Temple and Nova will Represent Phillly in March Madness
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Selection Sunday is just over a week away so the brackets aren’t set yet but there’s no doubt that Temple and Villanova will be representing Philly in the NCAA tournament later this month. Philadelphia is one of the greatest college basketball cities with so many skilled, competitive teams and this year there’s hope that a Champion will come from this city.
It’s no surprise that Villanova is having such a great year. They were ranked 5th in the AP’s preseason rankings. The last rankings come out on Monday but they are 9th right now and will probably finish the year right around where they were projected. They were ranked as high as number 2 this year but couldn’t hold onto the spot for more than one week.
Villanova is one of the college basketball powerhouses who will be a tough matchup for any team in the Tournament. Last year they surprised a lot of people by making it to the Final Four but this season I don’t think anyone will be surprised if they make it even further.
Temple is a team with a different story. Coming into the season, they weren’t even on the scene. They weren’t even in the top 52 in the preseason rankings and nobody was really thinking about them. They lost 3 starters to graduation last year including Dionte Christmas.
But all along they knew what they were capable of and the public eventually caught on. From week one, they have been climbing up the rankings and are currently ranked 16th in the country. They have a very talented group of guys that will be around for the next few seasons since Ryan Brooks is the only key player graduating.
Some analysts say Temple can get a 3 seed in the tournament. It all depends on how they do in the A-10 tournament. If they win it, a 3 seed is very possible. If they lose it, look for them to get a 4 seed. It may seem like a small difference but really, the difference between a 3 and a 4 seed is very big.
Keep an eye on these teams when your filling out your brackets in a few weeks. It should be an exciting time for Philadelphia basketball.
