Italy Villanova Basketball

It hit Villanova coach Kevin Willard early Thursday morning when he got off the charter flight that carried the university’s men’s and women’s teams to Rome for Sunday’s season-opening college basketball doubleheader against Notre Dame. Villanova, Willard believe, has a responsibility to represent Pope Leo XIV, who graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the Augustinian school near Philadelphia. Willard says “at first, I didn’t think it was going to be that big of a deal, but when we landed, you understand he is our best alumnus and most notable alumnus. He’s also the most famous person on earth.”