Villanova coach Jay Wright earned his 500th career win on Saturday after his team defeated Xavier.
A nicely pressed suit, a head of salt-and-pepper hair and one mean game plan for the opposing team. That’s normally the recipe for Villanova and head coach Jay Wright, and it’s one that helped net him his 500th career coaching victory on Saturday.
The No. 2 Wildcats squared off with No. 24 Xavier as one of the day’s two ranked matchups, but the Musketeers struggled on their home court against the defending national champions. Villanova shot the ball at a 51.9 percent clip while limiting Xavier to 35 percent from the field, en route to a 73-57 win.
With the win today over No. 24 Xavier, @VUCoachJWright now has 500 WINS for his career!
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) February 11, 2017
Congratulations Coach! pic.twitter.com/DOYbVYbBC4
Congratulations @VUCoachJWright on career win number 500! #NovaNation #NovaMBB #GoNova pic.twitter.com/iBOIyb7cN3
— Villanova Athletics (@NovaAthletics) February 11, 2017
Five players reached double figures in the milestone win, with guards Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo tying for team-high 17 points.
The milestone for Wright — his 500th overall win (378 at Villanova, 122 at Hofstra) — proved to be the big takeaway from Villanova’s victory, which is sure to make Villanova faithful happy. It’s nice to stop and appreciate the little things sometimes.
Post-Game Interview: Coach Wright w/ @ShannonSpake #NOVAvsXavier pic.twitter.com/6mYlvyJQhT
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) February 11, 2017
