No. 18 Butler Hands No. 1 Villanova First Loss of Season
By MIKE McCURRY It had been a while
By MIKE McCURRY And then there were
By MIKE McCURRY Entering Wednesday, two of the
NEWARK -- This may have been billed
By DAN GELSTON
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Josh Hart had 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, leading No. 2 Villanova to an 88-57 victory over Saint Joseph’s on Saturday.
Hart, the preseason Big East player of the year, continued to show why he is among the best players in the nation. Hart hit three 3s and made 6 of 10 shots from the field overall.
He may soon be the best player on the No. 1 team in the country.
For the third straight year, Villanova has been selected unanimously to capture the Big East regular-season crown in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
The reigning NCAA champion Wildcats received all nine possible first-place votes from the league’s head coaches and a total of 81 points in the poll. Coaches do not place their own teams on their ballots.
Meantime, junior guard Josh Hart was named the Big East Preseason Player of the Year.
Hart and the Wildcats have been the outright regular-season champion in each of the past three seasons, compiling a 16-2 record each year. For 2016-17, coach Jay Wright’s club will be aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title. Last year, the team was the Big East Tournament runner-up before marching on to win the NCAA Tournament title and capturing the eighth national championship in Big East men’s basketball history. For the second straight season, Villanova set a school record for victories, finishing with a 35-5 record.
