The 2026 NCAA Tournament is set to begin on Thursday afternoon.
Villanova will watch day one and prepare for its first-round matchup with Utah State on Friday. This week, the players and coaches have been getting ready for the Wildcats’ return to tournament play. During an interview post practice, share originally by Jeff Neiburg of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Willard sent a message to his team about playing in the tournament.
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Not only did Willard tell his team to enjoy the moment, he sent a not-so-subtle warning about the transfer portal.
“For the most part, really enjoy it,” Willard said. “You’re one of 68 teams to make it to the best tournament, arguably, in all of sports. Really enjoy it because next year, you’re not promised it. They could leave this program and go to another one and be on a bad team. If they stay here, they won’t be on a bad team.”
Willard has a track record of winning wherever he goes. At Seton Hall, Willard led the team to a Big East Tournament title in 2016. He went to Maryland and in three years, brought that program to the Sweet 16. Now, after three bleak years at Villanova, Willard has returned the team to tournament play for the first time since Jay Wright.
So, was his message just precaution or is he preparing for a busy offseason?
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Villanova will be losing both Duke Brennan and Devin Askew to eligibility. The roster also has plenty of transfer options, including Acaden Lewis and Tyler Perkins. It will be interesting to see if the roster is interested in building something at Villanova or decides to leave this offseason.
