Big 5 in the Final Four

By defeating Kansas Saturday, Villanova became the 10th Big 5 school to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament since 1952 (the first year when the semifinals and finals were held at the same city).

Here is a quick reverse chronological look at the previous nine Final Four participants, which includes each Big 5 school at least once and boasts two National Champions:

2009 VILLANOVA
Head Coach: Jay Wright
Top Players:
   Dante Cunningham (16.1 pts., 7.5 reb., 52.5% FG)
   Scottie Reynolds (15.2 pts., 3.4 ast., 35.0% 3FG, 81.5% FT)
   Corey Fisher (10.8 pts., 2.8 ast,, 32% 3FG)
Regular Season: 26-7, at-large bid
NCAA Tournament (3 seed in East Region):
   Beat American (14), 80-67
   Beat UCLA (6), 89-69
   Beat Duke (2), 77-54
   Beat Pittsburgh (1), 78-76, in Regional Final
   Lost to North Carolina (1), 83-69, in National Semifinal
Note to Know:
   Advanced to the Final Four on a Scottie Reynolds length-of-the-floor game-winning layup after Pitt had tied the game with free throws with 5.5 seconds to go.

1985 VILLANOVA (National Champion)
Head Coach: Rollie Massimino
Top Players:
   Ed Pinckney (15.6 pts., 8.9 reb., 60.0% FG)
   Dwayne McClain (14.8 pts., 4.1 reb., 57.4% FG)
   Harold Pressley (12.0 pts., 7.9 reb., 48.8% FG)
Regular Season: 19-10, at-large bid
NCAA Tournament (8 seed in Southeast Region):
   Beat Dayton (9), 51-49 (in Dayton)
   Beat Michigan (1), 59-55
   Beat Maryland (5), 46-43
   Beat North Carolina (2), 56-44, in Regional Final
   Beat Memphis (2), 52-45, in National Semifinal
   Beat Georgetown, 66-64, in National Championship
Notes to Know:
   Shot a then-NCAA Tournament record 78.6% (22-27) in the title game, including 90% (9-10) in the second half ... Barely escaped Dayton in the first round on a layup by Harold Jensen out of the delay game (no shot clock) with 1:10 to go.

1979 PENN
Head Coach: Bob Weinhauer
Top Players:
   Tony Price (19.8 pts., 8.7 reb., 52.4% FG)
   Tim Smith (13.4 pts., 6.4 reb., 85.7% FT)
   Matt White (11.7 pts., 7.5 reb., 63.3% FG)
Regular Season: 21-5, automatic bid for winning the Ivy League regular season title (13-1)
NCAA Tournament (9 seed in East Region):
   Beat Iona (8), 73-69
   Beat North Carolina (1), 72-71
   Beat Syracuse (4), 84-76
   Beat St. John's (10), 64-62, in Regional Final
   Lost to Michigan State, 101-67, in National Semifinal
   Lost to DePaul, 96-93 (ot), in National Third-Place Game
Notes to Know:
   Tony Price had 25 points (12-for-18 FG), nine rebounds and six assists in the Black Sunday win over North Cathola (Duke lost the other game of the doublehead in Raleigh,N.C., to St. John's) ... That remains the only NCAA Tournament loss the Tar Heels have ever suffered in the state of North Carolina (35-1).

1971 VILLANOVA
Head Coach: Jack Kraft
Top Players:
   Howard Porter (23.5 pts., 14.9 reb., 52.9% FG)
   Hank Siemiontkowski (15.8 pts., 9.1 reb., 80.5% FT)
   Chris Ford (13.8 pts., 5.9 reb., 45.0% FG)
   Tom Ingelsby (13.3 pts., 3.8 reb., 73.1% FT)
   Clarence Smith (13.0 pts., 7.8 reb., 47.7% FG)
Regular Season: 23-6 at-large bid as an Independent
NCAA Tournament (East Region):
   Beat Saint Joseph's, 93-75
   Beat Fordham, 85-75
   Beat Penn, 90-47, in Regional Final
   Beat Western Kentucky, 92-89 (2 ot), in National Semifinal
   Lost to UCLA, 68-62, in National Championship
Notes to Know:
   The stomping of third-ranked Penn (28-0) may be the most famous whupping in any sport in Philadelphia's history. The Wildcats stormed out to a 22-6 lead, had a 43-22 margin at intermission and then went on to score the first 16 points of the second half. Howard Porter shot 16-for-24 en route to 35 points and 15 rebounds.

1961 SAINT JOSEPH'S
Head Coach: Jack Ramsay
Top Players:
   Jack Egan (21.9 pts., 12.0 reb., 71.0% FT)
   Billy Hoy (12.0 pts., 4.9 reb.)
   Jim Lynam (11.2 pts., 2.3 reb., 82.5% FT)
   Vince Kempton (11.2 pts., 10.2 reb., 49.1% FG)
Regular Season: 22-4, automatic bid out of the Middle Atlantic Conference (8-0)
NCAA Tournament (East Region):
   Beat Princeton, 72-67
   Beat Wake Forest, 78-73, in Regional Final
   Lost to Ohio State, 95-69, in National Semifinal
   Beat Utah, 127-120 (4 ot), in National Third-Place Game
Notes to Know:
   Yes, Billy Packer was on the Wake Forest team the Hawks defeated to go to the Final Four. The same Billy Packer who said the 2004 Hawks (27-1 at the time) were not deserving of a No. 1 seed ... Jack Egan scored 42 and Jim Lynam added 31 in the epic four-overtime third-place victory.

1958 TEMPLE
Head Coach: Harry Litwack
Top Players:
   Guy Rodgers (20.1 pts., 6.6 reb., 44.1% FG)
   Bill Kennedy (13.5 pts., 3.3 reb., 84.2% FT)
   Jay Norman (13.0 pts., 11.9 reb.)
   Mel Brodsky (10.9 pts., 7.5 reb., 77.0% FT)
Regular Season: 24-2, automatic bid from the Middle Atlantic Conference
NCAA Tournament (East Region):
   Beat Maryland, 71-67
   Beat Dartmouth, 69-50, in Regional Final
   Lost to Kentucky, 61-60, in National Semifinal
   Beat Kansas State, 67-57, in National Third-Place Game
Notes to Know:
   The Owls saw a 25-game winning streak snapped in the semifinals, falling to Kentucky in Louisville on a Vernon Hatton layup with 12 seconds to go after Guy Rodgers missed the front end of a one-and-one with 27 ticks left and Temple up by one ... The Owls had dropped a game to Kentucky in triple overtime early in the season. Their only other loss was to an Oscar Robertson-led Cincinnati squad right after that.

1956 TEMPLE
Head Coach: Harry Litwack
Top Players:
   Hal Lear (24.0 pts., 3.5 reb., 48.8% FG)
   Guy Rodgers (18.5 pts., 6.0 reb., 44.0% FG)
   Fred Cohen (8.2 pts., 9.9 reb., 43.3% FG)
Regular Season: 23-3, automatic bid from the Middle Atlantic Conference
NCAA Tournament (East Region):
   Beat Holy Cross, 74-72
   Beat Connecticut, 65-59
   Beat Canisius, 60-58, in Regional Final
   Lost to Iowa, 83-76, in National Semifinal
   Beat Southern Methodist, 90-81, in National Third-Place Game
Notes to Know:
   Iowa held a double-digit lead for much of the second half in the semifinal game ... Hal Lear then went on to score a then-Tournament record 48 points in the consolation game. It is now the eighth highest-scoring game in NCAA Tournament history. Guy Rodgers had 20 assists in that game.

1955 LA SALLE
Head Coach: Ken Loeffler
Top Players:
   Tom Gola (24.1 pts., 19.9 reb., 75.6% FT)
   Charles Singley (11.7 pts., 5.9 reb., 72.8% FT)
   Al Lewis (11.3 pts., 7.4 reb.)
Regular Season: 22-4, automatic bid from the Middle Atlantic Conference
NCAA Tournament (East Region):
   Beat West Virginia, 95-61
   Beat Princeton, 73-46
   Beat Canisius, 99-64, in Regional Final
   Beat Iowa, 76-73, in National Semifinal
   Lost to San Francisco, 77-63, in National Championship
Notes to Know:
   K.C. Jones (24 points) and Bill Russell (23) were too much for the defending champion Explorers to overcome in the title game, trailing by as many as 19 early in the second half. That was the first NCAA Tournament loss ever for La Salle after nine consecutive victories. Tom Gola had 30 points in the routing of Canisius that got them a return trip to the Final Four.

1954 LA SALLE (National Champions)
Head Coach: Ken Loeffler
Top Players:
   Tom Gola (23.0 pts., 21.7 reb., 73.2% FT)
   Charles Singley (10.7 pts., 5.1 reb.)
   Frank Blatcher (10.4 pts., 4.6 reb.)
Regular Season: 21-4, automatic bid from the Middle Atlantic Conference
NCAA Tournament (East Region):
   Beat Fordham, 76-74 (ot)
   Beat North Carolina, 88-81
   Beat Navy, 64-48, in Regional Final
   Beat Penn State, 69-54, in National Semifinal
   Beat Bradley, 92-76, in National Semifinal
Notes to Know:
   Fran O'Malley scored a layup on an assist from Tom Gola off an inbounds play with one second left in regulation to force overtime in first-round win over Fordham. Free throws carried the Explorers in the extra period ... Frank Blatcher and Charles Singley each had 23 points in the title game victory over Bradley. La Salle used a 22-9 third-quarter run to pull away.