March 15, 2006

Villanova Wildcats NCAA Tournament First Round Game Notes
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VILLANOVA, Pa.-- Villanova (25-4) Men's Basketball Game Notes for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats are a No. 1 seed in the Minneapolis Region and will take on No. 16 seed Monmouth (19-14) on Friday at approximately 3:00 p.m. at the Wachovia Center.

Click on the PDF link at the top of this release to access complete game notes. Below are some of the top stories on Villanova basketball as the Wildcats enter the NCAA Tournament.

Special Seed
Villanova enters the NCAA Tournament with a No. 1 seed this season for the first time ever. The Wildcats are making their 27th overall appearance in the field, including their 16th appearance since teams began to be seeded in 1979. Villanova's previous highest seed had been No. 3, which they received four times. The Wildcats are 39-26 (.600) in the tournament in their first 26 appearances, including the school's lone national championship in 1985.

Ray Cleared to Practice without Restrictions
Senior guard Allan Ray was cleared to return to all basketball activities and was expected to participate in the team's practice session on Wednesday afternoon. After suffering a soft tissue injury to his right eye in the team's loss to Pittsburgh in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament, Ray visited an eye specialist in Philadelphia and was cleared to practice and play earlier this week.

All-American Announcement
Senior guards Randy Foye and Allan Ray have each been rewarded for their outstanding seasons by the NABC and Sporting News. Both organizations selected Foye as a first team All-American, while Ray was a second-team pick. In December, the two guards were named the best backcourt tandem in the country by SI.com, and they combine to average 39 points per game for the Wildcats.

Polling Places
Villanova began this season ranked No. 4 in the preseason polls of both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today. The Wildcats have remained in the top 10 throughout the entire season, dropping no lower than No. 8 in either poll. Villanova has been ranked as high as No. 2 in each poll on two occasions. In the final regular season polls released this week, the Wildcats are No. 3 in the AP Poll and No. 4 in ESPN/USA Today.