Philadelphia came back in NCAA Basketball

Philadelphia was back, and the Villanova Wildcats were proud of that.

Allan Ray and Randy Foye led Villanova to a Big East co-championship and a return to national prominence, bringing Philly's basketball epicenter back to the Main Line.

The senior guards did everything except lead the Wildcats to the national championship.

Villanova's run through the NCAA tournament fell one win shy of the Final Four after it lost to Florida in the Minneapolis Regional on Sunday, ending one of the program's greatest seasons.

"I know it hurts for everybody, but I really want to make sure this group feels great about itself," coach Jay Wright said. "They love Villanova, they love that experience, and Villanova loves them."

The Wildcats (28-5) made it to the regional final even with Curtis Sumpter lost to a preseason knee injury, forcing a unique four-guard offense that carried the team until the end. Perhaps worn down from carrying the scoring load, running an always attacking defense, and tournament teams with a frontcourt size advantage, Ray, Mike Nardi and Kyle Lowry struggled in their final games and didn't have the sharp shooting touch that helped the Wildcats set a team 3-point record.

"It hurts to know that we are not going to be able to play next week in the Final Four," Foye said.

With Ray and Foye gone, Villanova's four-guard offense will probably go with them.

Sumpter will be back, though, along with starters Nardi, Lowry and Will Sheridan, and seasoned sophomores Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark form a nucleus that gives the Wildcats hope of another deep postseason run.

Villanova didn't want to think about next year after its 75-62 loss to Florida. This was a team that was built to win this season, and they did, winning more games than any Villanova team in history. The Wildcats spent every week ranked in the Top 10 and earned their first No. 1 NCAA tournament seed.

It remains to be seen where the Wildcats will go from here next year.

The Florida Gators are 7/4 picks and are heavy favorites to become NCAA Hardwood Kings but NCAA’s Cinderella team, George Mason is not far behind with 15/4 odds. The LSU Tigers have 12/5 odds of winning the NCAA Championship while the UCLA Bruins still are one of the favorites with 13/4 odds. Who will come out of the NCAA Final Four to play for the championship? Log on and check out Bodog now.