Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 26

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By Chris Serpico

W

Michigan, as well as an endearing underdog - Loyola of
Chicago (a rare 11th seed that had defeated a number
of more highly touted programs on the way to the final
weekend), and of course, our favorite, Villanova. It is
hard to believe that our relatively small school of 6500
students was now poised to be on the same level as such
"blueblood" basketball powers as Kentucky, Duke, North
Carolina, and Kansas, but that would certainly be the
case if they were able to return to Philadelphia with the
championship trophy.

hen Villanova finished disposing of Texas A&M

in the Elite Eight round of the 2018 NCAA college
basketball tournament, I looked at my wife, Maureen, and
said, "We gotta get to the Final Four this year."
As Villanova Law grads, we've become huge fans over the
past 35 years, and our loyalty has been richly rewarded
with the team winning NCAA championships in 1985 and
2016. Few loyalists
will ever forget coach
Rollie Massimino's
Wildcat's historic upset
of the highly favored
Georgetown Hoyas in
Lexington, KY, in what
many still refer to as
"the perfect game"
where Villanova shot
a record 78.6% from
the floor to defeat
Georgetown, 66-64.
It took an additional
36 years, but in 2016,
under coach Jay Wright, the Wildcats again took home
the National Championship in Houston, TX, when they
defeated North Carolina 77-74 on a last-second shot
by Kris Jenkins.

When we arrived in San Antonio on the Friday night
before the Semi-Finals, we were delighted to find that
the University had reserved several bars along the famous
Riverwalk to host Pre-Game parties for Villanova alum.
We spent the night before the semi-final game partying at
a piano bar called Howl at the Moon. The following day
featured a private party for about 2500 Villanova fans at
the Institute of Texas Culture, featuring Texas delicacies
such as Tacos, Po Boys, and Tamales, as well as unlimited
supplies of Lone Star Beer.
We mixed and mingled with
friends and former college
basketball greats like Kerry
Kittles, Harold Jenson,
and Charles Barkley. From
there, we all marched in
tandem to the Alamodome.
We tried to suppress our
excitement through the first
game where Michigan was
ultimately able to subdue
spirited but undersized
Loyola of Chicago, and then
we turned our attention to the Main Event: Villanova versus
Kansas. What was expected to be a close game, quickly
turned into a rout as Villanova couldn't miss a shot. Before
seven minutes had elapsed, the Cats were leading 22-4,
and the game was essentially over. Just prior to tip-off, we
found ourselves surrounded by Kansas fans who began

But we wondered whether the magic would run out before
we had the opportunity to see our favorite team win a
championship. So when a friend with season tickets asked
if we would want to join them in San Antonio, TX, for this
year's tournament, we couldn't say NO. Thus began our
excellent adventure.
This year's tournament coincided with the 300th
anniversary of the city of San Antonio. The newly
refurbished Alamodome was prepared to host almost
70,000 rabid college basketball fans. This year's Final
Four featured two traditional powerhouses; Kansas and
26



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bucks Writs - Spring 2018

Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 1
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 2
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 3
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 4
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 5
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 6
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 7
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 8
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Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 21
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Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 24
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 25
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 26
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 27
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 28
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 29
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 30
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Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 34
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 35
Bucks Writs - Spring 2018 - 36
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