CBS Sports released its latest Candid Coaches poll this week, asking nearly 100 Division I head coaches to name the best college basketball team of the 21st century.
The 2023-24 UConn Huskies (boooooooo) took the top spot with 17% of the vote, while the 2017-18 Villanova Wildcats finished fourth with 12%.
For Nova Nation, it's another reminder of just how awesome that team was.
The Wildcats went 36-4, won their second national championship in three years, and beat all six of their NCAA Tournament opponents by double digits. Point guard Jalen Brunson won National Player of the Year, while Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Omari Spellman, and Eric Paschall helped give Jay Wright one of the deepest and most versatile rosters in the country.
Eight years later, that team is still considered one of the best of the century. There's also some relevance to what second-year head coach Kevin Willard is building at Villanova now.
Willard went 24-9 in his first season on the Main Line, but a way-too-early first-round tournament loss to Utah State left the Wildcats with plenty of room to improve heading into Year 2. He responded by overhauling almost the entire roster, with Tyler Perkins, Matt Hodge, and Nico Onyekwere serving as the only returning rotation pieces.
The new-look roster won't be confused with the 2018 Wildcats anytime soon, but Willard has clearly prioritized the same things Wright did: shooting, experience and versatility.
Luigi Suigo, the 7-foot-3 Italian giraffe
center who withdrew from the 2026 Draft, gives the Cats some much-needed size and secondary playmaking. Kwame Evans Jr. is a high-upside stretch-four senior, while Devin Royal (another senior) adds 59 career starts and defensive versatility.
Willard also rebuilt the backcourt with Elijah Crawford, Buddy Simmons, and Jake Fiegen, giving Villanova a tantalizing mix of everything you'd want from the guard group — shooting, playmaking, good decision-making, and experience.
There isn't one formula for building a championship team, especially in today's version of college basketball that looks almost entirely different from what it did only eight years ago.
The 2018 Wildcats are a good example of what works at Nova: experience, shooting, versatility, and a cohesive roster.
Willard showed in Year 1 that he can win on the Main Line. His completely rebuilt Year 2 team should tell us a lot more about how close he can get Villanova back to its championship days.
