats invitation to the big dance, the loss may not prove overly crippling.  A team that boasts three extremely high quality wins against ranked opponents and plays in a tough conference should still have a good shot at making the tournament.  The team has two games remaining, against #23 Pittsburgh and #7 Georgetown.  A win in either of these games should all but assure the Wildcats at-large bid while a loss will most likely not hurt their chances.  After the conclusion of the regular season Villanova will also have an opportunity to make an impression in the Big East Tournament.  So while the loss to the Seton Hall Pirates is a bad one, Villanova has a strong enough resume that they should be able to make the tournament still.  While its not guaranteed and only time will tell, Jay Wright and the Wildcats may want to get their dancing shoes polished up for March.