'Nova defies expectations once again, falls short vs. NC State

Pittsburgh, PA -- Add another monumental upset to the list for North Carolina State this season.

Except this one punched its ticket into the Sweet 16.

Trevor Lacey had 17 points and six rebounds, Abdul-Malik Abu and Lennard Freeman added double-doubles and the eighth-seeded Wolfpack shocked No. 1 seed Villanova 71-68 in third-round action from the East Region.

Abu posted 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Freeman supplied 11 points and 12 boards for NC State (22-13), which stormed back from a 16-point second half deficit to beat LSU in the second round.

The Wolfpack handed Duke its first loss in January and added road wins against Louisville and North Carolina in February.

"We respect Villanova, but we've seen good teams," NC State coach Mark Gottfried said. "We've seen  a lot of them in our conference. You see them about every night. So a league like that prepares you for games like tonight."

Saturday's stunner was aided by a poor Villanova shooting performance.

The Wildcats, who shot a season-high 63 percent during their second-round win against Lafayette, were 31.1 percent (19-of-61) from the floor in this one and connected on just 9-of-28 from beyond the arc.

Darrun Hilliard hit a trio of 3-pointers in the final 1:29 and his final one pulled the Wildcats within 69-68 with 1.4 seconds remaining.

Ralston Turner sunk a pair of foul shots at the other end, but Josh Hart's ensuing inbounds pass downcourt was thrown into a sea of NC State players and intercepted.

Hilliard was 6-of-10 from 3-point range and Phil Booth was 3-of-4 from long distance, but the rest of the Wildcats combined to go 0-of-14.

NC State also outrebounded them 45-32.

Hilliard finished with 27 points and JayVaughn Pinkston provided 13 points and six boards for Villanova (33-3), which had won 16 straight games coming in.

This is the second straight NCAA Tournament the Wildcats have been upset in the third round. They were beaten by eventual national-champion and seventh- seeded Connecticut as a No. 2 seed last year.

"I know we have to answer to the fact that we did not get to the second weekend again," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "It's not going to define us within our program. It's going to define us outside of our program, and we accept that."

The Wildcats trailed by as many as 12 in the second half but two Pinkston free throws preceded his three-point play to cut the deficit to 62-59 with 2:26 remaining.

NC State, though, answered with a pair of baskets as Lacey hit a tough step- back jumper from the left elbow and Anthony "Cat" Barber drove in for a layup to extend the advantage back to seven with under two minutes to play.

Hilliard then sandwiched a pair of 3s around a 1-of-2 effort from the charity stripe by Barber for a 67-65 Wolfpack lead with 44 ticks on the clock.

Villanova's full-court pressure forced an errant pass from Lacey, but Dylan Ennis' trey from the top of the arc was off the mark. Barber was fouled again, but hit both of his bonus shots this time to make it a two-possession contest.

Earlier, six straight points from the Wolfpack helped them race out to a 13-7 margin.

Hilliard hit a 3 to make it 13-10 and neither team led by more than four the rest of the half. Lacey's right wing 3 at the horn staked NC State to a 32-28 cushion at the break.

The Wolfpack began the second half on a 13-5 run to build their 12-point spread. Barber found Abu for a layup to cap the surge for a 45-33 margin at the 13:29 mark.

Notes: This is the second time that a Gottfried-coached team has knocked off a No. 1 seed in the Round of 32. His 2004 Alabama team knocked off top-seeded Stanford in the second round ... Villanova was 21-of-23 from the foul line ... The Wildcats were 5-of-16 from beyond the arc in the second half ... Abu pulled down six of NC State's 13 offensive rebounds.

Villanova takes down Lafayette in easy NCAA test

Pittsburgh, PA -- Dylan Ennis led a razor-sharp Villanova offense with 16 points and the top-seeded Wildcats rolled to a 93-52 win over Lafayette in the NCAA Tournament East Region second round.

The Wildcats looked every bit the part of a national championship contender in their tournament opener, shooting a torrid 63.2 percent from the field and going 11-of-22 from 3-point range while committing just eight turnovers in an overwhelming performance.

"I think we are offensively playing as well as we have all season," Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. "It's a good, good time to do it."

Daniel Ochefu chipped in 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting and Ryan Arcidiacono had 13 points for Villanova (33-2), which will take a school-record 16-game win streak into Saturday's Round of 32 matchup with either North Carolina State or LSU.

Darrun Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston added 12 points each while finishing a combined 10-of-13 from the floor.

Dan Trist paced 16th-seeded Lafayette (20-13), the champions of the Patriot League Tournament, with 18 points and Seth Hinrichs netted 13 for the Leopards.

The overmatched Leopards never posed a threat for Villanova, which began the game on an 11-2 run and owned a 19-8 lead midway through the first half prior to breaking the contest wide open.

Kris Jenkins buried back-to-back 3-pointers to ignite a 13-0 stretch in which the Wildcats scored on five consecutive possessions. Josh Hart capped the surge with a triple of his own, staking Villanova to a commanding 34-13 advantage with six minutes still to play in the period.

"We know what kind of team they were. We have a lot of respect for them. They came into our house last year and gave us a great battle," Hilliard said of Lafayette. "We were down late in the game and we knew if we didn't come in and kind of play defense the way we were supposed to, it could be an easy, closer game. It was great to come out and kind of jump on them from the start."

The Wildcats closed out the stanza on an 8-0 spurt to head into the break up by a 49-26 count, having shot 62.5 percent for the half and outscoring Lafayette 24-10 in the paint.

"I think playing the No. 2 team in the nation, we were a little nervous," Hinrichs admitted. "But we just didn't execute to come out to start. We knew we had to get off to a good start and we didn't do that tonight."

Villanova remained hot coming out of the intermission, knocking down its first six field goal attempts of the second half and stretching the lead to 63-30. Arcidiacono hit three of those shots while accounting for seven points during a 14-2 run.

Lafayette never got the margin under 31 points from there, with the Wildcats going ahead by as much as 45 when an Ennis trey made the score 84-39 with 8:59 remaining.

"It's hard to come back against them. They handle the ball so well," Leopards head coach Fran O'Hanlon remarked. "We knew coming in here how well they handle the ball. It's not like we could pressure them or trap them. They just move it too well."

Notes: Villanova posted a 75-59 win over Lafayette when the teams squared off at the Pavilion in the 2013-14 season opener ... O'Hanlon was a guard for Villanova from 1967-70 and still holds the Wildcats' single-game record for assists. He was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame in 1992 ... The Leopards fell to 0-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and were making their first appearance since 2000 ... Villanova has now won 30 straight games in which it has scored 70 points or more ... The Wildcats improved to 17-0 all-time against current Patriot League members but had two close calls against the league during the regular season, earning a 77-66 win over Lehigh and a 72-65 decision over Bucknell.

Villanova's Cherry named CAA Football Student-Athlete of the Year

RICHMOND, Va. – Villanova junior Don Cherry has been named 2014 CAA Football Student-Athlete of the Year, headlining a list of 205 honorees named to the league’s Academic All-Conference Team on Thursday.

Cherry is a standout both in football and in the classroom at Villanova. He carries a cumulative 3.38 GPA while majoring in finance, and was a member of the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America Team. Cherry is also a three-time selection to the Villanova Dean’s List, and was chosen as the VU Student-Athlete of the Month last December.

On the field, Cherry posted 134 tackles, 21.5 tackles-for-loss, 10 sacks and five forced fumbles in 2014, ranking among the CAA Football leaders in each category. The impressive statistics earned Cherry a runner-up finish in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the top defensive player in the FCS. The linebacker was also named to the AP, Sports Network, College Sporting News and Walter Camp All-America Teams, and the All-CAA Football First Team.

"Don Cherry is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be,” said Villanova head coach Andy Talley. “He is a true All-American who is very deserving of this honor."

Of the 205 CAA Football Academic All-Conference selections, Delaware leads the way with 28 honorees, followed by New Hampshire with 23, and James Madison and Villanova with 20 apiece.

'Nova wins Big East, gains #1 seed in NCAAs

New York, NY -- After capturing their first Big East Tournament title in 20 years, the Villanova Wildcats have officially been rewarded. 

Dylan Ennis led a sharp offensive display with 16 points and the fourth-ranked Wildcats shined on the defensive end as well in an impressive 69-52 victory over Xavier that had Villanova cutting down the nets at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1995.

Villanova (32-2) was in control for nearly the entire night in rolling to a school-record 15th consecutive win, one that sealed a No. 1 regional seed when the NCAA Tournament brackets were announced Sunday evening.

 Jay Wright's team will take on Patriot League winner Lafayette in Thursday's 1-16 matchup on Thursday in Pittsburgh at a time yet to be determined.

Josh Hart added 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting to lock down tournament MVP honors, while Darrun Hilliard hit a trio of 3-pointers in a 12-point effort for a Wildcats squad that hit on 50 percent of its
field goal attempts.

Conversely, the sixth-seeded Musketeers appeared to have little left in the tank after reaching Saturday's final on a pair of hard-fought narrow decisions over Butler and Georgetown over the
previous two days.

Xavier (21-13) was held to a 2-of-15 rate from beyond the arc and shot just 37.9 percent overall while never seriously threatening Villanova after falling behind by double digits late in the first half.
Dee Davis and Jalen Reynolds paced the Musketeers with 13 points each.

A focused Villanova team opened up an early 13-6 lead after burying three straight shots over a 49-second span, then closed the first half with a flourish to put Xavier in a hole it never could get out of.

Consecutive layups by Myles Davis and Reynolds had the Musketeers down just 17-14 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the period, but Villanova responded by hitting its next four shots -- including 3-pointers from Hilliard and Phil Booth -- during a 10-0 run that stretched the margin to double digits.

Hart drained a triple shortly afterward, and the Wildcats were up by 16 before an Remy Abell trey with 40 seconds left cut Xavier's deficit to 34-21 at the break.

Villanova hit at a 52 percent clip from the field in the first half and remained red-hot after the intermission, with Hilliard and Ryan Arcidiacono sinking 3-pointers during an 8-0 spurt that increased the lead to 42-21 just over two minutes into the second.

Xavier scored the next six points and later got within 54-41 on Dee Davis' 3- point play with just over 10 minutes remaining. However, Ennis knocked down a trey on the other end to start a 7-0 run that put any comeback hopes squarely to rest.

Notes: Villanova was appearing in its first Big East Tournament final since losing to Boston College in 1997, and captured its lone other title two years earlier by defeating Connecticut ... Hart, the Big East Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 17.7 points while shooting 72.4 percent from the floor in the Wildcats' three tournament wins. The sophomore is the first player to win MVP honors coming off the bench ... Xavier played without freshman guard J.P. Macura due to an ankle injury sustained in Friday's win over Georgetown ... The Musketeers, expected to make the NCAA field for the ninth time in 10 years, had won four of their last five tournament finals coming in. All came during their tenure in the Atlantic 10.

'Nova wraps up second straight Big East crown

Cincinnati, OH -- It wasn't at home, but there's no doubt that Jay Wright and the rest of his coaching staff and his team will take it.

Dylan Ennis posted 16 points, five rebounds and five assists and No. 6 Villanova went into Cintas Center and knocked off Xavier 78-66 to win its 10th straight game.

Ryan Arcidiacono had 15 points and Kris Jenkins went 4-for-7 from distance for 14 for Villanova (27-2, 14-2 Big East), which wrapped up the Big East regular- season crown for the second consecutive year with Saturday's win.

The Wildcats had already earned a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, which will take place from March 11-14.

Jalen Reynolds made all six of his shots to lead Xavier with 15 points, and Trevon Bluiett netted 12. Dee Davis tallied seven points, nine assists and six rebounds in the setback.

Xavier (18-12, 8-9) had won nine of its last 11 games at home against ranked opponents.

The Musketeers led by as many as nine early in the second half before Villanova charged back. The Wildcats trailed 54-53 just past the midway point when Jenkins got hot, sinking two 3-pointers before the under-8 media timeout. Out of the huddle, Phil Booth hit from deep to extend Villanova's lead to 62-57.

Arcidiacono then drilled a 3 and went 2-for-3 from the foul line after drawing a foul. Josh Hart's triple on the next trip down gave 'Nova an 11- point advantage.

Jenkins and Daniel Ochefu, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, both made two from the line in the final 1:13 to seal the win.

"They're as good as any team in the country," Xavier head coach Chris Mack said of Villanova.

Xavier got a boost from its reserves in the first half. Reynolds, James Farr and J.P. Macura came off the bench and scored a combined 18 points on 7-for-7 shooting to help the Musketeers to a 40-33 halftime lead.

Notes: Villanova forward JayVaughn Pinkston played despite accusations that he violated his probation on Friday. Pinkston was involved in an altercation at an off-campus party in 2010 and was suspended for the entire 2010-11 season ... Villanova upped its record to 4-0 in the series since Xavier joined the Big East ... Villanova scored 20 points off 14 turnovers.

Wildcats rout Providence, earn share of Big East title

Villanova, PA -- Darrun Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston shined on senior night in No. 6 Villanova's 89-61 win over No. 25 Providence.

Hilliard's 24 points with six 3-pointers led all scorers and Pinkston added 16 points and eight rebounds, including the 700th of his career, to help the Wildcats (26-2, 13-2 Big East) clinch at least a share of a second straight Big East title.

"These are two guys who never thought of giving in on Villanova," said Wildcats coach Jay Wright. "It really is special for me because of where they have been and what they have brought us from."

Ryan Arcidiacono netted 13 points, and Kris Jenkins and Phil Booth added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Friars (19-9, 9-6) never led despite getting 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from Tyler Harris. LaDontae Henton and Kyron Cartwright each scored 12 points, while Kris Dunn was limited to four points.

Providence pulled within six several times in the opening moments of the second half but could not overcome Villanova's long-range shooting.

Hilliard hit a pair of free throws and went on to score 14 points during a 25-6 Wildcats run to put the game away. He scored the first four points and later netted nine in a row with three shots from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats led by as many as 30 when Jenkins hit a 3 with 4:20 to play. Even after Hilliard and Pinkston were taken out of the game to standing ovations with three minutes left, Villanova kept the pressure on with 3s from Josh Hart on back-to-back possessions.

"It's amazing how teams around the country and all the speaking heads, who are supposed to be professional, but they aren't talking about Villanova as a No. 1 seed," said Friars coach Ed Cooley. "They're playing as well as anybody in the country and have a chance to make a magical, magical run in March."

Villanova scored the first nine points of the game with a sloppy start from Providence. The Friars committed five turnovers in the first four minutes before a timeout and Cartwright jumper got them on track.

The Wildcats scored 14 points off nine Providence turnovers in the first half, but the Friars used a late surge to narrow their deficit. Ben Bentil's 3 with two minutes to play started a 7-0 run that cut Villanova's lead to 34-25 at the break.
 
Notes: Villanova has won 26 games in a row at The Pavilion since losing to Providence on Feb. 2, 2013 ... Providence never led ... The Wildcats shot 13-for-25 from 3-point range and went 26-of-31 from the free-throw line ... Villanova's next game is at Xavier on Saturday while Providence will host Marquette on Sunday.

Villanova dispatches Marquette, reaches 25 wins again

Milwaukee, WI -- Darrun Hilliard scored 17 points and No. 6 Villanova connected on 11 shots from long distance in an 87-76 victory over Marquette on Saturday.

Ryan Arcidiacono scored 16 points for the Wildcats (25-2, 12-2 Big East), who have won eight straight since a loss to Georgetown on Jan. 19. Dylan Ennis had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while JayVaughn Pinkston gave 14 points and nine boards in the win.

JaJuan Johnson recorded a game-high 20 points and five assists for the Golden Eagles (11-15, 3-11), who have lost their last three games. Luke Fischer had 17 points and five boards in defeat.

Villanova trailed for the first several minutes of the game, but four straight points from Pinkston gave the team its first lead of the game.

The game stayed close for the next several minutes until the Wildcats used a 12-0 run to open a 41-27 lead after Hilliard hit a 3-pointer with just over two minutes to play in the first half.

Marquette scored the next five points to keep it close, but Villanova still took a 43-34 lead into the break.

Arcidiacono, who was just 1-of-5 from the field in the first half, warmed quickly in the second half. He drilled a 3-pointer on the first Villanova possession after intermission and then made another after Marquette responded with a triple of its own by Duane Wilson. A Pinkston bucket on the next offensive possession brought a Marquette time out to stem the momentum of an 8-3 Wildcats' surge.

"A key was Arch coming out at the start of the second half and hitting those threes," stated 'Nova head coach Jay Wright. "It created some separation for us and kept them from getting this place going. This was a great college atmosphere in here today. If they had been able to come out at the start of the second half and gotten this place going, it could have been tough."

Villanova kept the pressure on and steadily increased its lead, and a Kris Jenkins free throw gave the team a 63-46 lead seven minutes in.

The Eagles scored the next seven points, and were still down by 10 after Johnson put in a layup with just under eight minutes to play, but the Wildcats scored the next six points to put the game away.

Notes: The Wildcats reached the 25-win plateau for the second straight season and for the fifth time in the last 10 seasons ... The program's all-time record for victories in a single season is 30, reached in 2008-09 ... Villanova hosts Providence on Tuesday ... Marquette plays at Butler on Wednesday ... Villanova leads the series with Marquette, 16-9 ... Villanova shots 47.1 percent and held a 39-27 rebounding advantage.

Villanova steals one at Butler

Indianapolis, IN -- Darrun Hilliard pumped in a career-high 31 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds of sixth- ranked Villanova's 68-65 win over No. 18 Butler on Saturday.

The Butler defense made a crucial mistake late in the game by not covering the hottest shooter in Hinkle Fieldhouse. A pair of defenders got caught running at Ryan Arcidiacono, who sent a pass to a wide open Hilliard for the winning jumper from the right wing.

Hilliard went 9-of-16 from the floor, including 8-of-13 from beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs called a perfect play with less than two seconds left. Kelan Martin ended up getting a nice look at a tying trey after a full-court pass from underneath their own basket, but his attempt was well off the mark as Villanova held on.

JayVaughn Pinkston added 12 points for the Wildcats (23-2, 10-2 Big East), who have won six straight.
Alex Barlow and Kellen Dunham each scored 19 points in the loss. The Bulldogs (18-7, 8-4) had their five-game winning streak halted.

Butler scored the first six points of the second half to take a 28-27 lead. Dunham netted the final four of that run and ended up scoring 10 straight points as the Bulldogs gained some separation.

Hilliard dropped in consecutive 3-pointers later on to give Villanova a 50-48 lead with 10 minutes to play. The Wildcats continued to pour in shots from beyond the arc, as Dylan Ennis' trey pushed the lead to 53-49.

Roosevelt Jones, one of Butler's top scorers, made his first basket with 5:41 to play that brought the hosts within one. Barlow canned a 3 with 2:44 left that gave the Bulldogs a 63-62 lead. Barlow then committed a shooting foul of Hilliard shooting a 3, and Hilliard made each free throw to put Villanova back in front.

The Bulldogs had a pair of chances on the following possession. Andrew Chrabascz missed from in close, grabbed his own rebound and kicked it out to Barlow, who was short on his 3-point attempt. Jones tied the game with a layup after Hilliard was whistled for a double dribble with 17 seconds on the clock.

It was an offensive struggle in the early going, as Butler grabbed an 11-10 lead following Martin's 3-pointer midway through the first half. Four Wildcats contributed to an 11-4 run later in the half that helped Villanova to a 27-19 edge, then Barlow nailed a trey to close the Butler gap just before halftime.

Villanova held the Bulldogs to 29.6 percent shooting in the opening half.

Notes: Jones finished with six points on 2-of-11 shooting in the loss ... Villanova went 23-of-50 from the floor, and held Butler to 21-of-51 shooting ... Hilliard had eight rebounds ... Kameron Woods ripped a game-high 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

'Nova grinds past Hoyas in Philly

Philadelphia, PA -- Darrun Hilliard scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds, helping seventh-ranked Villanova beat No. 24 Georgetown 69-53 Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.

Josh Hart added 13 points and JayVaughn Pinkston had 10 with eight rebounds for the Wildcats (21-2, 8-2 Big East), who have won four games in a row and avenged a 20-point loss in the nation's capital on Jan. 19.

The Hoyas have been inconsistent since routing the Wildcats, losing three of five.

L.J. Peak scored 15 points to lead Georgetown (15-8, 7-5), which was held to 30 percent shooting and made just 1-of-17 3-point attempts.

Though the names wouldn't evoke battles of Big East past, the physicality of the contest harkened back to those Rollie Massimino and John Thompson coached teams which essentially fought for every inch of space more than a generation ago at the height of the conference's profile.

An Isaac Copeland jumper put the Hoyas up 7-6, but that proved to be their final lead of the game. Hilliard hit a 3-pointer to kick-start a 13-0 run that Hart capped with a layup for a 19-7 advantage.

Georgetown missed 14 of 16 field goals during one stretch in the first half and fell behind by as many as 17.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera's jumper opened the scoring in the second half, trimming the Hoyas' deficit to 37-25, but that was as close as they got.

Kris Jenkins nailed consecutive 3-pointers to make it 51-29 with 13:49 remaining, and the Wildcats' lead reached a game-high 24 points a few minutes later.

Notes: Villanova finished 12-of-24 from 3-point range and shot 47.8 percent overall ... The Hoyas produced only eight points off a season-high 20 Wildcats turnovers ... Jenkins and Ryan Arcidiacono each had nine points for Villanova ... Aaron Brown scored 10 points for Georgetown.

Wildcats hold Sunday feast on Bluejays

Villanova, PA -- Darrun Hilliard scored a season-best 24 points and fourth-ranked Villanova blitzed Creighton on Sunday, holding the Bluejays to 37.3 percent shooting in a 71-50 win at the Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.

Ryan Arcidiacono added 10 points as five players had between five and eight for the Wildcats (18-2, 5-2 Big East), who shook off a rare 20-point loss against Georgetown on Monday.

James Milliken scored 13 points to pace Creighton (9-12, 0-8), which remained winless in league play and has matched a program record with nine straight losses.

The Jesuit program based in Omaha beat 'Nova twice last season and produced the Wildcats' last true home loss, a 96-68 drubbing on Jan. 20, 2014. 

"I've got good kids on my team and we've got a good culture in our locker room," said Creighton coach Greg McDermott. "I think that's allowed us to stay relatively together through some challenging times."

Villanova locked down over the first 20 minutes and just about put the game out of reach by halftime. Creighton had nearly as many turnovers (12) as points (14) at the break, and would have had more if it wasn't for Avery Dingman's 3 just before the buzzer. No Bluejay had more than one field goal or three points at halftime.

"Tonight was a really good defensive effort for us," said Villanova coach Jay Wright. "I think Georgetown exposed (us) so that is what we really focused on this week."

The Wildcats scored the game's first 15 points. Creighton countered with the next six, then went cold again. Hilliard hit a pair of 3s during a 10-0 run late in the half that made it 29-11 before Dingman's trey cut the deficit to 15 at intermission.

Creighton was within 11 points following Milliken's three-point play early in the second half. Villanova scored nine of the next 11 points, however, and the lead was back to 18.

Notes: Hilliard was shooting 7-for-25 over his last three games. He hit 9-of-15, including 6-of-10 from distance, in this one ... Villanova has won 29 of 30 home games against unranked opponents ... Creighton's only previous nine-game losing streak came in 1995.

Villanova downs Butler, matches team record at 13-0

Villanova, PA -- With stingy defense and a balanced attack, the No. 6 Villanova Wildcats opened Big East play and managed to match a long-held team record with a 67-55 win over the Butler Bulldogs in the final game of 2014.

Ryan Arcidiacono led Villanova (13-0, 1-0 Big East) with 15 points and five assists. JayVaughn Pinkston netted 13 points and Daniel Ochefu chipped in 10 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots.  The Wildcats have only started 13-0 one other time in team history, back in 1937-38.

"This is not a team where you can key in on one or two guys, where you can neutralize them in a particular game," said Butler interim boss Chris Holtmann. "One of the strengths of their team is balance."

The Wildcats limited the Bulldogs to 35.5 percent shooting, including just 5- of-21 inside the arc in the second half.

Butler (10-4, 0-1) was paced by Andrew Chrabascz's and Alex Barlow's 12 points each. Kellen Dunham netted 10 points, but Roosevelt Jones was limited to eight on 4-of-15 shooting.

Trailing just 36-32 at the break, Butler let the game get away from them in the opening minutes of the second half. Darrun Hilliard scored seven straight points coming out of the break to extend the Wildcats' advantage to 11 points.

"I thought in the first half they executed a little better than us, played a little harder than us," said Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "I thought in the second half we were really good defensively."

Jones hit a layup to end the Hilliard run, but Butler made only two more shots from the floor over the next 7 1/2 minutes as Villanova extended its lead to as much as 16 in the second half.

With Butler's poor shooting, the Wildcats could have run away for the game if not for their own struggles from the free throw line. They only shot 13-of-22 at the charity stripe in the second half and 61.5 percent for the game.

Villanova only hit two 3-pointers in the second half, but the second one by Kris Jenkins with 13 1/2 minutes remaining ran the Wildcats' lead to double digits where it would remain for the rest of the game.

Butler never led, but the Bulldogs hung in the game by dominating the offensive glass with a 17-3 advantage. They converted those extra rebounds into 11 second-chance points.

The Bulldogs opened the game shooting just 1-of-10 from the floor, but back- to-back triples from Barlow and Austin Etherington helped them tie the game at eight just over six minutes into the contest.

Notes: Villanova improved to 4-0 all-time against Butler, the program located in Indianapolis and once the pride of the Horizon League ... Hilliard missed Villanova's last game with a concussion ... The Bulldogs owned an 11-4 advantage in fastbreak points ... Both teams play next on Jan. 3 with Villanova traveling to Seton Hall and Butler visiting St. John's.

Villanova beats NJIT, on verge of school record

Villanova, PA -- Dylan Ennis led six players in double figures with 17 points, as No. 7 Villanova subdued NJIT by a 92-67 count at the Pavilion in a game which was much closer than the score indicated -- or the matchup might suggest -- for quite some time.

Ryan Arcidiacono added 16 for the Wildcats (12-0), who trailed by as many as seven early in the second half but used a surge shortly thereafter which ultimately led them to victory.

Phil Booth contributed 14 points and Daniel Ochefu picked up 13 points with 10 rebounds for Villanova, which hadn't won 12 games to begin a season since 1961-62.

"That first half was a recipe for an upset," said Villanova coach Jay Wright. "That was how they beat Michigan. We came ready to play. We jumped out to an eight point lead. But we were very aggressive in pressing them and it opened up the floor for them. They have a style that can upset teams that are bigger. They gave us a lot of trouble. They're good."

Damon Lynn provided 13 points for the Highlanders (5-8), who fell short in their bid for a second shocking road victory against a ranked opponent this year. Tim Coleman poured in 12 and Winfield Willis had 10 before fouling out.

Coleman's jumper put the visitors ahead by a 44-41 count at the break, and they scored the first four points of the second half to make it a seven-point spread on a bucket by Odera Nweke.

However, eight in a row from Villanova, capped by an Ennis lay-in, made it a one-point margin with 13:52 left. NJIT countered immediately on an Osa Izevbuwa triple to go back on top 51-49.

'Nova gained separation with 12 straight from there, as Ennis kicked it off with a layup, Arcidiacono added a basket and followed with a trey, then Booth added a shot from distance before Josh Hart completed the clip on two free throws with 10:29 to go.

Izevbuwa's shot proved to be the last time NJIT's deficit dipped below double digits. The Wildcats added a 15-3 run to turn the contest into a rout. Hart connected from beyond the arc to make it 77-56 with 4:59 left and the hosts cruised from there.

Villanova led 9-2 early on, but an 8-0 run by NJIT pulled it even, 15-15 on a bucket by Winfield just after the seven-minute mark.

Hart's first shot from distance gave the Wildcats a 26-20 edge, and the Highlanders remained close. Another three, this time from Kris Jenkins, provided a 36-30 edge for the hosts.

Coleman answered from beyond the arc to kick off a 14-5 run which gave them a three-point lead at halftime. Izevbuwa also converted a three-pointer during that surge.

Notes: Villanova can match a school record by winning its first 13 in a season for the first time since 1937-38 when it takes on Butler Dec. 31 ... Despite shooting 60 percent (15-of-25 in the first half), the Highlanders made only 9- of-31 in the second half ... NJIT memorably topped Michigan at Crisler Arena by a 72-70 count on Dec. 6 ... Big East player of the week JayVaughn Pinkston totaled 12 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the charity stripe.

'Nova's Robertson claims Walter Payton Award

Special to the Phanatic

Philadelphia, PA -- If there was an award Villanova quarterback John Robertson was associated with during the regular season, it was CAA offensive player of the week. He claimed the honor an incredible six times.

Monday night, Robertson's legacy grew into FCS history as he won the 28th Walter Payton Award, which honors the outstanding player in the division. The redshirt junior received the Heisman of the FCS at The Sports Network FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation.

Robertson, a 6-foot-1, 221-pound signal caller, collected 66 of the 160 first-place votes and 467 points in balloting through a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. finished second and Idaho State quarterback Justin Arias was third among 25 finalists.

"A lot of our receivers really stepped up coming into the season, which helped me out tremendously," said Robertson, who received one of the other top individual awards in the FCS in 2012 - the Jerry Rice Award as national freshman of the year.

"One of the big differences from this year and last year was just the amount of weapons. And our offensive line, the young guys, have been playing great as well. So I think that everyone around me really helped me out this year a lot. That's why I've been putting up great numbers."

During the regular season, the Paramus, New Jersey product led the FCS in passing efficiency (182.99) and was responsible for a national-high 260 points. He completed 189-of-282 pass attempts (67 percent) for 2,629 yards and 34 touchdowns against only three interceptions. He also rushed for 978 yards and nine touchdowns as Villanova went 10-2 with a pair of one-point losses to reach the FCS playoffs as the sixth seed.

Robertson became the third Villanova player to win the Payton, joining wide receiver Brian Finneran in 1997 and running back Brian Westbrook in 2001.

Adams was the Payton runner-up for the second consecutive season. During the regular season, the redshirt junior from Pasadena, California played in only eight of Eastern Washington's 12 games after suffering a broken foot in early October, yet he still threw for 2,876 yards and 30 touchdowns with only five interceptions. 

If he had played in the NCAA minimum of 75 percent of his team's games, his total offense per game (391.5 yards), passing yards per game (359.5) and points responsible for per game (25) would have been national highs. He also would have been second in passing efficiency rating (179.5).

Arias finished third in the voting after he helped turn around a struggling program at Idaho State. The Bengals had won only nine games in six seasons from 2008-13, but this season they went 8-4, tied for second place in the Big Sky Conference and became nationally ranked for the first time since 2005. 

Arias completed 318-of-522 attempts for an FCS-high 4,076 yards and a school- record 38 touchdowns. The graduate student from Agoura Hills, California, had a four-game stretch each over 400 yards with a combined 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

The three Payton Award finalists were feted at The Sports Network FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation along with the winners of the Buck Buchanan Award (North Dakota State defensive end Kyle Emanuel, FCS outstanding defensive player), Jerry Rice Award (Fordham running back Chase Edmonds, FCS freshman of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (New Hampshire's Sean McDonnell, FCS coach of the year) and Mickey Charles Award (South Dakota State running back Zach Zenner, academic achievement by an FCS student-athlete).

Villanova's FCS hopes dashed by Sam Houston State

Villanova, PA -- They have the same Sam Houston State players who opened the season by losing three of their first four games.

But realistically, the Bearkats are a much different team today.

They are headed back to the FCS semifinals for the third time in four seasons after beating sixth-seeded Villanova, 34-31, in the quarterfinals Saturday while the Wildcats played without star quarterback John Robertson because of symptoms from a concussion.

Unseeded Sam Houston State (11-4), which has won three playoff games, will play at second-seeded North Dakota State (13-1) in the semifinals next weekend. The Bearkats lost to the Bison in both the 2011 and '12 national championship games.

Sam Houston has few key players from those recent powers and even a first-year coach in K.C. Keeler, but the Bearkats has put it all together at the right time of the season.

"That was a well-played football game by two pretty good teams," said Keeler, who coached against Villanova for 11 seasons in CAA Football from 2002-12 at Delaware. "It is great to get the win and great to be in the final four. I don't care who or where we play because it will be exciting no matter what."

The Bearkats had prepared to face Robertson in the teams' first-ever meeting, but that changed Saturday after he awoke with a headache from the concussion he suffered in last weekend's playoff win over Liberty.

Robertson, a redshirt junior who was the CAA Football offensive player of the year, went through concussion protocols during the week and was cleared to play against Sam Houston State, but he was scratched by the team's medical staff following an examination Saturday morning.

Jalen Overstreet's 1-yard touchdown run with 4:03 left to play gave Sam Houston its 34-31 lead. Villanova (11-3), behind Robertson's replacement, senior Chris Polony, moved the ball down to the Bearkats' 29, but drew an ill-timed delay- of-game penalty while setting up for a potential, game-tying 46-yard field goal attempt. That made it a 51-yard attempt for Chris Gough and he missed wide to the left with 32 seconds left.

Polony played well in relief of Robertson. He completed 13-of-24 pass attempts for 228 yards and one 
touchdown, and carried the 13 times for 87 yards and two touchdown. Very Robertson-esque, in fact.
Sam Houston seems so different because it has jelled with a team that has eight FBS transfers and 18 starters who didn't start in Keeler's first spring game. New quarterback Jared Johnson, last year's backup behind four-year starter Brian Bell, was 22-for-27 for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

Leading 17-16 at halftime, Sam Houston scored on the first play of the third quarter when Johnson threw a 66-yard bomb to LaDarius Brown for their second touchdown connection.

But Villanova tailback Kevin Monangai (27 carries, 166 yards) scored on a 58- yard run with 9:36 left in the third quarter and Kevin Gulyas caught the two- point conversation from Polony to tie the game 24-24.
Luc Swimberghe's 30-yard field goal with 10:54 left in the fourth quarter put Sam Houston back in front, 27-24.

The Wildcats answered with a nine-play, 67-yard drive, which was capped by Polony rolling out from a shotgun for a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 31-27 Wildcats with 7:15 left.

Sam Houston had an answer as well, moving 75 yards in 10 plays and going ahead 34-31 on Overstreet's 1-yrd run up the middle at the 4:03 mark.

Polony had originally beaten out Robertson for the No. 1 job in 2012, but Robertson had made 35 straight starts for the Wildcats before Saturday's game.

Polony accounted for two touchdowns in the first quarter. He connected with wide receiver Poppy Livers for a 54-yard touchdown pass to pull Villanova within 7-6 before the extra point was missed. He later scored on a 36-yard keeper to give the Wildcats a 13-7 lead.

But Sam Houston answered that score with a 12-play, 80-yard drive, moving back ahead 14-13 after Johnson's second touchdown pass, a 4-yarder to Gerald Thomas with 9:54 remaining in the second quarter.

Swimberghe extended Sam Houston's lead with a 32-yard field goal, but Gough, who missed the earlier extra point, closed the half with a 46-yard field goal to pull the Wildcats within 17-16.

Villanova blows doors off SJU in 'Holy War'

Villanova, PA -- Josh Hart scored 12 points with eight rebounds as 10th-ranked Villanova cruised to a 74-46 win over Saint Joseph's on Saturday in the 2014 edition of the Holy War from the Main Line.

Darrun Hilliard and Phil Booth each had 11 points for the Wildcats (8-0), who never trailed en route to extending their Big 5 winning streak to eight games.

'Nova was coming off an easy 84-70 win over La Salle on Wednesday night in the back end of a City Series doubleheader and didn't need to work as hard to take down their rivals in front of a friendly crowd. 

Ten Villanova players scored at least two points as head coach Jay Wright went deep into his bench, which nearly outscored the Hawks by itself. The Wildcats' reserves combined to contribute 40 points.

"I know the numbers don't show it, but they're a very good rebounding team. In the first half, I thought we did a really good job on the defensive glass, where they can get a lot of buckets on their offensive rebounding," said Wright. "Over time, we've got a lot of (veteran) guys and they've got a lot of younger guys and I thought that was the biggest factor."

DeAndre' Bembry led Saint Joseph's (4-4) with 13 points and Chris Wilson and Brendan Casper scored nine apiece.

The Wildcats opened the game on an 8-0 run and led 17-2 six minutes in after hitting three straight 3-pointers. Using their three-quarter court trap, forced the Hawks to commit 13 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and the Wildcats held a 16-6 edge in points off of miscues.

Hilliard knocked down a trey to make it 31-11 with 8:24 remaining, and Villanova carried a 44-24 lead into halftime.

The Hawks shot 26.5 percent in the second half and fell behind by as many as 31. Villanova used the first nine minutes of the second half to officially put things out of reach. The hosts held the Hawks to two free throws in that stretch, and JayVaughn Pinkston's slam made it 59-28 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the period.

 "I think that what they do has been so well-drilled that it's a pleasure to watch," said SJU head coach Phil Martelli. "It's not easy to coach against but it is a pleasure to watch. I'm really in awe of how they are playing the game, how unselfishly they play the game."

Notes: Saint Joseph's has lost five straight at The Pavilion and 11 of 15 overall against their suburban rivals since the start of the 2000-01 season ... Villanova scored 24 points off 21 Hawks turnovers ... The Wildcats made 8-of-15 3-pointers in the first half ... SJU hasn't beaten 'Nova since a 74-58 shocker at Hagan Arena on Dec. 17, 2011 and hasn't beaten them on Lancaster Avenue since a 74-67 result on Feb. 2, 2004, in the midst of the Hawks' run to the Elite Eight. 

10th-ranked Villanova takes care of La Salle

Philadelphia, PA -- Darrun Hilliard and Dylan Ennis each contributed 15 points as No. 10 Villanova remained unbeaten thanks to a 84-70 decision over rival La Salle in the Big 5 opener for both schools and the second of two City Series contests on Wednesday from Gola Arena.

Josh Hart and JayVaughn Pinkston poured in 12 points apiece, with Daniel Ochefu adding 10 and eight rebounds for the Wildcats (7-0), who next face Saint Joseph's on Saturday afternoon in the 2014 edition of the Holy War between the Catholic institutions.

That's a good road win for us," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "We watched film of La Salle and knew that they were just not going to go away. They've got really good chemistry and (coach) John (Gianinni) is not going to let them quit. They're tough. To come in here and win a Big Five game against a team that I think is going to be very good is good for us."

Jerell Wright totaled a game-best 19 points for the Explorers (4-3), who take on Temple three days from now. Khalid Lewis picked up 17 points and Jordan Price had 10 in a losing cause.

Villanova led 4-0 early on but La Salle countered to go up 9-8 on a triple from Cleon Roberts.

Pinkston hit a bucket a short time later to fuel a 16-5 surge which sent the Wildcats on top 24-14 with 8:24 left in the half on back-to-back shots from Hart.

A Lewis shot closed the gap to 24-18, but Kris Jenkins drained a trey and Pinkston converted a three-point play and 'Nova was up 30-18, then the visitors' lead enlarged to 35-20 on a jumper from Ochefu with 4:30 remaining.

A triple from Hillard boosted Villanova's margin to 18, at 45-27, with just over a minute to play before intermission and that spread stood at the break after Pinkston converted a jumper to make it 47-29.

Price scored four straight and Wright added a layup to shrink La Salle's deficit to 51-40 less than five minutes into the second half.

However, Ennis hit from long distance on the next possession and within a span of four minutes a Ryan Arcidiacono basket boosted the 'Nova lead to 63-44.

"They did a really good job of taking away our threes, especially early," explained Wright. "It gave us driving lanes. These two (Hilliard and Ennis) really took advantage of that. I thought these guys recognized that really well. I thought that was a key. Usually that's tough to decipher -- that I can get to the rim on the first play without making a pass. These two did a great job of that."

Pinkston hit two from the line with 6:09 remaining and the Wildcats led by 20 for the first time, 74-54, before La Salle's last run -- an 11-2 burst capped by two Wright free throws -- pulled it to 80-70 with  2:10 to play.

The Explorers missed their final three shots while Ochefu and Pinkston hit easy buckets to close out the contest.

Notes: Villanova has won 12 of the last 13 meetings since December of 2002. La Salle's last win against 'Nova was 77-74 (OT) on Nov. 25, 2012 at the Pavilion ... The Explorers have dropped three in a row since opening the year with four wins ... The Wildcats scored 21 points off 13 La Salle turnovers ... Ennis led all players with nine assists.

Villanova QB Robertson named Walter Payton finalist

Special to the Phanatic

On the night Villanova University quarterback John Robertson received national freshman of the year honors at the 2012 FCS Awards Presentation, Wildcats offensive coordinator Sam Venuto told the Jerry Rice Award recipient, "You better be back here for the Walter Payton Award eventually."

Two years later, Robertson has followed the order. One of three players eagerly awaiting the announcement of the 2014 Payton winner, the 6-1, 221-pound dual- threat has shredded opposing defenses throughout his redshirt junior campaign. He was named CAA Football offensive Player of the Week six times during the regular season while Villanova went 10-2 with only a pair of one-point losses. He was then named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year.

"One of the big differences from this year and last year was just the amount of weapons (on offense)," said Robertson, an economics major from North Jersey. Last season, he placed ninth in the Payton Award voting for the FCS's outstanding player. "As the quarterback, you need help out there, and they're really just giving it their all."

During the regular season, Robertson led the FCS in passing efficiency (182.99), throwing for 2,629 yards and 34 touchdown passes against only three interceptions. He rushed for 978 yards and nine touchdowns, and was responsible for 260 points - the most in the nation.

Robertson is on pace to graduate after the spring semester, but he plans to pursue a master's degree next year and direct the 'Nova offense again as a redshirt senior. He hopes to work on Wall Street in the future.

For now, he will keep doing his best work in an opponent's end zone.

In the 2014 Walter Payton Award voting, there were 160 ballots cast by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.

The winner will be announced on Dec. 15 in Philadelphia. The winners of the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS outstanding defensive player), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman of the year) and Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) also will be feted that night. Awards voting, conducted by a national panel, is based on the regular season.

'Nova takes down Delaware

Philadelphia, PA -- Kris Jenkins scored 15 points thanks to hitting four three pointers, to help No. 12 Villanova to a 78-47 rout of Delaware on Sunday and end a perfect opening month of the 2014-15 season. 

Daniel Ochefu had 12 points and six rebounds while Darrun Hilliard II gave 12 points for the Wildcats (6-0), who were coming off a slim five-point win against Michigan on Tuesday to win the Legends Classic.

Cazmon Hayes scored 17 points and Devonne Pinkard gave 11 for the Blue Hens (0-5), who have lost their past four games by double digits.

Villanova led this game from start to finish and held a 15-4 advantage off a 3-pointer from Hilliard 7 1/2 minutes in.

Delaware cut its deficit to five when Kory Holden hit back-to-back jumpers to make it a 17-12 game with under six minutes to play.  The hosts, though, closed the half on a 17-4 run to take a 34-16 lead into the break.

Hilliard's triples on consecutive possessions at the start of the second half keyed a 10-0 run which increased the Wildcats' edge to 44-16. Ochefu's emphatic slam capped the burst and essentially sealed the outcome.

"If Darrun has one flaw, it's that he's too nice," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "He's worried about everybody else, wants to be a leader, wants to take care of everyone. I told him yesterday: `just because you're a senior, you're not supposed to be perfect.'"

Delaware got no closer than 22 back the rest of the way. 

Villanova ended the day with a season-best 13 3-pointers, including nine after intermission. Much of that success was owed to the space created by the work of Ochefu on the interior - he scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half and helped Villanova construct its margin.


Notes: Delaware hosts Army on Wednesday ... Villanova, which also went undefeated last November, opens up its Big Five slate at La Salle on Wednesday ... Villanova upped its all-time mark to13-0 against Delaware ... The Wildcats shot 48.3 percent and held the Blue Hens to 31 percent shooting ... Villanova owned a 38-5 advantage in bench scoring and a 24-16 edge on points in the paint. The Wildcats were 28-of-58 from the field (.483) and 13-of-32 (.406) from distance.

'Nova pulls off late stunner against Michigan

Brooklyn, NY -- JayVaughn Pinkston put Villanova ahead and then kept the Wildcats in front.

Pinkston hit a go-ahead basket with 16 seconds left and then blocked Zak Irvin at the other end as the 12th-ranked Wildcats defeated No. 19 Michigan 60-55 on Tuesday night in the Legends Classic championship game.

Pinkston, who was called for an offensive foul with 31 seconds remaining after powering into Derrick Walton on the right block a possession prior, barreled into a flopping Caris LeVert. Pinkston then went up and nailed the short jumper to give the Wildcats a 56-55 edge.

Michigan had seven seconds on the clock after Walton was stripped and Spike Albrecht fed a cutting Irvin down the paint. Pinkston met him at the rim and emphatically swatted his shot away.

Ryan Arcidiacono sunk a pair of foul shots with four ticks to play and Max Bielfeldt tossed the ensuing inbounds away. Arcidiacono then hit two more free throws to seal the outcome.

Dylan Ennis netted 15 points, while Pinkston finished with eight points and nine rebounds for Villanova (5-0), which outscored VCU by 22 points in the second half en route to a 77-53 win in the semifinals Monday.

LeVert posted 16 points, six boards and three steals and Irvin added 11 points for the Wolverines (4-1), who held off Oregon 70-63 Monday to reach the title game.

A LeVert 3-pointer staked Michigan to a 20-18 advantage with 7:17 left in the opening half, but the Wolverines were held without a point for the next 9:54 of game action.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, outscored them 15-0 during this stretch.

Villanova led 27-20 at the break and Pinkston's dunk made it 33-20 early in the second half.

The Wolverines proceeded to make seven of their next nine shots, and an Albrecht right wing triple put Michigan in front by a 39-38 count with 11:20 to play.

Michigan was up 51-43 before Villanova ripped off eight straight, with Ennis' left corner trey tying the game at 51-51 with 2:44 remaining.

A bit later, LeVert sandwiched jumpers around a Pinkston basket for a 55-54 Michigan spread with 58 ticks on the clock.

Notes: Both teams combined to shoot just two foul shots in the first half. Villanova missed both of its attempts ... Villanova shot 45.1 percent (23-of-51) from the field, while Michigan finished 41.1 percent (23-of-56) from the floor.

Union take interim tag off Curtin

Chester, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union took the interim tag off Jim Curtin Friday and named the Keystone State native head coach.

Curtin assumed the role of interim manager on June 10 and led the Union to an 11-6-6 mark in all competitions while leading the franchise to its first U.S. Open Cup final.

“On behalf of the ownership group we are very committed to putting in place the very best structure to insure we not only appear in U.S. Open Cup Finals, as we did back in September, but to also win them,” Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz said. “Getting back to the MLS playoffs and competing there on a regular basis is an absolute top priority. Today is another important step towards building an overall technical structure to achieve our competitive goals as we proudly announce Jim Curtin as the head coach of our First Team.

Since taking over the reins of this club, Jim has proven that he can compete and win. I have said from the outset of this coaching search that we were looking for a First Team coach to help guide us to our goal of competing to win an MLS Cup and Jim is our choice. He will lead our First Team and, along with his staff, he will be fully responsible for all player identification, recruiting, signings, transfers and trades.”


In November of 2012, Curtin was hired as an assistant coach for the Union’s First Team after spending three years working with the Union Academy.  In addition to working as YSC’s Director of Curriculum Development, Curtin was also the Union’s Under-18 Academy head coach and was instrumental in the U-18s capturing the 2012 Generation Adidas Cup.

“I have also said throughout the coach search that we are evaluating the very best overall structure to insure our long term success on the field at PPL Park and at our youth academy and we continue to do that,” Sakiewicz said. “It’s no secret the Union is making a huge investment in youth development in this region and have made incredible strides under the leadership of Tommy Wilson rolling out our Academy last year. We continue to develop our relationship with Harrisburg and as we evolve we must have a modern structure to guide the development of all our investments on the technical side. Jim is the perfect fit to lead our First Team because he has worked up through our system, understands our great fans, partners and community, and shares our passion in delivering a winning product on the field.”

Curtin played over 200 games for the Chicago Fire and was named an MLS All-Star and the Fire’s Defender of the Year in 2004.  He helped the squad to two U.S. Open Cup titles in 2003 and 2006, as well as the 2003 MLS Supporters Shield.  Curtin played his final two seasons in the League with Chivas USA before retiring in 2009.

“I want to thank Jay Sugarman and Nick Sakiewicz for this tremendous opportunity,” said Curtin. “I am incredibly honored to be the head coach of my hometown club and am eager to build on the strong foundation we have in place. Regardless of title, my goals remain the same – to win games and bring hardware to the city of Philadelphia.”

Curtin attended Villanova University, where he was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year in 1997 and a three-time team MVP for the Wildcats. The All-American defender was a two-time first team All-BIG EAST selection in 1999 and 2000 and was the 2001 Philadelphia Soccer Seven Player of the Year. He became the first player from Villanova to be drafted into the MLS when he was selected by the Chicago Fire in 2002.

Curtin was an all-state selection while playing soccer at Bishop McDevitt High School and also played club ball for Council Rock.