Lessons from 1985

I found a great article written by Don Yaeger on the 1985 NCAA Division-I National Champions, Villanova Wildcats. The following are highlights of the lessons learned from that national championship game.

1. You have to play the game - No matter the odds or the pre-game hype, it's your performance that determines the outcome.

2. Count on your team - Following a well scripted game plan and relying on each other helped the Wildcats exude confidence in every situation as they faced the defending NCAA champion (Georgetown) Hoyas.

3. Shut out the naysayers - "Don't tell others what is expected to happen. Make it happen," says Ed Pinckney, named Most Outstanding Player of the 1985 Final Four. "If you believe what others say, you'll never beat Goliath."

4. Stretch beyond your reach - This game's outcome might have been different had Gary McLain not dived to control the last-second inbounds pass, landing on his stomach, cradling the ball in his left hand, his right fist pounding the air in triumph as theclock ticked down the final two seconds.