1995 – 96 Villanova Wildcats men 's basketball team represented Villanova University in the 1995 – 96 season . Led by consensus First team All-American Senior Kerry Kittles , who became and remains Villanova 's all-time leading scorer , the highly ranked Wildcats made their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament since the departure of Rollie Massimino . With an overall record 24-5 and conference record of 14-4 , the Wildcats placed second in the Big East Conference , and after reaching the semifinals of the Big East tournament , the team was invited to the NCAA tournament as a 3 seed . In the NCAA tournament , the Wildcats would gain their first tournament win under Fourth Year head coach Steve Lappas , over 14 seed Portland . In the round of 32 , the Wildcats would prove to be competitive , but fall to 6 seed Louisville by four points
Big East tournament
1996 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
1995–96 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team