1977–78 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team

1977–78 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball
EAA Regular season champions EAA Tournament champions
NCAA Men's Division I Tournament, Elite Eight
Conference	Eastern Athletic Association
Record	23–9 (7–3 EAA)
Head coach	Rollie Massimino (5th season)
Assistant coach	Mitch Buonaguro (1st season)
Home arena	Villanova Field House

1977–78 Eastern 8 men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
East
Rutgers	7	–	3		.700			24	–	7		.774
Villanova †	7	–	3		.700			23	–	9		.719
Pittsburgh	5	–	5		.500			16	–	11		.593
UMass	5	–	5		.500			15	–	12		.556
West
Duquesne	5	–	5		.500			11	–	17		.393
George Washington	4	–	6		.400			15	–	11		.577
Penn State	4	–	6		.400			8	–	19		.296
West Virginia	3	–	7		.300			12	–	16		.429
† 1978 Eastern 8 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll

The 1977–78 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team represented Villanova University during the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Rollie Massimino. The team played its home games at Villanova Field House in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and was a member of the Eastern Athletic Association (EAA). The team won the regular season EAA title and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament before falling to Duke.^[1] Villanova finished with a 23–9 record (7–3 Big East).

Roster

1977–78 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown G 3 Rory Sparrow 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) — So Paterson, New Jersey F 33 Keith Herron 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) — Sr Washington, D.C. F 44 Alex Bradley 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Fr Long Branch, New Jersey	Head coach Rollie Massimino (Vermont) Assistant coach(es) Mitch Buonaguro (Boston College) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank^#	Opponent^#	Result	Record	Site city, state
Regular season
Feb 25, 1978*		vs. Saint Joseph's	W 72–64	18–8	The Palestra  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
EAA tournament
Mar 2, 1978*		vs. Penn State Quarterfinals	W 73–65	19–8	Civic Arena  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mar 3, 1978*		at Pittsburgh Semifinals	W 72–70	20–8	Civic Arena  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mar 4, 1978*		vs. West Virginia Championship game	W 63–59	21–8	Civic Arena  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NCAA tournament
Mar 12, 1978*		vs. La Salle First round	W 103–97	22–8	The Palestra  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 17, 1978*		vs. No. 13 Indiana East Regional Semifinal – Sweet Sixteen	W 61–60	23–8	Providence Civic Center  Providence, Rhode Island
Mar 19, 1978*		vs. No. 7 Duke East Regional Final – Elite Eight	L 72–90	23–9	Providence Civic Center  Providence, Rhode Island
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East.

^[2][3]

Rankings

Main article: 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

^[4]

References

1. "Duke Routs Villanova In Eastern Final, 90-72". The New York Times. March 20, 1978. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
2. "1977-78 Villanova Wildcats Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
3. "2019–20 Villanova Men's Basketball Media Guide". Villanova University Athletics. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
4. ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. Random House. 2009. pp. 846–847. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.