The original version of this article was published in a special insert of the 1985 Villanova University Belle Air yearbook as “Against All Odds.”
Lexington, Kentucky speaks two languages – horses and basketball. The luscious Kentucky blue-grass fields punctuated by innumerable rail fences are a constant reminder of this as horse country.
Rupp Arena, formidable in its domination of the Lexington landscape, leaves little doubt about basketball.
Basketball at its finest, studded with soon-to-be pro-ball luminaries, infused with penetrating emotional highs and lows, and seemingly unpredictable in outcome.
In equestrian circles, “conformation” is the threshold term enabling the finest 2-year-old thoroughbreds to anticipate wins of major purses as 3-year-olds.
Conformation in horse breeding jargon refers to the myriad characteristics needed to be evident for a “winner.”
The last weekend in March of 1985 demonstrated a new dimension of the term. Hands down, Villanova fielded its own – Rollie Massimino’s team of Wildcats illustrated a conformation undetected by all but the real fans, the hard-core backers.
The purse was high – the NCAA 1985 Basketball Championship. The main contender was fiercely predicted to win, expected to pommel its opponents into the ground with its spread offense. All bets were placed. The suspense mounted and the action exploded.
“Cinderella,” now a fond reminder rather than a stark rebuke, had trained hard. Motivated by two regular-season defeats at the hands of Georgetown, Rollie’s Wildcats analyzed, drilled, trained, concentrated.
They would come off the line in the NCAA bracket race with their regular-season tally very bland in comparison to the Big East top. Indeed, with 19-10 on their back, they ran a heavy-duty sprint.
First, they bested Dayton at Dayton as the initial surprise. The away-disadvantage was no obstacle. Rollie took the draw like a trooper, tempering any dissatisfaction with his likeable Italian humor.
Next, Michigan, Big Ten Conference champions and ranked No. 2 – upset No. 2. Followed by another M – Maryland.
Villanova avenged a loss suffered in the regular season. The M&Ms just melted in the Wildcats’ mouths.
Finally, the legendary Dean Smith and his North Carolina hoopsters. They were feisty, sporting, ready to play to the hilt. With few minutes left on the clock, Villanova had trounced Smith’s Tar Heels.
In a classic show of coaching integrity, the legendary Smith instructed his defense to forego the conventional stall-foul. The North Carolina team went through the motions and nobly conceded Villanova’s win even before time ran out.
Rollie responded in kind – no greedy Wildcat shot was taken to worsen the blow of North Carolina’s loss.
Villanova’s credentials were sound, four pivotal wins against a range of regional and conference title-holders – Dayton, Michigan, Maryland, and North Carolina.
The Final Four – A groundswell of supporters was growing. Everywhere, American collegiate basketball fans were scrutinizing, reserving judgment.
Big names, however, were beginning to anticipate credit for exposing the Wildcats as a fluke. The match-ups and a little bit of luck, according to some skeptics, were all the explanation needed for Rollie’s victories.
Not so. The Wildcats had four starts, all wins, preliminaries essential for the consummate derby of the year – Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky.
After dispatching Memphis State, Midwest Regional and Metropolitan Conference champion, with a score of 52-45, the Wildcats faced the main contender as a nine and one-half point underdog.
Georgetown pranced and paraded. Ewing was proclaimed a god. In the nihilist upset of all time, the Villanova Wildcats proved otherwise.
Ewing was no god. No mortal should aspire to such blasphemy.
The king, primacy declared too early, was dazzled by the rugged, resourceful, stunning defense.
Ewing sparked several times in 40 minutes, not enough of a kick to outstrip Villanova’s record-setting percentages – 78.6 percent field goals, nine out of ten shots in the second half.
Plus, 22 of 27 free throws, with Gary McLain’s incredibly low two turnovers throughout a full 40 minutes.
“How did it happen?” skeptics asked with their eyes closed. Watch the game again, and again. It is a classic. Each Wildcat is a tale to tell.
Television fans came out of the woodwork. The Wildcats’ groundswell loomed in support of the underdog.
Cinderella was coming home, acknowledged at last for hard work, careful study, physical stamina, outstanding coaching, and Rollie.
Rollie Massimino and his integrity – the Wildcats did not crush Georgetown “the unbeatable” by hard work alone.
Added were a dash of Rollie’s generous spirit here and there, a huge helping of Massimino spunk, a dollop of love and emotional strength.
Serve it up – it will elicit deserved oohs and aahs from multitudes, even the disbelievers.
Before it’s finished, savor the flavor. Rollie Massimino and his beloved Wildcats, underrated and unrecognized, placed and finished #1.
In the process the Wildcats confirmed our long-held belief in the underdog and our enthusiasm for success against all odds to become one of the top college upsets of all time.
Mary McDermott Brown, Villanova Class of 1971, along with Jim and Dianne Murray and Father Michael Gallagher, founded the Villanova CoCats in 1967, a synchronized dance team of Villanova women who performed at home games at the Field House and at Big Five games at the Palestra.
