1984–85 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 1984–85 Villanova Wildcats Big East Conference Big East Conference (1979–2013) Big East 25–10 9–7 Rollie Massimino 12th Mitch Buonaguro Marty Marbach Steve Lappas Villanova Field House NCAA tournament National Champions National Championship Game W Won 66–64 vs. Georgetown The 1984–85 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team represented Villanova University. 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 Big East Conference. The team is famous for one of the biggest upsets in sports history – a 66–64 win over #1 Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament final on April 1, 1985. They remain the lowest-seeded team in history to win the NCAA Tournament. Roster 1984 Villanova Wildcats y Connally Brown 50 F 6 7 205 So Orange, Texas Veltra Dawson 10 G 6 1 175 Fr Highland Park, Illinois Chuck Everson 41 C 7 1 255 Jr Brentwood, New York Brian Harrington 20 G 6 0 165 Sr Pound Ridge, New York Harold Jensen y 32 G 6 5 195 So Trumbull, Connecticut Wyatt Maker 43 C 6 11 245 So Salinas, California Roland Massimino 13 G 5 10 165 Jr Villanova, Pennsylvania Dwayne McClain y 33 GF 6 6 195 Sr Worcester, Massachusetts Gary McLain y 22 G 6 0 180 Sr Hempstead, New York Ed Pinckney y 54 FC 6 9 205 Sr Bronx, New York Steve Pinone 25 F 6 4 195 Sr Wethersfield, Connecticut Mark Plansky y 31 F 6 7 200 Fr Wakefield, Massachusetts Harold Pressley y 21 F 6 7 210 Jr Mystic, Connecticut Dwight Wilbur 4 G 6 2 185 Jr Paterson, New Jersey Rollie Massimino (Vermont) Mitch Buonaguro (Boston College) Marty Marbach (Saint Francis University) Steve Lappas (CCNY) Harry Booth (Saint Joseph's) 1985 NCAA Final Four program March 1985 Schedule |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Non-conference regular season November 24 7:30 pm yes yes Vermont Patrick Gym Burlington, Vermont 80–56 1–0 November 28 8 pm yes yes Marist McCann Field House Poughkeepsie, New York 56–51 2–0 December 1 2:30 pm yes yes Temple The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Big 5 PRISM 68–65 3–0 December 7 9 pm yes Monmouth Villanova Field House Villanova, Pennsylvania 77–62 4–0 December 15 7 pm yes Penn The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Big 5 80–67 5–0 December 22 2:30 pm yes yes La Salle The Spectrum Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Big 5 PRISM 80–63 6–0 December 28 9:30 pm yes yes BYU The Omni Atlanta, Georgia Cotton State-Kiwanis Classic Semifinal 91–61 7-0 December 29 9:30 pm yes yes Georgia The Omni Atlanta, Georgia Cotton State-Kiwanis Classic Championship 68–75 7–1 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Big East Conference Regular Season January 2 8 pm Syracuse 5 The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA 82–70 8–1 1–0 January 5 8 pm Connecticut Villanova Field House Villanova, Pennsylvania 70–59 9–1 2–0 January 7 8 pm yes St. John's 4 Madison Square Garden New York City, New York ESPNTCS Metrosports 71–76 9–2 2–1 January 12 2:30 pm 16 Georgetown 1 The Spectrum Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NBC 50–52 9–3 2–2 January 15 8 pm 18 Boston College Villanova Field House Villanova, Pennsylvania ESPN 85–66 10–3 3–2 January 19 3 pm yes 18 Seton Hall Meadowlands Arena East Rutherford, New Jersey 86–74 11–3 4–2 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Non-conference regular season January 21 9:30 pm yes yes 18 Drexel The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania City 6 63–55 12–3 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Big East Conference Regular Season January 23 8 pm 14 Providence The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 65–57 13–3 5–2 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Non-conference regular season January 27 12:30 pm yes yes 14 Maryland Cole Field House College Park, Maryland NBC 74–77 13–4 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Big East Conference Regular Season January 29 7 pm 18 Pittsburgh The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ESPN 70–63 14–4 6–2 February 1 8 pm yes 18 Syracuse 9 Carrier Dome Syracuse, New York ESPN 79–92 14–5 6–3 February 5 8 pm yes 19 Connecticut Hugh S. Greer Field House Storrs, Connecticut 79–71 15–5 7–3 February 9 2 pm 19 St. John's 1 The Spectrum Philadelphia, Pennsylvania CBS 68–70 15–6 7–4 February 11 8 pm yes 19 Georgetown 2 Capital Centre Landover, Maryland ESPN 50–57 15–7 7–5 February 16 12 pm yes 16 Boston College Roberts Center Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts TCS MetroSports 61–62 15–8 7–6 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Non-conference regular season February 19 9 pm yes yes St. Joseph's The Spectrum Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Big 5 47–44 16–8 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Big East Conference Regular Season February 23 8 pm yes Providence Providence Civic Center Providence, Rhode Island 88–82 17–8 8–6 February 27 8 pm Seton Hall Villanova Field House Villanova, Pennsylvania 80–75 18–8 9–6 March 2 2 pm yes Pittsburgh Fitzgerald Field House Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania CBS 62–85 18–9 9–7 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| Big East tournament March 7 9:30 pm yes yes 4 Pittsburgh 5 Madison Square Garden New York City, New York Big East tournament quarterfinal TCS MetroSports 69–61 19–9 March 8 9:30 pm yes yes 4 St. John's 2 1 Madison Square Garden New York City, New York Big East tournament semifinal TCS MetroSports 74–89 19–10 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#013974; color:#67CAF1;"| NCAA Tournament March 15 9:37 pm yes yes 8 SE Dayton 9 SE University of Dayton Arena Dayton, Ohio NCAA Southeast first round ESPNNCAA Productions 51–49 20–10 March 17 12:20 pm yes yes 8 SE Michigan 2 1 SE University of Dayton Arena Dayton, Ohio NCAA Southeast Second Round CBS 59–55 21–10 March 22 8:07 pm yes yes 8 SE Maryland 5 SE BJCC Coliseum Birmingham, Alabama NCAA Southeast Regional semifinal ESPNNCAA Productions 46–43 22–10 March 24 1:58 pm yes yes 8 SE North Carolina 7 2 SE BJCC Coliseum Birmingham, Alabama NCAA Southeast Regional Final CBS 56–44 23–10 March 30 3:42 pm yes yes 8 SE Memphis State 5 2 MW Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky NCAA National semifinal CBS 52–45 24–10 April 1 9:12 pm yes yes 8 SE Georgetown 1 1 E Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky NCAA national championship CBS 66–64 25–10 SE Southeast Basketball State https://web.archive.org/web/20150402130203/http://www.bbstate.com/teams/NOVA/schedule/85 2015-04-02 . Retrieved 2015-Mar-22. 2014-15 Villanova men's basketball media guide. Retrieved 2015-Mar-22. College Basketball @ Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-Mar-22. Awards and honors Ed Pinckney, Final Four Most Outstanding Player Ed Pinckney, Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year Ed Pinckney, 1st Team All-Big East Ed Pinckney, Big East All-Tournament Team Dwayne McClain, 3rd Team All-Big East Dwayne McClain, All-Big 5 Dwayne McClain, Final Four All-Tournament Team Gary McLain, Final Four All-Tournament Team Harold Jensen, Final Four All-Tournament Team Team players drafted into the NBA Year Round Pick Player NBA club 1985 1 10 Ed Pinckney Phoenix Sunshttp://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1985&lg=N 1985 NBA Draft BasketballReference.com 18 February 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100310224241/http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1985&lg=N 2010-03-10 dead 1985 2 27 Dwayne McClain Indiana Pacers 1985 7 144 Gary McLain New Jersey Nets 1986 1 17 Harold Pressley Sacramento Kingshttp://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1986&lg=N 1986 NBA Draft BasketballReference.com 18 February 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100310224246/http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1986&lg=N 2010-03-10 dead 19866130 Chuck Everson Utah Jazz 1987 6 122 Harold Jensen Cleveland Cavaliershttp://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1986&lg=N 1986 NBA Draft BasketballReference.com 18 February 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100310224246/http://www.basketballreference.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1986&lg=N 2010-03-10 dead Legacy In 2013, author Frank Fitzpatrick released his book The Perfect Game: How Villanova’s Shocking 1985 Upset of Mighty Georgetown Changed the Landscape of College Hoops Forever focusing on the team's victorious season.The Perfect Game: How Villanova's Shocking 1985 Upset of Mighty Georgetown Changed the Landscape of College Hoops Forever Frank Fitzpatrick Macmillan 2013 The team is an inductee into the 2025 class of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. References Villanova Villanova Category:Villanova Wildcats men's basketball seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons Category:1985 in sports in Pennsylvania Category:1984 in sports in Pennsylvania