Villanova shows it can compete against top-caliber teams

A STEP CLOSER

You get four "quality" wins, you show the NCAA Selection Committee that you are capable of being competitive in the NCAA Tournament. And that, more than anything, is what committee members want to know.

"Bad" losses, November/December form, and schedule strength are all relevant, but not nearly as relevant as proving what you can do against the kinds of teams you are likely to play in the tournament.

After beating Marquette, 60-56, at home, Villanova proved once again it can beat NCAA-caliber teams. This 'Nova team is not nearly as talented as Jay Wright's best teams, but it has the same attributes those teams had - commitment to team defense and toughness under pressure.

Villanova (18-10, 9-6 Big East) got an opponent that plays to its strengths. Marquette (19-7, 10-4) is a poor three-point shooting team that shot poorly again (3-for-12). But the 'Cats won because they wanted it more.

Unlike the wins over Louisville, Syracuse and Connecticut, this was not an upset. Villanova was favored, but played with the same passion it had in those upsets.

THE KEY NUMBERS

Villanova had just 10 turnovers while forcing 19. Darrun Hilliard (22 points) was the best player on the court, terrific at both ends. Like so many guards before him at Villanova, he has taken a big leap forward from his first to his second season.

OVER IN 5 MINUTES

The really good Saint Joseph's was on display in the first 5 minutes at Hagan against George Washington. Dunks, threes, defense, fastbreaks and a 20-2 lead.

The final was 71-59. GW (12-13, 6-6 Atlantic 10) actually had the ball, down 59-52, with a little more than 5 minutes left, but the early run got the Hawks (15-10, 6-6) clear and they were in no danger.

Langston Galloway, who has been ill for weeks, finally got a week to rest. And he looked a lot more like his sophomore self, getting 26 points while shooting 6-for-9 from the arc.

With home games left against Fordham and Rhode Island and two games ahead of 13th-place Dayton, SJU certainly looks good for one of the 12 A-10 Tournament spots. The question is: Can the Hawks play like they did for those 5 minutes for more sustained periods against better competition?

BIZARRE LOSS

Columbia (11-13, 3-7 Ivy) did not make a basket for the game's final 15 minutes and beat Penn, 58-41, in New York.

How is that possible? Well, the teams did combine to shoot 6-for-44 in the second half, which should be impossible.

The Quakers (7-19, 4-5) were actually making a late rally before one of those inevitable block/charge calls went against them. Columbia then ran with the ball on the subsequent baseline inbounds play, which is legal only after a made basket. There was no call. Penn coach Jerome Allen got a technical. Freshman Tony Hicks then got his second technical. He was gone and so was the game.

THE FUTURE

Hicks, the Parade All-America from Chicago, has had an uneven first season. He had a breakout weekend, getting 29 Friday at Cornell and 19 against Columbia before being asked to depart. Hicks was 8-for-15 against the Lions. His teammates were 6-for-33.

NOT AGAIN

Yes, again. Drexel had two shots from the field and two from the foul line in the final seconds at Towson to tie the game. The Dragons' only make was the one they were trying to miss, the second of two free throws.

Towson's 72-71 win was Drexel's seventh loss by four points or fewer. The Dragons (11-17, 7-9 CAA) are 0-4 in overtimes, including a five-point loss. Towson (16-13, 11-5) won a single game last season.

Drexel has two games and the CAA Tournament to make something of this mess of a season. Point guard Frantz Massenat had 24 points for the Dragons, but their 2-for-10 three-point shooting and finish did them in.

THE NCAA STORY

At this moment, based on how committees have looked at résumés in the past, I would rank the three local teams NCAA chances - 1, Temple. 2, Villanova. 3, La Salle. It is so close, that you could flip those three and it would still make perfect sense.

Temple played a challenging nonconference schedule, which the committee loves. The Owls beat the other two convincingly, one at home, one on the road. Villanova has those four quality wins. La Salle has eight "true" road wins and has played consistently for almost the entire season.

Are they all getting in? Some? None?

Still hard to know as there may be teams winning multibid conferences that were not going to get in. The locals should be rooting for at-large locks in those leagues. Some of the teams they are battling with (Kentucky, Maryland, Arizona State, California, Mississippi, Baylor, Minnesota) still have opportunities to impress or not, just as Temple, Villanova and La Salle do.

DJ'S TOP 15

1. Indiana (24-3): With many offensive weapons, the Hoosiers are almost impossible to defend. In control of the Big Ten race, but still must play at

Minnesota and Michigan.

2. Gonzaga (27-2): Shot 54.5 percent and crushed San Diego, 81-50. Won last two games by a combined 74 points. Second best defensive efficiency under Mark Few.

3. Florida (22-4): Overwhelmed Arkansas, 71-54. Depth becoming a major concern, with Will Yeguete (knee) and Michael Frazier (concussion) out. Best combination of offense and defense in America.

4. Michigan (23-4): Defeated Illinois, 71-58.

5. Louisville (22-5): Gorgui Dieng (23 points on 10 of 11 shooting) had the game of his life in 79-61 win over Seton Hall.

6. Miami (22-4): Had been playing poorly even while winning. Played even worse and got crushed at Wake Forest, 80-65. WF scored a ridiculous 1.2 points per possession.

7. Duke (23-3): Rasheed Sulaimon (27 points) was 10-for-15 from field as the Blue Devils beat Boston College, 89-68.

8. Michigan State (22-6): Lost at Ohio State, 69-60.

9. Kansas (23-4): It was 38-9 at the half and 74-48 at the finish as KU sort of made up for that embarrassment at TCU.

10. Georgetown (21-4): Sophomore Otto Porter (33 points) was brilliant in 57-46 win at Syracuse. How come the 'Cuse looked so confused playing against a zone? Don't they practice against a zone every day?

11. Arizona (23-4): Shot 55.6 percent and beat Washington State, 73-56.

12. Kansas State (22-5): Bruce Weber should definitely be in the coach of the year discussion. His team shot 9-for-18 from three and 20-for-22 from the line in an 81-69 win at Texas.

13. Saint Louis (21-5): This team is an absolute joy to watch at both ends. Could do without some of the flopping, but I like everything else about a group that the late Rick Majerus would love to coach.

14. Memphis (24-3): Had 25 assists on 29 field goals and shot 50 percent in 89-73 win over Southern Mississippi. Won last Conference USA regular season before heading to the Big East. Has won 18 straight.

15. New Mexico (23-4): Kendall Williams made 10 threes and scored 46 points in 91-82 win at very good Colorado State.