Analyzing Villanova's NCAA Tournament Resume as Regular Season Winds Down

With the final week of the regular season upon us, the Villanova Wildcats' hopes of making it into the field of 68 for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament are questionable at best.

After a rough week, the Wildcats will return home on Wednesday night to play the No. 5 Georgetown Hoyas at the Wells Fargo Center in their final game of the season. 

Another victory over a strong ranked opponent would do wonders for the Wildcats' resume, but a win over the league leaders in the Big East still would not guarantee them a spot in the final 68.

Here is a look at the Wildcats' resume as the final week of the regular season begins. 

Resume

Key Wins: January 22 vs. Louisville, January 25 vs. Syracuse, February 23 vs. Marquette

Key Losses: November 20 vs. Columbia, November 25 at La Salle, December 5 vs. Temple, February 25 at Seton Hall. 

RPI: 55

By now we all know about the three big victories that the Wildcats have had in Big East play, but we are also aware of that awful loss to Columbia at home. 

Also sticking out on the resume of the Wildcats are the losses to Big Five rivals La Salle and Temple, who have joined Villanova on the bubble at this point of the season. 

Another loss that could potentially affect Villanova's spot in the final 68 is their 22-point loss to Alabama at the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden in November. 

Recent Results

After taking down Marquette at home on February 23, all signs pointed towards Villanova cruising into the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

Since the upset win at The Pavilion, the Wildcats have choked. 

The miserable six-day stretch for Jay Wright and company started on February 25 when they lost on the road in the final seconds to Seton Hall.

Things did not get much better for the Wildcats on Sunday as they fell to Pittsburgh in overtime on the road. 

The two losses leave Villanova with a 9-8 record in Big East play and with plenty of work to be done in the next two weeks. 

Where They Stand in the Big East

Depending on how Cincinnati, St. John's and Providence perform in the final week, Villanova could end up with as high as the seventh seed in the Big East tournament or as low as the 10th seed. 

While the Wildcats have just one game left on their schedule, their other three adversaries have two games left to play in the final week of the regular season. 

Cincinnati and Providence are expected to win at least one of their remaining two games while St. John's will have to face both Notre Dame and Marquette this week. 

If Villanova defeats Georgetown on Wednesday night, the seven seed should be the Wildcats', but if they lose, all hell could break loose in the middle of the Big East standings. 

With all that being said, the Wildcats will most likely end up as either the seven, eight or nine seed for next week's Big East tournament.

Where They Stand on the National Level

While the Wildcats were tanking over the last week, the rest of the teams on the bubble also failed to impress. 

All four of the teams from the SEC on the bubble lost on Saturday while Baylor fell at the final buzzer to Kansas State. 

Two other bubble teams, Arizona State and Indiana State, also had bad weeks to leave the door wide open for Villanova to sneak into the final 68. 

Amongst the mess at the national level on the bubble, Villanova still has a great shot to make the final 68 but it still has plenty of work left to do. 

What the Wildcats Must Do to Secure a Spot in Final 68

Villanova's spot in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament is its for the taking. 

If the Wildcats are able to take down Georgetown at home and defeat one of their Big East bubble rivals in the second round of the Big East tournament, they should be safe. 

However, you can never predict how other conference tournaments are going to turn out. 

With that uncertainty in mind, it would be helpful if the Wildcats defeat either Georgetown or Louisville in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament to add another quality victory to their resume. 

For more insight on Villanova and college basketball, follow me on Twitter @JTansey90.