“Did they win, Mom?” That was always my first question when I woke up during the month of March. As the child of a Villanovan, I spent my entire childhood sitting in front of the television watching basketball games. Rooting for the Wildcats has been a passion of mine long before I ever became a Villanovan myself. I have always wanted the best for the basketball program, and, like many, I was not only shocked but disappointed when Jay Wright announced his retirement. When Kyle Neptune was named as the next man for the job, there were mixed opinions. How was anyone supposed to fill the shoes of Jay Wright?
Over the past three years, I have watched this team try to claw its way back to what it once was, and more notably, I have watched Neptune take the complete and utter fall for every failure. As Neptune’s era comes to an end, I believe it is important to note that what makes Villanova’s basketball team so incredible isn’t the glory it has experienced over the past 20 years but rather something much more.
I have watched these men my entire life, and the reason I looked up to this program wasn’t because of their championships but because of what Villanova basketball stood for. It is a public display of what Villanova is all about. This program is defined by the content of the character of the athletes that choose to come here, as the coaching staff maintains a high standard of excellence for players past and present. Wright built this championship-winning program off things like respect, hard work, grit and attitude. Those values have been ingrained into the program, and just because Wright put them there, doesn’t mean that Neptune didn’t continue to carry on that legacy.
As a community, we have gotten so used to the glitz and glamour of the past decade of Villanova basketball that we forget the years prior. The lost games, let-downs and failures, all came at the hands of Wright, the legend himself. We have gotten used to such an unrealistic standard for our coaching staff and men’s athletes. Expecting a Final Four appearance every year or a championship trophy simply isn’t feasible. However, what we can continue to expect is the program to maintain the same standards for its athletes and coaching staff it always has. My entire life I have known the men and the coaches of the Villanova basketball team to be a respected and honored group of people because of the way they held themselves and the way they chose to play the game. Neptune may have let us down when it came to a trip back to the tournament or a Big East Title but he made it his responsibility to honor what Villanova basketball has always been all about.
In my opinion, this is way more important. Championships, medals and glory will come and go, but the content of the character of the athletes is what will continue to define the program as well as the University. That is Villanova basketball. While we have much we can criticize Neptune for, we can also appreciate and commend him for continuing to make this standard his priority and protecting the uniqueness of the program.
Tommy Petrane is a freshman, as well as a lifelong Villanova basketball fan.
“People outside of it think Villanova people are overly obsessed, but it is really a culture,” Petrane said. “This culture is heavily in thanks to Jay Wright, and his mantra was the word ‘attitude,’ which is a great way to describe our program.”
No matter how anyone feels about the dismissal of Neptune, we can all acknowledge the reality that he spent his time here at Villanova working to keep the heart and soul that Wright instilled over two decades ago. By respecting and honoring the foundation of the program, Neptune was given the daunting task of building upon what had already been built.
“This job is one of the hardest to step into, and we recognize and thank Neptune for his efforts, and I hope the rest of the Villanova community is a little more lenient than they are right now,” Petrane said.
As we close the chapter on Neptune’s tenure at Villanova, it’s important to remember that the legacy of this program isn’t just built on championships or titles. It’s about the enduring values of respect, hard work and attitude that have been passed down through generations of athletes and coaches. The road ahead may not always be easy, but the heart of Villanova basketball will always beat strong, no matter who is leading the way.
