Villanova coach, Jay Wright, loves the idea of the NCAA tournament expanding to 96 teams. Wright was quoted by Dan Patrick as saying “I don’t think there’s anything more important in college basketball than expanding that field…There’s so many more Division I teams. I just think it’s time…When you go to the NIT there’s a perception you had a poor season.”

There’s also a perception that we already have an expanded tournament: it’s called conference championships. The NCAA and CBS love the idea of expansion because it means more money which means that expansion is inevitable. But at what point is the integrity of the tournament degraded by allowing another few dozen teams in? And the greatest pre-Final Four appeal of the tournament is the path of the underdog. How much appeal will the underdog have when they’re always playing other underdogs? Wright State beating Texas in the first or second round is the kind of stuff the tournament is made of. But three rounds of Wright St. beating New Mexico, Butler and Minnesota doesn’t exactly have the same draw.

People bitch and moan about the NHL and NBA playoffs allowing too many teams in. Heck, baseball purists hated the elimination of the traditional pennant model long before they detested the wild card. College basketball already has one of the best playoff structures in all of sports. Sure, revenues will increase but will the integrity and appeal of the tournament take a hit because its talent pool has been diluted? I sure hope not.

The acrimonious relationship that Philadelphia has with Villanova is something that’s puzzled me on several occasions. Having grown up elsewhere, the dynamics of this city’s college hoops loyalty were something I didn’t totally get until they were explained to me. So my understanding is the following: Villanova is a bunch of elitist white people who don’t represent the true grit of the Philadelphian. That’s the reason Nova doesn’t enjoy universal support around here.

My high school sweetheart’s dad was the coach of the most storied high prep school basketball program in Western New York. He had framed photos of Rollie Massimino hanging in their house and when he sent star recruit, Eric Eberz, to Villanova in the early 90’s, Coach L. was as happy as can be. Much like most Philadelphians, my dad wasn’t a big fan of Villanova (for the same reasons) and so when I dropped pop’s nickname for Nova, “Vanillanova,” at dinner one night at Coach’s house, it didn’t go over too well.

That pointless anecdote notwithstanding, Sam Donnellon over at the Daily News seems to think Philadelphians are starting to get behind the Wildcats. Needless to say, winning will do that for a potential fan base. But is this trend, if true, what Anthony Gargano would call a “violation?” Is it kosher for Philly to drop the hater status and pull for the Cats because they’re almost on top of the world? Isn’t that like a Giants fan rooting for the Jets in this year’s playoffs? What say you, Philadelphia?

Sorry to interrupt the bitch fest, but Villanova is up to #4 in this week’s college hoops rankings and #1 in the Big East (’Nova at Louisville (12-4) tonight at 7 on ESPN). And Temple is up 3 spots to #19.

You may now resume crying about the Eagles.

The Villanova Wildcats women’s volleyball football team won the FCS national football title by defeating Montana 23-21 last night in Chatanooga. We’re less than a year removed from Nova’s Final Four appearance and with any luck, the Cats could be contending for a basketball title next March. Pretty good times for Villanova, which should mean pretty good times for Philly Sports fans.

Obviously there won’t be any parade down Broad St. (the snow notwithstanding) but this is pretty sweet if for no other reason than it shows how successful the 16-team playoff format used in college football’s second division can be. I suppose this flabbergasts the incredulous money-grabbers in the FBS; it turns out college athletes can walk and chew gum at the same time. Here’s to hoping they take notice and change their prehistoric notion that a playoff isn’t as bizarre as the current system of choosing a champ in the same way figure skating crowns its winner.

If only Villanova could have been this good on Saturday. Oh well, I guess when you can’t shoot, can’t rebound and can’t play defense you’re not going to win, especially against Carolina. At least we learned something about comparative statistics, namely that 5 out of 27 is 18.5% whereas 11 for 22 is 50%. That’s 15 points off 3-point shots for Nova (and 22 trips down the floor in the other direction for UNC) versus 33 points for Carolina’s 3-point shooters. Nova did shoot much better from the line than did the Heels (75% versus 60%), but it wasn’t for lack of Villanova effort that Carolina only had 22 points on free throws; Villanova put Carolina on the stripe 37 times, more than twice the 16 free throws attempted by the Cats.

Enough with this whole Villanova crap. The rest of the day will be devoted to searching the internet for more photos of asses. And wondering how the Big East won’t be playing for the title tonight.

N.B. Clearly today’s theme is butts so I’m linking to withleather.com (where I acquired this photo of Villanova volleyball) for a great piece about an English soccer player getting yellow carded for farting.

Stop fretting about where you and your UGGS-wearing girlfriend are going to have brunch on Sunday. Your weekend plans look like this:

• Tonight: Maple Leafs-Flyers at the Wachovia Center at 7:00
• Tomorrow: Pistons-Sixers at the Wachovia Center at 3:00
• Tomorrow: Flyers-Senators at ScotiaBank Place at 7:00.
• Tomorrow: Nova-Carolina at Ford Field in Detroit at 8:07
• Sunday: iSportacus Phillies Opening Dollar Dog Night at The Bards at 6:00, Atlanta Braves-Phillies at Citizens Bank Park at 8:00
• Sunday: Sixers-Nets at the Prudential Center at 8:00
• Monday: Nova vs. Michigan State/UConn at Ford Field at 9:10

Dana O’Neill has a good article on espn.com today Villanova’s journey from the 2005 tourney to this year’s Final Four.

After the Flyers 3-2 loss at lowly Toronto last night, the Flyers find themselves in a very peculiar position: they are currently in 4th place in the Conference but are only 5 points up on 9th place Florida. With 6 games left, there is a possibility that they could play themselves out of a playoff appearance. You can chalk this up to a tight Conference race (which technically it is) but keep in mind the Flyers are .500 in their last 10 games. The teams behind them, Pittsburgh and Carolina, are both 7-1-2 during the same stretch.

Bodog.com has the Phillies’ odds of winning the World Series at 15-1 and the Mets at 8-1.

The iSportacus Phillies party on Sunday night at Bards is now subtitled “Dollar Dog Night.” The Irish are trading-in their bangers and mash for $1 hot dogs during our party on Sunday. The full menu will also be available. More importantly, $2 pints of Lager and Bud Light.

It is truly amazing to me that not more activity and excitement is brewing in this town as it relates to Villanova’s appearance in the Final Four. Maybe it’s because the Eagles are king here and the Phillies are coming off the World Series win. Maybe also because it’s the nature of fans in a town with this much college hoops tradition and diversity to have split allegiances. Thing is, this is the year of Philadelphia sports. Unrealistic expectations every season aside, the Eagles came a few plays from the Super Bowl, the Phillies won the damned thing, Nova’s in the Final Four, the Flyers are poised to make a deep playoff run and the Sixers are going to be a top-5 playoff seed and are no longer a doormat.

I get it if you’re a St. Joe’s fan or if you have one of those anti-elitist chubbies about Villanova. But on a national scale, the Wildcats represent our city and we should be lining up behind them with the same level of fanaticism and pride as the folks in Michigan, North Carolina and Connecticut. The Final Four is as big an event in American sports as there is. It’s time to represent.

I got an e-mail from Maria last night thanking me for mentioning her in my piece about the Villanova game last night. She told me she was happy to hear that she’s still cared about back home and also that she thinks D’Allesandro’s steaks beat Chubby’s. That’s cool, I guess she doesn’t know about the zip ties, duct tape and shotgun I have in my car. I figure I can get out to L.A. in time to watch the Nova-Pitt game with her tomorrow night.

No golf for the Owls at FDR this year. Temple has an 11 seed and will be facing Arizona State in the first round. ASU blew a double-digit lead in the PAC-10 tourney final to USC so they’ve shown their heart is as robust as a cactus needle. That’s a very winnable game for Temple.

Villanova is a 3 seed and should cruise by American U. in the first round. Villanova has shown they don’t necessarily have what it takes to knock off the big boys but two wins seems like a lock. Their experience in the toughest conference in college hoops this year should serve them well (7 Big East teams qualified).

We’ll be posting our bracket contest tomorrow, along with more in-depth, competent tournament coverage.