Top 5 All-Time Philadelphia College Basketball Teams
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Villanova is just two wins away from becoming the 2016 NCAA men's basketball National Champions.
But are they already the best college basketball team in Philadelphia history? Here are the top five.
5. 1987-88 Temple Owls
John Chaney's Owls finished 32-2 in 1987-88. Led by Mark Macon and his 20.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, Temple went 18-0 in the Atlantic-10 earning themselves a No. 1 seed in the East region of the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, in the East regional final, Macon was held to 6-29 shooting by Duke who defeated Temple 63-53.
4. 1968-69 LaSalle Explorers
This Tom Gola coached squad finished 23-1 and as the second best team in college basketball. This Explorers team had three players who averaged over 18 points per game: Ken Durrett, Larry Cannon, and Bernie Williams
Temple head coach Fran Dunphy averaged four points per game for this LaSalle squad.
3. 2003-04 Saint Joseph's Hawks
Phil Martelli's squad was led by two guards -- Chester native and future NBA all-star point guard Jameer Nelson (20.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.3 APG) and the crafty left-hander Delonte West (18.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.7 APG). These Hawks finished 30-2 and 16-0 in the Atlantic 10, but suffered a devastating two-point loss in the East Regional Final to Oklahoma State on a game-winning shot by John Lucas III.
2. 1985 Villanova Wildcats
They won the National Championship, sure, but this was more of a team of destiny. After finishing 25-10 and just 9-7 in the Big East, Rollie Massimino's squad snuck into the tournament, earning themselves a No. 8 seed. After wins over top seeds No. 9 Dayton, No. 1 Michigan, No. 5 Maryland, No. 2 North Carolina, and No. 2 Memphis, Nova played a near perfect game to beat No. 2 Georgetown in the National Championship game 66-64.
1. 2015-16 Villanova Wildcats
Jay Wright's squad does not really have any NBA-athletic bodies on their roster. Led by a 6-3 senior point guard from Neshaminy High School Ryan Arcidiacono, Nova is headed to the Final Four.
Nova is 33-5 overall and finished 16-2 in the Big East, good for a No. 2 seed in the South Region. For three weeks during the regular season, Villanova was the No. 1 ranked team in the country. No player on the team averages more than Josh Hart's 15.3 points per game. This group of players is the embodiment of a "team," winning with gutsy defense and unselfish offense.
Villanova takes on Oklahoma in the National Semifinals on Saturday.
