By AJ Balinski

Courtesy of Villanova University Archives

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

All Wildcats know basketball is a big deal on Villanova’s campus–students go all out to support both the men’s and women’s teams, whether at “The Finn” or their downtown home, the Wells Fargo Center. Above, we flash back to the legendary 1985 team, which met President Ronald Reagan after winning the championship, and to Shelly Pennefather ’87, a standout player and now a cloistered nun known as Sister Rose Marie of the Queen of Angels.

This year, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be facing off against Virginia Commonwealth University in the National Invitation Tournament and the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, respectively. Villanova has only played VCU once before, with the men’s team sprinting to a win by more than 20 points and the women’s team narrowly losing by two.

On campus, the men’s team hosts VCU Wednesday, March 20, at 9 p.m., and the women’s team follows Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m.

Check out some of our favorite Villanova basketball memories from past tournaments and keep those V’s high as Villanova looks to advance!

AJ Balinski ’26 CLAS is a Communication major from Gibraltar, Mich. She works as a Communication & Marketing Student Assistant at Falvey Library.