# 2004–05 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team

The 2004–05 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team represented Villanova University in the 2004–05 college basketball season.
Villanova, led by head coach Jay Wright, put together a strong season that formed the foundation of Villanova’s re-emergence as a college basketball elite. Utilizing a starting lineup that consisted of non-seniors (juniors Randy Foye, Jason Fraser, Allan Ray, and Curtis Sumpter, along with sophomore Mike Nardi, the Wildcats played a fast-paced style of basketball that became a common topic of intrigue among analysts. Villanova entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 5 seed in the Syracuse region and made a Sweet Sixteen appearance before losing to eventual champion North Carolina. This was the first of two consecutive years the Wildcats would bow out of the tournament after facing the eventual champion.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular season ||||||
| Nov 23, 2004* | | UMBC | W 66–41 | 1–0 | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Dec 4, 2004* | | vs. Temple | L 52–53 | 1–1 | The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Dec 7, 2004* | | Monmouth | W 70–50 | 2–1 | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Dec 11, 2004* | | vs. La Salle | W 54–43 | 3–1 | The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Dec 14, 2004* | | Fordham | W 68–47 | 4–1 | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Dec 22, 2004* | | Albany | W 86–72 | 5–1 | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Dec 27, 2004* | | Middle Tennessee | W 81–62 | 6–1 | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Dec 31, 2004* | | Penn | W 74–64 | 7–1 | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Jan 5, 2005 | | No. 21 West Virginia | W 84–46 | 8–1 (1–0) | The Pavilion Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Jan 8, 2005 | | at Notre Dame | L 72–78 | 8–2 (1–1) | Joyce Center Notre Dame, Indiana |
| Jan 11, 2005 | | at Providence | W 83–78 $^{OT}$ | 9–2 (2–1) | Dunkin' Donuts Center Providence, Rhode Island |
| Jan 15, 2005 | | Georgetown | L 64–66 | 9–3 (2–2) | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Jan 19, 2005 | | at No. 9 Boston College | L 66–67 | 9–4 (2–3) | Silvio O. Conte Forum Boston, Massachusetts |
| Jan 22, 2005* | | No. 2 Kansas | W 83–62 | 10–4 | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Jan 26, 2005 | | Notre Dame | W 65–60 | 11–4 (3–3) | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Jan 29, 2005 | | at Rutgers | W 94–61 | 12–4 (4–3) | Louis Brown Athletic Center Piscataway, New Jersey |
| Feb 2, 2005 | No. 24 | at No. 23 Connecticut | L 76–81 | 12–5 (4–4) | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion Storrs, Connecticut |
| Feb 5, 2005 | No. 24 | Providence | W 89–81 | 13–5 (5–4) | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Feb 7, 2005* | No. 24 | vs. Saint Joseph's | W 67–52 | 14–5 | The Palestra Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Feb 12, 2005 | No. 22 | No. 8 Syracuse | L 75–90 | 14–6 (5–5) | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Feb 15, 2005* | No. 22 | Bucknell | W 89–51 | 15–6 | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Feb 17, 2005 | No. 25 | at Seton Hall | W 66–52 | 16–6 (6–5) | Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Feb 20, 2005 | No. 25 | No. 17 Pittsburgh | W 80–72 | 17–6 (7–5) | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Feb 23, 2005 | No. 23 | No. 3 Boston College | W 76–70 | 18–6 (8–5) | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Feb 27, 2005 | No. 23 | at Georgetown | W 67–56 | 19–6 (9–5) | Verizon Center Washington, D.C. |
| Mar 2, 2005 | No. 19 | Seton Hall | W 79–58 | 20–6 (10–5) | Wachovia Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Mar 5, 2005 | No. 19 | at St. John's | W 70–68 | 21–6 (11–5) | Madison Square Garden New York, New York |
| Big East Tournament ||||||
| Mar 10, 2005* | No. 19 | vs. No. 22 Pittsburgh | W 67–58 | 22–6 | Madison Square Garden New York, New York |
| Mar 11, 2005* | No. 19 | vs. West Virginia | L 76–78 | 22–7 | Madison Square Garden New York, New York |
| NCAA Tournament ||||||
| Mar 18, 2005* | (5 SYR) No. 19 | vs. (12 SYR) New Mexico First round | W 55–47 | 23–7 | Bridgestone Arena Nashville, Tennessee |
| Mar 20, 2005* | (5 SYR) No. 19 | vs. (4 SYR) No. 16 Florida Second Round | W 76–65 | 24–7 | Bridgestone Arena Nashville, Tennessee |
| Mar 25, 2005* | (5 SYR) No. 19 | vs. (1 SYR) No. 2 North Carolina Regional semifinal – Sweet Sixteen | L 66–67 | 24–8 | Carrier Dome Syracuse, New York |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. SYR=Syracuse. ||||||