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Villanova loving underdog role

This NCAA Tournament will be a little different for Villanova.

The Wildcats are the first team to enter the NCAA Tournament coming off five losses.

They also will be the lower seed for the first time in recent memory.

Villanova, the ninth seed in the East region, will face George Mason, the eighth seed, on Friday in Cleveland in a second-round game.

"We know we're in the underdog role," coach Jay Wright said after the selections were announced. "It's sort of like us against the world. It's a little different for us … We're going to relish that position. There are a lot of people who expect us to fail and I can't blame them. We do know how to do it because we've done it."

Wright was happy to get a Friday game in order to allow the injured players on his roster some extra time.

"We're getting everyone healthy," he said. "It's a new season so we say. 'Let's go.' "

Despite concern from Nova Nation about Villanova being left out of the field, Wright said he was not concerned. Villanova was one of a record 11 teams from the Big East to make the field of 68.

"We weren't worried," he said. "All of us were getting a lot of Joe Lunardi reports. We were getting updates. There is so much information out there now so we had a good feeling."