2008 – 09 Villanova Wildcats men 's basketball team represented Villanova University in the 2008 – 09 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season . They were led by Jay Wright in his eighth year as head coach of the Wildcats . The Wildcats played their home games at The Pavilion on the school 's campus as members of the Big East Conference . They finished the season 30 – 8 , 13 – 5 in Big East play to finish in fourth place . They lost in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament to Louisville . The Wildcats received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the East region . They defeated American , UCLA , Duke , and Pittsburgh to advance to the Final Four . In the Final Four they were defeated by the eventual national champion for the second straight year , North Carolina
Big East Tournament
2009 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team