Stunningly inept last season, just plain stunning this season.
That's Villanova.The Wildcats completed an amazing turnaround from their dreadful 1992-93 season, winning the NIT championship Wednesday night with an 80-73 victory over a much more experienced Vanderbilt team.
Villanova, which finished with a 20-12 record after going 8-19 last year - its worst season in two decades - rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit and won going away.
"Last year, it was like `Let's just get this season over with.' This year, it was like `Let's do something," said Jonathan Haynes, whose 3-pointer with 3:22 left gave Villanova the lead for good.
It was a poised performance from a team made up primarily of sophomores and freshmen, and it even shocked second-year coach Steve Lappas, who took over the program when Rollie Massimino left for UNLV.
"These guys have been messing me up all year," Lappas said. "Despite their age, they respond under adverse conditions. Being young is one thing, but being composed is another. These guys surprised even me."
It was the Wildcats' composure that killed Vanderbilt (20-12), which led 41-26 at halftime and made Villanova look ragged.
In the second half, Villanova opened with a 30-16 run in the first 10:50 to draw within one, then survived some great outside shooting by Frank Seckar, a junior who finished with a career-high 30 points.
Vanderbilt scored only three points in the final four minutes after the game was tied 70-70.
"We had a good first half; they had a good second half. They're a hungry team," Vanderbilt coach Jan van Breda Kolff said.
Jonathan Haynes scored 19 points, Kerry Kittles had 18 and Eric Eberz 16 for Villanova, which became the 15th school to win both an NCAA and NIT championship and posted its first 20-win season since 1987-88.
"We've talked about this being a stepping stone," Lappas said, "and it's just a great experience to win the championship. It's hard to be any prouder than I am tonight. I hope my team never forgets what it's like to sit on the rims and hold a piece of those nets."
For Vanderbilt, ex-Duke guard Billy McCaffrey scored just five points on 2-for-11 shooting in his final college game, 16 points below his average. He was hampered by a sprained thumb.
"I just couldn't get a feel for my shot," he said. "I feel bad that I couldn't help my team more.
He was not alone. Vanderbilt shot just 32 percent in the second half, and it would have been worse if not for Seckar.
He made his first seven 3-pointers, almost single-handedly keeping Vanderbilt in the game by scoring 20 of their 32 second-half points. Ronnie McMahan added 20 for the Commodores.
Seckar, making 3-pointers from all angles, broke a 60-60 tie at 7 minutes. And after Villanova got within one on its next possession, Seckar connected again from behind the line.
But Haynes made a 3 with 4:45 left to cut the deficit to one, and Kittles tied it 70-70 42 seconds later with a 3-pointer from NBA range.
Villanova went ahead 73-70 with 3:22 left on Haynes' third 3-pointer of the half, and the game stayed scoreless until 56 seconds remained, when Alvin Williams made a foul shot after an intentional foul on Bryan Milburn on a breakaway.
Ron Wilson made two free throws with 26 seconds left, but Seckar hit another 3-pointer with 15.1 seconds left, making it 76-73. Eberz made two free throws with 13 seconds left and Willams scored a breakaway layup with three seconds left to wrap it up.