Coached by Rollie Massimino , the Wildcats were coming off of a season in which they had lost to Illinois in the second round of the 1984 NCAA Tournament . The team 's regular starting lineup included seniors Ed Pinckney , Dwayne McClain , and Gary McLain , along with juniors Harold Pressley and Dwight Wilbur . Villanova began the season 13 – 3 , before a January 1985 loss at Maryland . The defeat started a slump that lasted throughout the rest of the regular season ; the Wildcats had a 5 – 5 record in their final 10 regular season games , capped by a 23-point loss at Pittsburgh . After peaking at number 14 in the January 22 rankings , the team fell out of the Associated Press Poll by mid-February . With an 18 – 9 record overall entering the 1985 Big East Men 's Basketball Tournament , Villanova was not assured of receiving an invitation to the NCAA Tournament . In a rematch against Pittsburgh , the team won by eight points to effectively secure their tournament berth . In the semifinals of the Big East Tournament , the Wildcats suffered a 15-point loss to St. John 's , leaving their record at 19 – 10 going into the NCAA Tournament
1985 Big East Men 's Basketball Tournament
1985 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
1985 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game