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Lifetime of sacrifices led to moment of glory for Villanova’s Kris Jenkins

Though Villanova has the fewest National Basketball Association prospects of any elite NCAA program at this time, Jenkins has improved every year under Wright’s tutelage.

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That bang has turned into a bash in Philadelphia. Villanova will get a championship parade Friday.

I don’t even know if there is a proper etiquette, but if there wasn’t before Monday night’s championship game, there should be now. “I don’t think I’ve really digested this yet”.

The parade in Philadelphia will cover five blocks of Market Street and end outside City Hall, skipping the city’s traditional athletic celebration route down Broad Street.

The drink appeared to come in a repurposed Gatorade bottle – fitting, since Jenkins won two Gatorade Washington D.C. Boys Basketball Player honors in his final two prep seasons – with a photo of Jenkins slapped over the label, but as we learned Monday night, the juice really works.

Villanova is now a ideal two for two in their championship game appearances, while North Carolina lost in the title game for the first time since 1981 and his now 5-5 in their title game appearances. One of those arrested was accused of assaulting a police horse.

From that opening-round game in Dayton, Ohio on March 15 to Villanova taking the title on April 4, there were blowouts, a halfcourt game-winner, one of the great meltdowns in basketball history, some incredible dunks, gut-wrenching losses and incredible wins.

She added: “I couldn’t imagine he was that wide open on the national stage and he made the shot”.

Even the die-hards had little faith that the Big East champions could pull off a run all the way to the first weekend in April.

Obama incorrectly picked the University of Kansas to win the championship in his annual bracket. The city’s four major pro teams have been mediocre to awful of late.

Philadelphia sports fans have been yearning for a chance to celebrate.

The win cemented one of the most unlikely championships in the 68-team, single elimination tournament.

Maybe it was this karma – or the karma of crying piccolo girl – but whatever it was, Villanova finally exorcised its demons against North Carolina in dramatic fashion.

Instead, this one belongs to Villanova, a team full of scrappers, grinders and also-rans, who proved you don’t have to have a roster full of NBA-bound one-and-dones to win a title.

Both plays won national titles and earned their place in college basketball history.

It called for Jenkins to inbound to point guard Ryan Arcidiacono, who dribbles up the left side of the court and runs his defender toward a screen set by Ochefu before cutting to the middle.

Students rushed from Villanova’s arena, The Pavilion, onto a nearby commercial strip where pubs and restaurants festooned with balloons and banners were packed with revelers, ready to step things up. After you go to the camp, they’ll tell you where you are.

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That’s also life. This time, the timing just happened to be right for Villanova.

Villanova players celebrate after the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game against North Carolina Monday