“They view themselves even as an eight-point favorite as this hardscrabble” - Colin Cowherd says Villanova’s DNA is "underdog DNA"
Jay Wright has the Villanova Wildcats in another Final Four and has made them one of the best programs in recent March Madness history. Colin Cowherd believes their "underdog DNA" is what makes them great and gives them a chance to win.
Villanova has become one of college basketball's best programs under Wright. The small Catholic school in Pennsylvania's mentality is what Cowherd likes.
During "The Colin Cowherd Podcast," he said:
"I really believe this, because their first national title was so shocking. ... Even as the best program in the last six-seven years, their DNA is underdog DNA. They view themselves, even as an eight-point favorite, as this hardscrabble (team)."
The Wildcats have players with a mentality that is critical to the team's Final Four chances. Their elite players are tough enough to help them play against any team in the country.
This could quite possibly be Jay Wright’s best coaching job ever. FIVE players on the whole team. None of them overly talented. But just tough as nails. Damn.
While they will be without starting guard Justin Moore, Villanova (30-7) believes it can win against the Kansas Jayhawks (31-6). If the Wildcats are going to win, they will rely on the "underdog DNA" of players like Collin Gillespie, whom Cowherd highlighted.
"I mean, Gillespie's dad's a cop. No scholarship offers, and look at him," Cowherd said. "I think he was a co-conference player of the year. And the other kid in the backcourt ripped up his ACL like his sophomore year. ... So even they have the advantage, even when they're favored. They see themselves as the underdog when they play all these blue bloods.
"And you know what, man? ... That's an incredible advantage, that they don't get high on themselves. Like, I never go into a game and think they didn't show up."
If they want to overcome the Final Four's other blue bloods, they will need their DNA in full effect.
Villanova and Jay Wright will be the underdogs in the Final Four
The 2022 Final Four features four of the best college basketball programs in history. The schools have combined for 61 Final Four appearances and 17 titles. All four are blue bloods.
All four have elite coaches. Three (Wright, Kansas' Bill Self and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski) are already in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Krzyzewski has won five titles, Wright has won four and Self has won one.
North Carolina's Hubert Davis is only the second person to play in and coach in a Final Four in history. He played for Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith and worked as an assistant for Hall of Famer Roy Williams at UNC. Plus, he played for Hall of Fame coaches Pat Riley, Don Nelson and Larry Brown in a 12-year NBA career.
All four have a chance.
The 2022 Men's Final Four will feature:
- North Carolina (6 national titles)
- Duke (5 national titles)
- Kansas (3 national titles)
- Villanova (3 national titles)
It's the 1st time in NCAA Tournament history that each Final Four participant enters with multiple championships. https://t.co/K8BIAakjbv
However, the injury to Justin Moore has Villanova as the team with the most significant damage going into the Final Four. They will also face a team with the potential to score in bunches. That means they will also need to shoot well, which is a weakness according to Colin Cowherd:
"Now, there are games they don't shoot well. But the intensity is, literally, you could take it game to game for 39 games."
If the Wildcats can bring the intensity to Kansas, they will have a chance. For the underdogs, an opportunity is enough.