By Tom Brennan
UCLA is a 14-point longshot tonight against Gonzaga in the NCAA semifinals.
And if you think they have no shot, you must not remember the 1985 Villanova Wildcats., who were 9 1/2-point underdogs against Georgetown in the title game.
From Jan. 27 to March 8, 1985, Villanova went 6-7, culminating in an 89-74 loss to St. John’s in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament.
That left the Wildcats at 19-10 and with a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament.
But Villanova then rattled off six straight wins for the first time since starting the season 7-0, with the final victory a 66-64 win over Georgetown that still is recognized as one of the greatest upsets in tournament history.
Villanova remains one of three teams to win the national championship after entering the tournament with double-digit losses (1983 NC State, 1988 Kansas).
