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Amid all the breathless chatter these days about Zion Williamson and Duke being favored to win the N.C.A.A. tournament that begins next week, it is easy to forget that Villanova is the reigning champion and will remain so until — and only if — it is dethroned.
“For everybody who doesn’t think that Villanova’s still one of the elite teams in the country — wait till they play them,” Providence Coach Ed Cooley said after his team lost to the Wildcats in the Big East tournament on Thursday.
This has been a season of transition at Villanova, but in many ways it has been a lot like the last few that came before it.